Academics forging careers in higher education, including in music, face challenges that shape professional trajectories. Faculty development has traditionally emphasized early career stages with induction programs, reduced service, and mentorship toward tenure (Catazano, Robbins, Slanetz, et al., 2020). In contrast, the mid- and late-career stages remain uncharted, including in music, leaving faculty vulnerable to stagnation, stress, and disengagement. In response to this, there is an urgent need to explore intentional institutional career support to ensure faculty productivity, job satisfaction, and well-being throughout their various career phases. Drawing on higher education literature, this paper examines key themes in mid- and late-career music faculty experiences, focusing on developmental transitions, professional vitality (Deci & Ryan, 2008), and institutional support. Although there is satisfaction to be found by those who find themselves through early-career and into the middle of a higher education career, mid-career experiences are likened to being lost in the desert, characterized by exhaustion, unclear goals, and faculty feeling “stuck” compared to many junior colleagues who receive structured guidance. Those who make it across the desert to find themselves in the later stages of their career are often concerned with navigating issues of legacy, generativity, and retirement. Many seek to give back through mentoring, curriculum development, or service, but these contributions are often undervalued compared to research. Satisfaction is highest when faculty control their workload, broaden professional interests, and maintain strong relationships (DeFelippo & Dee, 2022). Yet, the preparation for the career culmination and post-career life is rarely a part of the professional development services that institutions provide. For those seeking to create a career in higher education, the silences that exist in relation to how to navigate the complexities of mid- and late-careers can be deafening. To speak into this silence, our analysis of the themes from the literature is used to generate two representative portraits of a notional mid-career and late-career music academic. In this presentation, these portraits are offered as being in conversation with one another, to provoke further conversations around the key issues already known. Areas where a lack of literature exists are problematized by the speakers and the presentation concludes with the speakers outlining the next steps in the research, in order to find out how best to support mid- and late-career faculty in music.