Although up to half of music graduates transition to other fields (Brook & Fostaty Young, 2019), we know little about their transition to new roles. There are surprisingly few examinations of former professional musicians in the research literature (Kim, 2018; Mor, 1996; Proffitt, 2021), and these studies are limited in scope and have little engagement with the social contexts of these transitions. Former professional musicians may provide key insight into understanding the structural, socioeconomic inequities that shape who can sustain a musical career and who is excluded (Wright, 2010). Moreover, while the impacts of childhood musical training are well studied (e.g., Román-Caballero et al., 2022; Schellenberg & Lima, 2024), some scholars question the value of more advanced musical training and career experience in modern workplaces (Celse, 2025).Using the critical sociological lenses of the life course perspective and identity theory, this exploratory case study seeks to understand and document the experiences of former professional musicians and to understand the value of their training and career experiences in non-musical contexts. Based on responses to a screening questionnaire distributed to online musical communities and the researchers’ professional networks, five participants were purposively sampled to represent a variety of musical genres, reasons for leaving the field, genders, and racialized groups. Participants completed in-depth semi-structured interviews, and after member checking, data were analyzed through inductive open coding followed by thematic analysis through focused coding.Thematic analysis of participants’ transitions away from professional music-making reveals the complicated interrelationship of their individual agency and larger structural forces. Reasons for leaving the field are key factors in subjective experience, and shifts in identity are delineated by major turning points. These findings may inform future career transitions and help challenge the stigma attached to leaving a success-oriented field. They also suggest a need for musical training to better prepare students for diverse career trajectories, emphasizing transferable skills, adaptability, and sustainable identities beyond performance. In rethinking the ends of advanced music education, the study invites educators to balance artistic excellence with broader conceptions of success.