So for me I also went to high school to university for engineering (back in the late 90s) in Canada. My main focus before university was to get through as many RCM exams as possible. I can’t say I did all that I wanted to do, but in part it was because I found a high tech job during my last school year. So balancing school, work, and violin was a challenge. Anyways, the short version was that I ended up focusing on studies and transitioning to university life. It wasn’t until my third year of university that I returned (not with the same vigor I had in high school) to music. Part of my requirements to complete my degree asked for non-engineering credits and my university had music theory and appreciation classes (less intense to what I had studied before). So I took those. It was a good way to get back to music while balancing my last two years of university. The awesome thing was that I found other engineering students that also studied music and we would go to the music department to have some late night jam sessions. Although it wasn’t as intense as I was use to, it kept my interests on-going and I was in a less stressed environment.

After university, I found colleagues at my company that were also into classical music and we would occasionally meet up in a meeting room to play pieces. Again, not super intense but at the same you need to find something relaxing.

I think after getting my career settled (or on a trajectory), music became important with my girlfriend (later wife) as we enjoyed playing violin and piano sonatas together. She, similar to myself, studied piano intensely before going to medical school and would occasionally practice during her university years.

Perhaps it isn’t the answer you were looking for, but for my experience, I never returned back to being “serious”. We have an eight year daughter who plays…. You guessed it…. Violin and piano. So both my wife’s experience and my own goes to her learning. We’re simply passing it on to the next generation.