Jgrubb, as a 53-year-old musician/programmer/entrepreneur (formally trained [in parallel, mostly] in the first two), may I posit that you're not a late-comer to anything yet!
43 yo here. Recently I've been using Garageband to learn guitar. It's fantastic. My first serious use of computers with music even though I've been a programmer for almost 20 years.
Not a musician, but 14 years of lessons in piano, woodwinds and percussion as a kid, and recently acquired keyboards, guitars and clarinet.
Recently I started coding in a language i was sort of afraid of, haskell, and playing an instrument I was afraid of, fretless bass, at the same time. I had a "Dammit, go somewhere, do something" moment.
Which reminds me that i was going to google for how string, brass and woodwind players aren't locked into equal temperament, they can intonate as they like.
