Am I too old to take music lessons? This is a question I am asked rather often. Simple answer- No.
It is never too late to start, especially when you realize it is not about “catching up” to a level of playing where of people that started when they were very young.
One of the more common myths is that you can only learn music if you start from a very young age. Yes, this is easier, but it does not make it impossible to start lessons at a later age.
There are actually many benefits of starting lessons later on in life. You are taking lessons because you WANT to be taking lessons. Not because your parents are forcing you to. Older music students typically have a drive and passion that many younger students do not develop until later in life.
Whatever the reason, learning an instrument is a positive decision, to be encouraged. Playing regularly can bring not only a sense of stability and purpose, but also a spiritual and physical sense of balance akin to meditation or yoga.
The health benefits from learning music are impressive. There have been hundreds of studies done that show music helping to modulate bio-rhythms and promote better mental health.
It has proved useful in various therapeutic treatments, promoting healing and calmness, even stimulating brain activity in those with certain types of brain damage or condition.
Learning how to play music also opens you up to appreciate art and music on a different level. There is something about learning how to play a piece of music that lets you see the music from the viewpoint of the writer.
Understanding basic harmony and from will give a new meaning to going to see the opera, or even just listening to pop songs on the radio. Music is a deep and long tradition that too few people are able to put in the time to learn and appreciate.
Music is probably even older than language. Some researchers believe music and language evolved simultaneously from a proto-language, sounds made by our pre-human ancestors that helped synchronize activities for survival tactics, hunting, courtship, and other aspects of social coordination.
While language evolved to allow more specialized forms of communication, music remained in this ancient place, appealing to body rhythms, altering moods, creating unity, enhancing all of society’s rituals.
That means that music, all by itself, provides a deep human connection. It transports you out of yourself. Even when you’re practicing alone, you are, in effect, communing with the vast history of human society. As it resonates for you, so too does it resonate for others.
Learning the language of music takes a fair amount of commitment. It is a very rewarding journey that never ends. Here are some tips to help you get started!
6 Tips For Beginner Adult Music Students
1. Picking the right teacher is more important that selecting the right instrument. Find the right fit for your personality and learning styles. Look for teachers who work regularly with adults.
2. Choose a school or teacher that agrees to teach you music you enjoy. You are more likely to practice.
3. Take notes you can refer to later when you are practicing. You might also record your lessons or practice sessions to hear your own progress.
4. Make both space and time in your life to practice regularly. Consider this time you are giving to yourself. Carve out a quiet area of your home; clear your schedule, ideally when you can be alone. Ask family to respect this rehearsal time.
5. Be patient. Anything worth doing takes time.
6. Remember you are doing something wonderful for yourself and your aging brain.
BBC – Culture – Adult piano lessons: Never too late to learn?
They say that youth is wasted on the young, but its nothing compared to piano lessons. The only consolation I can take from this is that Im not alone. I often hear from listeners on my BBC Radio 3 Breakfast show who say theyre revisiting in adulthood the instruments they gave up as children, and its invariably the keyboard to which they return. Via bbc.com
Your Aging Brain Will Be in Better Shape If You’ve Taken Music Lessons
Are music lessons the way to get smarter? The IQs of preschoolers who attended several weeks of music classes as part of these studies did not differ significantly from the IQs of those who had not. A growing number of studies show that music lessons in childhood can do something perhaps more valuable for the brain than childhood gains: provide benefits for the long run, as we age, in the form of an added defense against memory loss, cognitive decline, and diminished ability to distinguish consonants and spoken words. Via news.nationalgeographic.com
