Too Old?

Let’s clear this up! You are never too young or old to benefit from music. Rather than discussing whether you are too old…the true question is, are you ready to enjoy music? If you enjoy making noise, are an avid fan of a particular genre or enjoy an instrument (and have the drive to practice) - you are ready for formal training.

Music is like a full body workout for the brain. Playing an instrument can help build emotional control. This includes developing patience, small reward behaviours over stimulation, stress management, confidence and improve auditory, visual and motor skills…at any age. Also, it uses both hemispheres of the brain!

Let’s get down to the facts…

Nobody is born playing an instrument to an advanced level. The truth is - the more hours you put into improving your musicianship - the better you will be. The person that has resilience and continues will benefit the most in the end. From my experience, some of the older beginners are faster learners than the children. That is because the brain never stops learning or developing. The adult brain has many concepts ingrained that a child does not - and are extremely helpful for learning an instrument. I’m sure you’ll be glad to hear that adults not being able to learn new concepts is a myth. It’s all about how you practice, repeat and approach your learning. If you have been outside of learning for a little while, you may notice it being a little more difficult to jump straight in. However, the brain develops like a muscle. It will get stronger with use as it grows new connections. Sometimes it may feel mentally painful - just like the gym. But the truth is it’s immensely good for adults to pick up new hobbies such as playing an instrument. Learning musical language can help increase memory and sharpen the mind, reduce stress, help prevent dementia, create new connections with others and reduce social isolation and much more. (Thompson et al, 2006)

With all these benefits - my question is - why wouldn’t you learn an instrument?!