MUSIC TO OUR EARS
For many, playing is among life’s greatest pleasures
Maybe some music teacher told you that you were tone-deaf, and you never sang in public again. Perhaps you were such a great musician in your youth that your inner perfectionist shudders at the thought of the sounds you might make today. Or maybe you’ve always wanted to learn an instrument but fear it’s too late.
To all the adults out there who are not making music on the regular, you are missing out on one of life’s great pleasures, says Amy Nathan, author of Making Time for Making Music. For many adult musicians, playing music is like a mini-vacation, she says. “Once you start playing, a calmness comes over you. You’re not writing the shopping list, or thinking about the problem at the office. It’s a totally engrossing experience,” Nathan says.
“You can’t worry about other things when you’re doing music.” Nathan would know. In the course of writing her book, which came out in May, she interviewed more than 350 amateur adult musicians, from occasional choristers to seriously dedicated violinists, and they pretty much all said making music is a deeply meaningful and rewarding part of their lives. “People get so many different things out of it — a sense of community, professional contacts — but most of all, they just enjoy the experience,” she says.
If that hasn’t convinced you to play music, do it for your brain: Research shows that musicians — including adults who just started playing — score better than nonmusicians on tests of executive function, an all-purpose cognitive ability that includes problem-solving and planning. Plus, emerging research suggest that playing music could actually delay the onset of dementia, Nathan notes. So what stops people from playing music?
In her book, Nathan covers every possible hangup and logistical problem. Worried about bothering the neighbours? Try no-noise instruments or gadgets, like a trumpet mute that connects to headphones. Concerned about the cost of lessons? Teach yourself through YouTube videos or consider low-cost group lessons with other adults.
Nathan tipped us off to one more secret: Amateurs may not be the best musicians around, but they ’re having the most fun.
“You can play whatever you want, entirely on your own terms,” she says. You can practise a lot or a little. Explore whatever genre appeals to you or invent your own. Get together with a group or play by yourself.
The world of music is big enough for everyone, including those who think they’re tone-deaf and those who never want to see a stage door, Nathan says. That stealthy group of musicians actually includes Nathan herself, as she will only play piano for an audience of one: her husband.
“He’s very appreciative,” she says. “The good news is, for adults, recitals are completely optional.”
It’s a totally engrossing experience. You can’t worry about other things when you’re doing music.