LEARNING STRIKES A CHORD
YOU are never to old to learn – that’s the message music teacher Michelle Read wants to put out there.
The veteran teacher has been plying her trade in Townsville for more than 40 years and has found teaching older people to play an instrument or sing has great benefits for their health.
Ms Read has 15 students over 50.
“The benefits are memory, focus and challenge of learning and being able to do it,” she said.
“They are able to play at any level at any age. Even with physical impairments, we can still find a program that works and that is easy enough for everybody to enjoy music and excel at it – not just semiplay but excel at it.”
Ms Read had one student who was 87 when she started to learn music. “I still remember her coming in and she had very bad arthritis, but she was able to play the piano and she loved it,” Ms Read said.
“Any challenge you set, you can still do it over 50.”
She said even if someone had never played music before, they were never too old to start.
Bill Simpkins, 74, started taking lessons at 66, having never played before, and has excelled, gaining distinctions in his recent music exams.
“I have increased confidence, selfbelief, and the challenge of overcoming problems that I never thought I could overcome in music and in my life as well,” Mr Simpkins said. “It actually changed my life for the better.”
Anyone interested in learning to play keyboard or sing can contact Michelle Read Studio on 0437 527 326.