Never too late to make music
Here’s what to consider when taking up a musical instrument later in life.
CONVENTIONAL wisdom has it that the older you get, the more difficult it is to learn a new skill. So why would anyone over 50 start learning a musical instrument, one of the most complex and demanding cognitive challenges known to humankind?
There are plenty of reasons, according to Marcus Loeffler, a cello and double bass teacher in Germany. “In my experience, more and more people aged 50 and up are starting to play an instrument, or a new instrument,” he says.
Loeffler’s oldest student is 70. His advice to any older people looking to learn an instrument is: Be prepared to put in some hard work. You should take lessons at least every 14 days to start with, he says, and practise regularly.
“Practising for about 30 minutes a day makes sense. At 10 minutes a day, progress is very slow.”
Students should discuss with their teacher what they want from the process. Which music do you prefer: classical, jazz or pop? Do you want to join an orchestra or band, or are you just looking for a new daily hobby?
Like children, adults have different learning styles.
“Someone with strong motor skills will learn an instrument differently from someone who has more linguistic strengths,” says
Matthias Pannes, managing director of the Association of German Music Schools in Bonn.
Some instruments are more suitable than others. “Starting a new string instrument at the age of 70 makes little sense,” says Loeffler. The piano is a better option, he says, as long as you have the required physical and mental capacity.
Carola Misgeld, a 50-year-old mother of six and a senior physician in the emergency department at Berlin’s Charite hospital, started playing the clarinet a few years ago.
“Making music is a great feeling,” she says. “I find it extremely relaxing.”
Like Misgeld, many adult learners return to music having learned an instrument as a child and then left it gathering dust while they got distracted by other things like working and starting a family.
Misgeld played the piano as a child but, at a certain point, she stopped enjoying it and practising started to feel like a chore. That’s why she chose a different instrument this time around.
But you don’t have to have previous musical experience. According to Loeffler, it’s never too late to start. “Learning an instrument at the age of 50 and up is definitely worth it,” he says. – dpa