Are You Ever Too Old for Music Lessons?

My aunt retired a few years ago and she didn’t know what to do with herself.  She spent the past 40 years working full time to provide a home and security to her family. Now that all of her kids have moved out of state, she had to find ways to keep herself busy. She never had a hobby but always wanted to learn piano. So she decided to call the local music store and started taking lessons.  She found that spending a few minutes each day practicing familiar tunes proved to be relaxing and helped her feel good about herself.

     Unfortunately, many adults feel there time for learning something new has passed. I had many conversations this summer where people expressed “I always wanted to learn piano or guitar, but it’s too late for me now”. They believe learning an instrument is either just for kids, they don’t have the skills, or they don’t have the time to dedicate to it now.

     Current research has shown that it is never too late to learn to play an instrument and experience the benefits associated with musical study.  A recent study by Taylor and Hallam (2008) identified some positive outcomes experienced by adult piano students. The participants, all over the age of 60, were students in an adult piano class. They found that learning an instrument helped the students satisfy their need for achievement and personal satisfaction, and they experienced an increase in self-confidence and enjoyment.

     It takes time, hard work, and motivation to gain facility on an instrument. Learning new motor skills and a new language can be intimidating. This study, and my aunt’s experience, provided evidence that students spending a few minutes each day learning a piece of music that was once thought too hard lead to feelings of self-confidence and satisfied a need for achievement. For the students who had always enjoyed listening to music, playing an instrument provided a new level of enjoyment as it could “bring the music alive”.

My aunt’s experience and this study prove that if you have the desire to learn an instrument, you still can no matter what your age is. Playing an instrument is supposed to be fun and nobody is ever too old to have fun, right?    

Richard Sanger, M.A. is a guitar instructor and owner of RS Music Company. RS Music provides in home music lessons on a wide variety of instruments in the Central Jersey area. For lessons, please call 732-320-5980. You can find more information regarding instruction at www.rsmusiccompany.com.

Taylor, A. & Hallam, S. (2008) Understanding what it means for older students to learn basic musical skills on a keyboard instrument. Music Education Research, 10, 285-306.