I have spent most of my life in and around music and even had a professional musical career when I was younger.  I have found that while it’s never too late to begin learning how to play an instrument there are a few things that must be understood up front by any student who is old enough to be considered a ‘more mature’ musician. 

(Boomers and Gen-Xers, that so-called ’more mature’ musician includes you, not just your parents .)

Learning how to play music really is tougher than it looks, but it’s not impossible. 

Expect to encounter a learning curve.  If you want to write your own music, it’s necessary to learn how to read music and it helps to understand music theory.  Plus, you’ll soon discover there are some unique physical demands on the body (your fingers, mouth, arms and legs) that will be required to actually produce the musical tones for the many different instruments. 

Adults learn differently than kids.  We start children on the path towards a good musical education because their young brains are able to absorb so much information, their dexterity is greater, and we know that their skills can develop and be trained as they grow.  If you missed your musical calling as a kid, I would never tell you now that you can’t become a great musician.  I do think the odds for greatness become more stacked against you as you age because it really does take years to build the skills to be a top musician. 

But, who says you have to be the best in the world?  And, who says you can’t be great, if you relentlessly focus your talent and drive?

If you are a ‘more mature’ student of music, realize that it does take the brain a bit longer to process new information and to learn new physical skills.  The time table for success is on the side of students who don’t have a job to go to everyday or who don’t have other responsibilities that interfere with their practice schedules. 

So, set your goals accordingly.

Music is a very enjoyable hobby and can yield a great deal of satisfaction if you are able to get to a place in your studies where you can play with other musicians.  You can seek out community orchestras or bands.  Or you might find people at your day job who are looking for someone who just happens to play bass, guitar, drums or whatever other instrument.

If you have always wanted to learn how to play an instrument and you have the desire to learn the language of music and the skills necessary to produce the notes, my best suggestion is to head on down to your local music store and find out if they have a teacher who will get you started on your instrument of choice. 

The rest is up to you. 

Once you make the decision to become a musician, your success depends on how much time you are willing to devote to your practicing. 

If you are really motivated to become a good player then you might find yourself practicing many hours a week.  The words from one of my daughter’s first music teachers still ring in my head, “Perfect Practice Makes Perfect.”  It’s a bit of a twist on what we all learned as kids that practice makes perfect, and I have found this new version really does go a long way towards helping to motivate the student to becoming a proficient player.

So, tell me, what musical instrument have you always wanted to master? What’s stopping you?