Learning something new often comes easier to children than it does adults. But that doesn’t mean those who are older can’t still learn. In fact, you’re never too old to learn an instrument if that is what you choose to do.
Many people go through life wishing they’d learned to play the guitar or another musical instrument. Perhaps they had the opportunity when they were a child but never really took advantage of it. They may have taken a few lessons and decided it was too difficult so they quit. Now, as an adult in their mid-life, they’re ready to be serious about learning to play.
Scientists have been conducting research on music and the human brain for years. One thing they’ve found is that adults who learn to play an instrument later in life may actually improve their brain’s plasticity. Rather than believing the old adage that you ‘can’t teach an old dog new tricks,’ science is showing that older brains still have the capacity to learn and to change.
How many times did you hear this as a child? “We have spent a lot of money for these music lessons, you’re going to take them whether you like it or not.” As an adult you are ready to learn something new because you sincerely want to – not because your parents made you feel guilty for wanting to quit.
Learning to play a musical instrument as an adult can also help reduce daily stress. Someone who learned to play an instrument as a child may begin playing and then slip into ‘automatic.’ This allows their brains to wander to many sorts of things and they don’t relax. An older person, on the other hand, will need to concentrate on what they’re doing to be able to play. Quite often those who are just learning to play an instrument, no matter whether they’re 30, 50 or 70, will say they feel much more relaxed and refreshed after playing.
Music is an integral part of most people’s lives. Those who are learning to play an instrument as an older adult may notice that their quality of life improves. Seniors who begin learning an instrument may also feel less depressed as well as less loneliness and anxiety. Increased energy levels are also common among seniors who are learning an instrument for the first time.
Research has proven how amazing the senior adult brain truly is. Whereas people have long believed older people can’t learn new skills, recent studies are proving those thoughts to be wrong. If you’ve always wanted to learn to play an instrument and thought you were too old, take heart. You can still learn to read music and play that instrument as long as you have the desire and commitment to learn.
