How old is too old to start playing an instrument?

A post by Dr. James Ramsey, PAA Executive Director.

Someone once posed this question to me and my immediate response was, “never, as long as you’re committed and patient.” One of our PAA supporters recently decided to start flute lessons and asked me for some advice as to what to do. She had never played flute before but had admired its quality and beauty since she was a child. Needless to say, I mentioned we needed to find her a great teacher and that she needed to be patient with herself during the learning process. She just smiled and said, “I’ve just always loved the flute and want to give it a try.”

From a cognitive perspective, studies have shown that exercising that part of the brain later in life does nothing less than enhance one’s memory and thinking process. Even though learning an instrument in your 50’s, 60’s or 70’s may seem daunting or near impossible, you will reap the benefits the same as physical excersise. If one chooses to dwell in the art of possibility, amazing things can and do happen.