“No, but anyway the music has to start very young, otherwise you won’t be able to do it”
“I would have liked to make music, but it’s too late, I’m over the age, it’s too hard”
Of course, Mozart and Yuja Wang, at the age of 8, were already sitting at the piano working hard. Me at that age, I collected Panini cards and I spent my free time playing soccer with my brother in the garden.
I didn’t start music until quite late, the year I turned 14, and not very diligently (or even not at all during the first years).
Yes, but what level do you need to “become a musician”? Do you need to have a professional level to be called a “musician”?
Well actually no, not necessarily. And I will try to prove it to you now!

Objective

It all depends on your goal. Why do you want to make music?

Whether it’s a childhood dream, a challenge for yourself, a bet with friends, meeting people or just for fun because you have time, ask yourself WHY.

So yes, if your goal is to become a concert artist and tour the world, then 54 years old might be a bit late. We are not going to lie to each other, the younger we start, the more years we have to work and therefore progress. Because this is the key, the WORK.

One progresses only with work, whatever the age, whatever the intelligence.

As the famous pianist Michel Petrucciani said:

“I don’t believe in genius, only in hard work”

Based on this principle, age is no longer an excuse. If you invest the necessary time, desire and consistency, anything is possible. After a few weeks or months depending on the instrument, you will have the necessary level to please yourself.

What is the right level?

Depending on your expectations and your objectives, the “good level” is subjective. There are almost as many “good level” as there are musicians, as long as one remains in an amateurish approach, outside of an academic course of conservatories.

The important thing is to have fun, play for yourself, do an activity that you like, which disconnects you from all the pressure that you can have the rest of the time (work, obligations …).

And we know very well, there is no age to have fun.

What about the ideal age?

Playing for fun okay, that’s cool, but if you want a good technical level, to be comfortable with the instrument, to play difficult songs. An adult brain learns less well than a child?

Yes and… no. A child will learn faster, of course, but because there is no question. He admits without opposing anything that can be said to him. In any case, the vast majority.

An adult likes to know the why and the how. He will ask himself more questions, will be more reflective and will therefore take more time to digest what he is learning.

But all this is compensated by motivation and hard work (yes, again and again). A motivated 45-year-old will learn more than an unmotivated 10-year-old.

But what does science say about all this?

Let’s get into the technique. From the start I put forward arguments, but nothing proven, concrete. Just a reflection on my vision of music and the approach to the instrument. We don’t have to agree with me in the end.

Yes but in fact I have science with me! Neuroscience to be exact.

What are they telling us? Although our brain is in the capacity to learn throughout our life.

According to studies by neuroscientist Norman Weinberger, the brain does not lose its plasticity (the brain’s ability to adapt to its environment) once adolescence is over. It’s not as easy to learn the same thing at 65 as it is at 5, but it can be done.

Other studies also show that playing a musical instrument is very beneficial for the brain. This helps to stimulate memory, keeping the mind alert. We give our brain an almost second youth.

Well, there you go. Finally, the right age to start is when you will play your first note.

So? Does it play?

Guillain