Is Is Too Late to Learn Flute?
When I began teaching flute, I heard a lot from adults that would say, “I would love to learn (or re-learn) the flute but I’m just too old. This is SO far from the truth. We spend so much of our time being worried about being “too old” for something for a few reasons - one, we’re afraid we will look silly doing an activity that children often do in school, and two, we are concerned we won’t have enough time to get good. But, here’s the thing - enjoying a hobby and enjoying your life isn’t about “being good” and you will never, ever look silly if you’re enjoying something.
“I don’t want to look silly”
I absolutely understand this one. Several years ago, I decided to jump back into lessons (because many instructors continue their education regularly or semi-regularly with a private instructor too!) and my teacher wanted me to perform in a recital. Well, I wanted to, but I was so hesitant because I was older than every single student that was performing. I was one adult performing with a bunch of kids. However, what I didn’t realize until later is how inspiring my performance was to her other students. They watched me play and thought “WOW! I can do that one day too!” which is just such an incredible experience. And you get to be inspiring no matter what level you’re at - some kid that you’re in a class with will look at you and think “wow! An adult is doing this too? That’s awesome!” You’ll also never look silly doing something you love. Period. People will look at you and know that you’re having the time of your life and THAT is the important part.
“I don’t have enough time to get ‘good’”
You don’t need to “get good” in order to enjoy something - and even if you only have 6 months left on this earth, you can still get “good” at the flute. What matters is that you’re spending your time doing something that makes you happy - no matter if it’s hard work or frustrating sometimes. You still get to spend your precious minutes making something from nothing. Making sound from air. Making beauty where there was nothing. You get to spend your time making yourself happy, and that’s admirable, my friend.
The point is…
You’re never, ever too old and it’s never, ever too late to learn something new, and definitely not the flute. You can start any time and do as much or as little as you’d like as long as you enjoy it. So, don’t be afraid of looking silly or not being “good enough.” The fact that you even want to be here makes you amazing. I’m so proud of you for showing up.
