I'm 27 and just starting seriously to learn how to play tin whistle. I have few whistles, few books, cd-rom, time and passion to learn something new and be good at it. But my question is, am I not too old to be good at it once? I know, that everything depends on, how much time will I spend on practising, how much will I feel need to play and to be good etc. But if are you reading interviews with a masters of ITM they everybody says: "Oh yeh, I started play concertina, when I was only five" another says "My granny thrust the baby fiddle into my hands, when I was only three" and somebody was almost born with tin whistle already stuck into his mouth I dont want to be a professional musician, but good. Does it mean, that it will take next 20 years? Can you tell me about somebody, who started in his 30's and is a master now?
thank you Pavlina
Well, Pavlina, I started when I was about 37 or 38 or so, and I'm every bit as awful now as I expected to be. *grin*
Why do you want to play this stuff? If it's to be a master player, you may be in this for the wrong reasons...if you want to be as good as you can be, you'll be all right.
I know that people are going to shout, "I was 50; I was 87; blah, blah, blah." But it is intimidating, isn't it. People who were raised with this stuff. But it doesn't need to be.
I think you have to define what "good" is for you. Unfortunately, I think that most players tend to define "good" by what their peers say is good and by who is well recorded. But I don't think that always has a lot to do with being a "good" trad musician.
Becoming a good session musician really isn't as daunting a task as we fear. It mostly involves having a good attitude and you can have that today (theoretically). A few years correctly focusing on the instrument and a few more building up the old repertoire and you can be a decent session head. Might not be able to hang with the top notch players, but what you've put into the music will shine and people will probably respect that. Just remember, you will never arrive. There is no end goal of
I started learning the highland bagpipe when I was 33. I hadn't a clue how to read music and had never made any attempt to learn to play anything remotely musical. They say it is a comparatively difficult instrument and music to learn. I had to start out pretty much on my own due to isolation from other pipers. I attended a few summer schools and met a young prodigy (who lived about sixty five miles away) who helped me greatly. I then added the scottish smallpipe, again with nothing other than a book to tell me how to get it going. I was then encouraged to join our local session where I live and have since learned more about music and musicality from them than in all the previous years of grinding it out. Most of the time, I find that I can't keep up, or be remotely as musical and expressive as they, but I enjoy the experience more as time goes on. The experience has lead me to add the uilleann pipe to the list of instruments that I will never "master", but will enjoy for some time to come. So, I guess my advice would be to paraphrase a local fly fisherman when he was asked about the mystique of his art, "If I can do it, I'll bet you can, too." Don't let your "advanced" age deter you.
I started tin whistle at 27 or 28, and some people were kind enough to say that I was very good at it only a year or two later. All this without being able to read music except at a very rudimentary level (and only in the key of D or G), and with no past history of playing, other than a few "violin" lessons at age 11 or 12.
If I can do it so can you.
If possible, find a nice session where they will encourage you. I always had a few whistles about. One at home, one in the car, one in the coat I wear when I go out in the hills with the dogs.
Good luck and much encouragement. The whistle can be a great sounding instrument, possibly more versatile than any other - and without doubt more portable than any other too.
When a young kid starts learning an instrument, s/he doesn't usually worry about how long it's going to take to get good at it. Such a future is too distant. The focus for a child is in the moment, tune to tune. Adults tend to stare at mortality and worry that they don't have time to do everything they want to do, let alone "waste" time being a beginner at something that seems too hard to "master."
The beauty of this music is that you don't have to master all of it to be good at it, have fun with it, and be a welcome participant. Sessions are, by definition, a bunch of neighbors or strangers, amateurs mostly, sitting down over a few pints to chat and play tunes. If you can play the tunes without detracting from the fun, you'll fit in just fine.
That said, expect to put in 3 to 7 years to get there. How much time it takes you depends on your natural abilities, the instrument you've chosen (whistle is easier than, say, pipes or fiddle), whether you have the help and guidance of a good teacher, regular exposure to the music, avoiding repetitive stress injuries, and probably most important--sticking with your daily devotion. By that I mean that some people cram a month's worth of practice into 10 years of their life, and it shows. Other people become obsessed and manage to play every day, week in, week out, month after month, year after year, and in 10 years they sound like they've got a lifetime of tunes in their head.
So: enjoy the learning process, even if it is frustrating at times. If you're disappointed with how bad it sounds or how difficult it seems in the beginning, pat yourself on the back for having a good ear and a realistic attitude. The people who like how they sound right from the start tend to progress slowly or not at all. They stay mediocre, at best. Seek out other musicians. Play with better players. Pay a teacher for his or her wisdom and experience and knowledge. Play, and listen, listen, listen, and play some more.
What's the alternative? You can either do it, and at 37 you'll have a decade of experience and fun under your belt, or you can watch tv and go to work and sleep eight hours a day. If you decide 27 is too late, I guarantee you that you'll feel the same way at 37. But if you go for it, and stick with it, I guarantee that at 37 you'll say to yourself, "I'm so glad I started when I was *only* 27."
Lots and lots of musicians wish they had started younger, but I've never heard anyone say, "Gee, I wish I'd waited till I was 40 to start learning the tunes." What are you waiting for?
The main thing is that you have fun. If you set your goals to high, you just might get frustrated. You can have fun with music at any level. Part of the fun with Irish music is that you get to play together with other people in a relaxed atmosphere.
I'm sure in such a big city as Glasgow you'll find a bunch of people that are at the same level as you are. Look for a slow beginners' session to get you started. I know of some local musicians that have been going to the slow session for years and their overall playing level is probably not very advanced, but they must be having lots of fun, or they wouldn't stick with it!
Once you've got a feel of what your possibilities are and you think you're ready for more challenges, find a "real" session that encourages new people.
And although the speed with which one progresses varies from person to person, be assured that as long as you play and practice (and have fun doing it!), you'll keep getting better.
Pavlina, take Sean's post to heart. He's a terrific piper, and we're incredibly fortunate and happy to have him at our session. And he's a great example of how this music works. Some of us at this session have played the music for 20 or more years, and despite Sean's shorter apprenticeship, he's one of the most welcome players there (especially now that he's given up all hope and finally picked up the uillean chanter . We've learned some wonderful tunes from his repertoire, and he's rapdily acquiring our tunes. Plus he adds to the craic.
It does depend on the level you want to reach Luksa, if you want to be brilliant, then it'll be harder to achieve than if you started at 4 years old. On the other hand I think its good to strive to be the best you can be.
Ive been through the same thing, I started fiddle at 18 - which, while it sounds young enough, my friends (especially the ones in galway) have been playing since they were 'knee high to a grasshopper' - some of them the same age as me have 14 years over me!!! It makes a *huge* difference - it really does. And I believe I did find it harder because half the time I was moaning about my friends being better than me (cause they are brilliant musicians) and the other half I was getting frustrated and not playing. But..Ive a friend here who is amazing - he is seriously one of the best and fastest learning musicians I (and the galway crew) have met. He has only been playing flute for about 5 years (picked up as an adult) and he is really a sweet player. Plus he has been backing (trad guitar - he hadnt played guitar before that) for about 3 years and is rated on of the best backers in the country. May not be much as we are in australia but one of the crew from Clare rated him 'absolutely brilliant even by ennis standards'!. Now this is great - but makes me very depressed. There is something that he has that I just dont! Natural talent? The desire to succeed? I dont know...but my point being - it depends how much you want it! So if you want it then go forth and learn trad and have a great time!!
Im must tell you that though I am new to the session, I stated playing the Irish Whistle 5 years ago when I was 20, so though there is a slight age gap between us, I would not say all is lost!
Heh, I'm closing in on 45 and it's really funny to hear a 27 yearold whine about being "too old." No doubt there are some seniors here sneering at me in my "dotage" too.
And I agree with Bridie--some people *do* become masterful, magical players despite getting a so-called late start. Some people pick up an instrument and in a year or two are pushing the envelope. Statistically, most of us aren't them, but you never know who you are until you try.
Yeah, Will's pretty cute all right. *grin* When he's not trying to look like Garrison Keillor. (sorry, something of a private joke.) We've people here who are double your age, Pavlina, and just starting out. Don't think of it as a trouble. Think of it as an adventure, or something lame like that. It'll make you feel better, and when you feel better, you'll play better.
My best whistle student just turned 60 -- he's only been at it for a couple of years, and he's already turning into a good session player. The main difference between him and many of the others is that he works (practices) hard, takes an interest in Irish music in general, and doesn't seem to be overly concerned about how far he's got to go. Listens to his teacher. Which is more or less the set of attitudes you'd expect to find in a successful teenage learner. So he's already having a lot of fun. Type A personality though...
And it IS an adventure -- I'm still looking forward to the next tune, the next session (ok, it's a night off from being jumped on by two little kids) and the next great cd -- but as far as I'm concerned, the fun never stops, and the more you learn, the more fun you have.
Hehehe. Well, the little guy there looks kind of like him, Tish.... He's a radio personality here, sort of an old fashioned radio show, famous for his stories about a mythical town in the midwestern north called Lake Wobegon. His personae is very wise and witty and sort of zenish, which is why Emily once blurted out that she thought of Will as sort of the The Session's Garrison Keillor...
LOL, Zina, I think it was *you* who pinned that one on me. Bbbbbzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...though I did nothing to earn it (wwwwhhhhhhhrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr....).
Also, I didn't blurt it! I thoughtfully posted it in the diary for all the world & everyone to see how wrong I was! Well physically, but the soul is definitely sympatico. Garrison Keillor is who should be in our White House. Either him, or Will.
"...here comes Peter Cottontail, hopping down the bunny trail....."
Thumpity, thumpity, thumpity....
LOL Em, I can hear it now:
(Sonorous sotto voce) "It's been a quiet day here in Lake White House. My advisors--the Norwegian bachelor brothers--took the day off to go ice fishing on the Potomac, and the entire press corps is over on Capitol Hill for the Lutheran Lutefisk Social. So Vice President Vern Olafsen and myself sat down for a game of cribbage in the Oval Office...."
A couple of years ago Garrison Keillor did a couple of radio shows over here in the UK. They were the funniest things I'd heard on radio for a long time.
Can we have him back please?
His books are great too.
Getting back to the thread......you are NEVER too old to learn something if you really want to do it Luska. 27! Too old!!? I wish I had your problem. Have fun with it.
The question is not "am I too old?", but "am I ready?"
I picked up a mandolin at 39, learnt to read music at 40, then started playing fiddle at 42. I had no interest in any of the above until then. Although I'm a bit fed up with making slow progress (less stamina than at 20, full time job, husband all getting in the way), I know I wouldn't have stuck with it when I was younger. We all know people who learnt as children or adolescents who gave up, there's probably more of them than of those stuck it out into adulthood, so age is irrelevant. Am I too late for this thread?
If it wasn't for Garrison Keillor, I probably wouldn't be playing irish music. The Thistle and Shamrock was the radio show following Garrison's show, A Prarie Home Companion. If my dad hadn't loved listening to Garrison, I might not have ever heard ITM until much later in life, if at all. As it was, I heard it for an hour almost every week for as far back as I can remember.
On topic, you are NEVER too old to learn to play music. Just keep your ears and eyes open whenever you're near other musicians and pick up all you can. Oh, and don't be afraid to ask questions. You'll learn just as fast as you can take in information and translate it into practice. That just mean taking one aspect of playing at a time and practicing it over and over until it becomes automatic. Then move on to the next thing. As an adult you will probably have more patience to do this than a child would. Good Luck! oh, and most important HAVE FUN!
No, you are not too old. Try to find people to play tunes with - not just in sessions - and enjoy. By the way, should you ever go back to Prague and you need some contacts of musicians there, let me know. There are some lovely players there and they are always keen on playing tunes.
Kira, that's funny. I basically had the exact same experience with A Prarie Home Companion and The Thistle and Shamrock. I'm really glad my dad was addicted to Mr. Keillor.
There are advantages to learning an instrument when you are young, but there are some advantages to learning an instrument when you are an adult as well.
Child:
Often parents and teachers have lower expectations and are patient with progress
Don't get as frustrated with a seeming lack of progress
Lots of leisure time for practice
Still growing so body will mold to wierd positions some instruments seem to require
Adult:
Almost always want to learn the instrument they are studying
J. Eftink - What age is your teacher now? I'm asking, because I would like to know, if is really important those 20 or 30 years of practising, to be really good.
luska
I started whistle at 70 and fiddle some time after. I play with our praise team and other groups> will never be great but the enjoyment i"ve gotten is worth the hours of practice> i can"t imagine what my life would be like without music>>>>>>
my father will be a hundred this month< os singing a solo in church that sunday> so at twenty seven>>>>>>life is just beginning !! (sorry but i"ve locked out my number keys and can"t seem to get them back!)
Luska, *of course* years of playing and practice are important if your goal is to be a brilliant musician. Although some people manage to master their instrument in less time--wasn't it Seamus Tansey who won the All-Ireland after less than two years on the flute?
For most of us, it takes longer--maybe 7 to 10 years to really get a handle on the instrument and the music. Your particular level of "mastery" (whatever that means) at that point will depend on your innate musical talents, whether you've had a good teacher, how effectively you practice, etc. But, yes, it's possible for most people to become a brilliant musician, even starting at the ripe old age of 27, in less than a decade.
But I think that would be missing the point. Music is an expressive art form, not a race. It's also not about how you measure up against "the best" players or someone else's definition of "virtuosity." At it's heart, playing this music is about finding joy and solace in the tunes and sharing that with other people. You don't have to be a great musician to do that. And you don't have to practice in isolation for 20 years before you can start playing with others. With a good slow session (organize your own if need be), you can begin obsessing over the tunes and enjoying the company and craic of other musicians *tomorrow.* And spend the next 60 years playing music.
In other words, what matters is not how accomplished you are after 10 years of practice, but whether you've enjoyed and savored the music and the journey for those 10 years. That more than anything will determine whether people--even the hotshots--want to play with you.
I've played with some "instant wonders" who gained amazing proficiency on their instruments in a very short time. But with most of them, their playing lacks depth, patience, generosity, and understanding. Maybe they'll eventually get those qualities too, but I've wondered if they're even aware that music can be thought of in those terms.
27 - am I to old?
27 - am I to old?
I'm 27 and just starting seriously to learn how to play tin whistle. I have few whistles, few books, cd-rom, time and passion to learn something new and be good at it. But my question is, am I not too old to be good at it once? I know, that everything depends on, how much time will I spend on practising, how much will I feel need to play and to be good etc. But if are you reading interviews with a masters of ITM they everybody says: "Oh yeh, I started play concertina, when I was only five" another says "My granny thrust the baby fiddle into my hands, when I was only three" and somebody was almost born with tin whistle already stuck into his mouth
I dont want to be a professional musician, but good. Does it mean, that it will take next 20 years? Can you tell me about somebody, who started in his 30's and is a master now?
thank you Pavlina
# Posted on November 12th 2003 by luska
Re: 27 - am I to old?
Yes, I started at the same age you are now.... loving it all. Go for it without any hesitation.
# Posted on November 12th 2003 by I have chickens
Re: 27 - am I to old?
Well, Pavlina, I started when I was about 37 or 38 or so, and I'm every bit as awful now as I expected to be. *grin*
Why do you want to play this stuff? If it's to be a master player, you may be in this for the wrong reasons...if you want to be as good as you can be, you'll be all right.
Zina
# Posted on November 12th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: 27 - am I to old?
I know that people are going to shout, "I was 50; I was 87; blah, blah, blah." But it is intimidating, isn't it. People who were raised with this stuff. But it doesn't need to be.
I think you have to define what "good" is for you. Unfortunately, I think that most players tend to define "good" by what their peers say is good and by who is well recorded. But I don't think that always has a lot to do with being a "good" trad musician.
Becoming a good session musician really isn't as daunting a task as we fear. It mostly involves having a good attitude and you can have that today (theoretically). A few years correctly focusing on the instrument and a few more building up the old repertoire and you can be a decent session head. Might not be able to hang with the top notch players, but what you've put into the music will shine and people will probably respect that. Just remember, you will never arrive. There is no end goal of
# Posted on November 12th 2003 by jerball
Re: 27 - am I to old?
I started learning the highland bagpipe when I was 33. I hadn't a clue how to read music and had never made any attempt to learn to play anything remotely musical. They say it is a comparatively difficult instrument and music to learn. I had to start out pretty much on my own due to isolation from other pipers. I attended a few summer schools and met a young prodigy (who lived about sixty five miles away) who helped me greatly. I then added the scottish smallpipe, again with nothing other than a book to tell me how to get it going. I was then encouraged to join our local session where I live and have since learned more about music and musicality from them than in all the previous years of grinding it out. Most of the time, I find that I can't keep up, or be remotely as musical and expressive as they, but I enjoy the experience more as time goes on. The experience has lead me to add the uilleann pipe to the list of instruments that I will never "master", but will enjoy for some time to come. So, I guess my advice would be to paraphrase a local fly fisherman when he was asked about the mystique of his art, "If I can do it, I'll bet you can, too." Don't let your "advanced" age deter you.
# Posted on November 12th 2003 by Sean Logan
Re: 27 - am I to old?
Luska
I started tin whistle at 27 or 28, and some people were kind enough to say that I was very good at it only a year or two later. All this without being able to read music except at a very rudimentary level (and only in the key of D or G), and with no past history of playing, other than a few "violin" lessons at age 11 or 12.
If I can do it so can you.
If possible, find a nice session where they will encourage you. I always had a few whistles about. One at home, one in the car, one in the coat I wear when I go out in the hills with the dogs.
Good luck and much encouragement. The whistle can be a great sounding instrument, possibly more versatile than any other - and without doubt more portable than any other too.
Dave
# Posted on November 12th 2003 by showaddydadito
Re: 27 - am I to old?
Yep, what Jer says.
When a young kid starts learning an instrument, s/he doesn't usually worry about how long it's going to take to get good at it. Such a future is too distant. The focus for a child is in the moment, tune to tune. Adults tend to stare at mortality and worry that they don't have time to do everything they want to do, let alone "waste" time being a beginner at something that seems too hard to "master."
The beauty of this music is that you don't have to master all of it to be good at it, have fun with it, and be a welcome participant. Sessions are, by definition, a bunch of neighbors or strangers, amateurs mostly, sitting down over a few pints to chat and play tunes. If you can play the tunes without detracting from the fun, you'll fit in just fine.
That said, expect to put in 3 to 7 years to get there. How much time it takes you depends on your natural abilities, the instrument you've chosen (whistle is easier than, say, pipes or fiddle), whether you have the help and guidance of a good teacher, regular exposure to the music, avoiding repetitive stress injuries, and probably most important--sticking with your daily devotion. By that I mean that some people cram a month's worth of practice into 10 years of their life, and it shows. Other people become obsessed and manage to play every day, week in, week out, month after month, year after year, and in 10 years they sound like they've got a lifetime of tunes in their head.
So: enjoy the learning process, even if it is frustrating at times. If you're disappointed with how bad it sounds or how difficult it seems in the beginning, pat yourself on the back for having a good ear and a realistic attitude. The people who like how they sound right from the start tend to progress slowly or not at all. They stay mediocre, at best. Seek out other musicians. Play with better players. Pay a teacher for his or her wisdom and experience and knowledge. Play, and listen, listen, listen, and play some more.
What's the alternative? You can either do it, and at 37 you'll have a decade of experience and fun under your belt, or you can watch tv and go to work and sleep eight hours a day. If you decide 27 is too late, I guarantee you that you'll feel the same way at 37. But if you go for it, and stick with it, I guarantee that at 37 you'll say to yourself, "I'm so glad I started when I was *only* 27."
Lots and lots of musicians wish they had started younger, but I've never heard anyone say, "Gee, I wish I'd waited till I was 40 to start learning the tunes." What are you waiting for?
# Posted on November 12th 2003 by Will Harmon
Re: 27 - am I to old?
The main thing is that you have fun. If you set your goals to high, you just might get frustrated. You can have fun with music at any level. Part of the fun with Irish music is that you get to play together with other people in a relaxed atmosphere.
I'm sure in such a big city as Glasgow you'll find a bunch of people that are at the same level as you are. Look for a slow beginners' session to get you started. I know of some local musicians that have been going to the slow session for years and their overall playing level is probably not very advanced, but they must be having lots of fun, or they wouldn't stick with it!
Once you've got a feel of what your possibilities are and you think you're ready for more challenges, find a "real" session that encourages new people.
And although the speed with which one progresses varies from person to person, be assured that as long as you play and practice (and have fun doing it!), you'll keep getting better.
# Posted on November 12th 2003 by heike
Hey Sean, it's great to see you here!!!!
. We've learned some wonderful tunes from his repertoire, and he's rapdily acquiring our tunes. Plus he adds to the craic.
Pavlina, take Sean's post to heart. He's a terrific piper, and we're incredibly fortunate and happy to have him at our session. And he's a great example of how this music works. Some of us at this session have played the music for 20 or more years, and despite Sean's shorter apprenticeship, he's one of the most welcome players there (especially now that he's given up all hope and finally picked up the uillean chanter
# Posted on November 12th 2003 by Will Harmon
Re: 27 - am I to old?
Are you too old? No.
# Posted on November 12th 2003 by j.hohl.kennedy
Re: 27 - am I to old?
It does depend on the level you want to reach Luksa, if you want to be brilliant, then it'll be harder to achieve than if you started at 4 years old. On the other hand I think its good to strive to be the best you can be.
Ive been through the same thing, I started fiddle at 18 - which, while it sounds young enough, my friends (especially the ones in galway) have been playing since they were 'knee high to a grasshopper' - some of them the same age as me have 14 years over me!!! It makes a *huge* difference - it really does. And I believe I did find it harder because half the time I was moaning about my friends being better than me (cause they are brilliant musicians) and the other half I was getting frustrated and not playing. But..Ive a friend here who is amazing - he is seriously one of the best and fastest learning musicians I (and the galway crew) have met. He has only been playing flute for about 5 years (picked up as an adult) and he is really a sweet player. Plus he has been backing (trad guitar - he hadnt played guitar before that) for about 3 years and is rated on of the best backers in the country. May not be much as we are in australia but one of the crew from Clare rated him 'absolutely brilliant even by ennis standards'!. Now this is great - but makes me very depressed. There is something that he has that I just dont! Natural talent? The desire to succeed? I dont know...but my point being - it depends how much you want it! So if you want it then go forth and learn trad and have a great time!!
# Posted on November 12th 2003 by bb
Re: 27 - am I to old?
Im must tell you that though I am new to the session, I stated playing the Irish Whistle 5 years ago when I was 20, so though there is a slight age gap between us, I would not say all is lost!
# Posted on November 12th 2003 by Jason_the_fiddler_01
Re: 27 - am I to old?
thank you all for your encouragement (Will, cute one
It's nice to hear, I'm not alone with my trouble and age 
Pavlina
# Posted on November 12th 2003 by luska
Re: 27 - am I to old?
Heh, I'm closing in on 45 and it's really funny to hear a 27 yearold whine about being "too old."
No doubt there are some seniors here sneering at me in my "dotage" too.
And I agree with Bridie--some people *do* become masterful, magical players despite getting a so-called late start. Some people pick up an instrument and in a year or two are pushing the envelope. Statistically, most of us aren't them, but you never know who you are until you try.
# Posted on November 12th 2003 by Will Harmon
Re: 27 - am I to old?
Yeah, Will's pretty cute all right. *grin* When he's not trying to look like Garrison Keillor. (sorry, something of a private joke.) We've people here who are double your age, Pavlina, and just starting out. Don't think of it as a trouble. Think of it as an adventure, or something lame like that. It'll make you feel better, and when you feel better, you'll play better.
# Posted on November 12th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: 27 - am I to old?
My best whistle student just turned 60 -- he's only been at it for a couple of years, and he's already turning into a good session player. The main difference between him and many of the others is that he works (practices) hard, takes an interest in Irish music in general, and doesn't seem to be overly concerned about how far he's got to go. Listens to his teacher. Which is more or less the set of attitudes you'd expect to find in a successful teenage learner. So he's already having a lot of fun. Type A personality though...
And it IS an adventure -- I'm still looking forward to the next tune, the next session (ok, it's a night off from being jumped on by two little kids) and the next great cd -- but as far as I'm concerned, the fun never stops, and the more you learn, the more fun you have.
# Posted on November 12th 2003 by Gzeg
Re: 27 - am I to old?
No one ever said I look like Garrison Keillor...it was Bill Murray, Bosley the Energizer Bunny.
:-|
# Posted on November 12th 2003 by Will Harmon
Re: 27 - am I to old?
*Sensei* Bosley the Energizer Bunny. *grin*
# Posted on November 12th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: 27 - am I to old?
Who's Garrison Keillor ?8>#
# Posted on November 12th 2003 by Tish
Re: 27 - am I to old?
Hehehe. Well, the little guy there looks kind of like him, Tish.... He's a radio personality here, sort of an old fashioned radio show, famous for his stories about a mythical town in the midwestern north called Lake Wobegon. His personae is very wise and witty and sort of zenish, which is why Emily once blurted out that she thought of Will as sort of the The Session's Garrison Keillor...
# Posted on November 12th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: 27 - am I to old?
And then she met me in person...probably still crushed with disappointment.
# Posted on November 12th 2003 by Will Harmon
Re: 27 - am I to old?
Which is how he got the nick of The Energizer Bunny. Uh huh. *grin* KIDDING. I'm KIDDING.
# Posted on November 12th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: 27 - am I to old?
LOL, Zina, I think it was *you* who pinned that one on me. Bbbbbzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...though I did nothing to earn it (wwwwhhhhhhhrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr....).
# Posted on November 12th 2003 by Will Harmon
Re: 27 - am I to old?
Uh wasn't it Rose who bestowed that nickname? ;)
Also, I didn't blurt it! I thoughtfully posted it in the diary for all the world & everyone to see how wrong I was! Well physically, but the soul is definitely sympatico. Garrison Keillor is who should be in our White House. Either him, or Will.
# Posted on November 12th 2003 by emily_bmore
Re: 27 - am I to old?
"...here comes Peter Cottontail, hopping down the bunny trail....."
Thumpity, thumpity, thumpity....
LOL Em, I can hear it now:
(Sonorous sotto voce) "It's been a quiet day here in Lake White House. My advisors--the Norwegian bachelor brothers--took the day off to go ice fishing on the Potomac, and the entire press corps is over on Capitol Hill for the Lutheran Lutefisk Social. So Vice President Vern Olafsen and myself sat down for a game of cribbage in the Oval Office...."
# Posted on November 12th 2003 by Will Harmon
Re: 27 - am I to old?
There's nothing wrong with setting your sights high, as long as you also have the wherewithal to stay in the moment and take it tune by tune.
I wish I started when I was only 27. Instead I started at 32. Not doing too shabby either if I may say so myself. Go for it!
# Posted on November 12th 2003 by Andee
Re: 27 - am I to old?
A couple of years ago Garrison Keillor did a couple of radio shows over here in the UK. They were the funniest things I'd heard on radio for a long time.
Can we have him back please?
His books are great too.
Getting back to the thread......you are NEVER too old to learn something if you really want to do it Luska. 27! Too old!!? I wish I had your problem. Have fun with it.
# Posted on November 12th 2003 by Geoff Pollitt
Re: 27 - am I to old?
The question is not "am I too old?", but "am I ready?"
I picked up a mandolin at 39, learnt to read music at 40, then started playing fiddle at 42. I had no interest in any of the above until then. Although I'm a bit fed up with making slow progress (less stamina than at 20, full time job, husband all getting in the way), I know I wouldn't have stuck with it when I was younger. We all know people who learnt as children or adolescents who gave up, there's probably more of them than of those stuck it out into adulthood, so age is irrelevant. Am I too late for this thread?
# Posted on November 13th 2003 by Cath
Re: 27 - am I to old?
Totally off topic, but...
If it wasn't for Garrison Keillor, I probably wouldn't be playing irish music. The Thistle and Shamrock was the radio show following Garrison's show, A Prarie Home Companion. If my dad hadn't loved listening to Garrison, I might not have ever heard ITM until much later in life, if at all. As it was, I heard it for an hour almost every week for as far back as I can remember.
# Posted on November 13th 2003 by fiddleK
On topic, you are NEVER too old to learn to play music. Just keep your ears and eyes open whenever you're near other musicians and pick up all you can. Oh, and don't be afraid to ask questions. You'll learn just as fast as you can take in information and translate it into practice. That just mean taking one aspect of playing at a time and practicing it over and over until it becomes automatic. Then move on to the next thing. As an adult you will probably have more patience to do this than a child would. Good Luck! oh, and most important HAVE FUN!
# Posted on November 13th 2003 by fiddleK
Re: 27 - am I to old?
No, you are not too old. Try to find people to play tunes with - not just in sessions - and enjoy. By the way, should you ever go back to Prague and you need some contacts of musicians there, let me know. There are some lovely players there and they are always keen on playing tunes.
# Posted on November 13th 2003 by Irish Trad. Head
Re: 27 - am I to old?
Kira, that's funny. I basically had the exact same experience with A Prarie Home Companion and The Thistle and Shamrock. I'm really glad my dad was addicted to Mr. Keillor.
# Posted on November 13th 2003 by jerball
Re: 27 - am I to old?
There are advantages to learning an instrument when you are young, but there are some advantages to learning an instrument when you are an adult as well.
Child:
Often parents and teachers have lower expectations and are patient with progress
Don't get as frustrated with a seeming lack of progress
Lots of leisure time for practice
Still growing so body will mold to wierd positions some instruments seem to require
Adult:
Almost always want to learn the instrument they are studying
~Autumn
# Posted on November 13th 2003 by autumn
Re: 27 - am I to old?
My harp teacher, a wonderful lady and very talented, picked up the harp at age 40 and plays like an angel.
J. Eftink
# Posted on May 1st 2004 by Harper_Lad
Re: 27 - am I to old?
J. Eftink - What age is your teacher now? I'm asking, because I would like to know, if is really important those 20 or 30 years of practising, to be really good.
luska
# Posted on November 15th 2003 by luska
Re: 27 - am I to old?
I started whistle at 70 and fiddle some time after. I play with our praise team and other groups> will never be great but the enjoyment i"ve gotten is worth the hours of practice> i can"t imagine what my life would be like without music>>>>>>
my father will be a hundred this month< os singing a solo in church that sunday> so at twenty seven>>>>>>life is just beginning !! (sorry but i"ve locked out my number keys and can"t seem to get them back!)
betty
# Posted on November 16th 2003 by Gault802
Re: 27 - am I to old?
Luska, *of course* years of playing and practice are important if your goal is to be a brilliant musician. Although some people manage to master their instrument in less time--wasn't it Seamus Tansey who won the All-Ireland after less than two years on the flute?
For most of us, it takes longer--maybe 7 to 10 years to really get a handle on the instrument and the music. Your particular level of "mastery" (whatever that means) at that point will depend on your innate musical talents, whether you've had a good teacher, how effectively you practice, etc. But, yes, it's possible for most people to become a brilliant musician, even starting at the ripe old age of 27, in less than a decade.
But I think that would be missing the point. Music is an expressive art form, not a race. It's also not about how you measure up against "the best" players or someone else's definition of "virtuosity." At it's heart, playing this music is about finding joy and solace in the tunes and sharing that with other people. You don't have to be a great musician to do that. And you don't have to practice in isolation for 20 years before you can start playing with others. With a good slow session (organize your own if need be), you can begin obsessing over the tunes and enjoying the company and craic of other musicians *tomorrow.* And spend the next 60 years playing music.
In other words, what matters is not how accomplished you are after 10 years of practice, but whether you've enjoyed and savored the music and the journey for those 10 years. That more than anything will determine whether people--even the hotshots--want to play with you.
I've played with some "instant wonders" who gained amazing proficiency on their instruments in a very short time. But with most of them, their playing lacks depth, patience, generosity, and understanding. Maybe they'll eventually get those qualities too, but I've wondered if they're even aware that music can be thought of in those terms.
# Posted on November 16th 2003 by Will Harmon