To: Adults who are interested, but nervous, about playing an
instrument again
From: Rich Holod, Aerophone director
Starting again …daunting, isn’t it? Well, it’s not as bad as you may think. If you were a capable musician in high school, you will be surprised at how much you remember. You’ve heard people say, “You never forget how to ride a bike.” The same is true of playing a musical instrument – which isn’t surprising because riding a bicycle and playing a musical instrument use the same type of neurological pathway: muscle memory.
Muscle memory, or motor learning, is a form of memory that involves consolidating a specific motor task into memory through repetition. When a movement is repeated over time, a long-term muscle memory is created for that task, eventually allowing it to be performed without conscious effort. In time, you won’t even need to pay attention to these processes. For example, you don’t even think about walking, typing, tying your shoes, or even waving. But when you were first learning them as a tot, they required quite a bit of concentration. Once these routines were set down, you draw from them without effort.
The same is true of playing an instrument. All those years of practice have ingrained those muscle movements into your cerebellum. When I meet with parents of my students and they tell me they played clarinet in high school, I try to put one in their hands. They are always shocked they can still do all the fingerings.
You can, too. The “rust” falls away quickly. And you will be surprised at how much better you are able to focus as an adult than you could as a teenager. (If you stop to think about all the distractions in your life as a teenager, this isn’t surprising at all!)
So, if you have an interest in playing again, please contact me (e-mail or call 845.417.5568). Don’t let money, lack of an instrument or the amount of time since you last played stop you from making music. All of those obstacles are easily conquered. What’s important is that you have the joy of playing music in your life.
instrument again
From: Rich Holod, Aerophone director
Starting again …daunting, isn’t it? Well, it’s not as bad as you may think. If you were a capable musician in high school, you will be surprised at how much you remember. You’ve heard people say, “You never forget how to ride a bike.” The same is true of playing a musical instrument – which isn’t surprising because riding a bicycle and playing a musical instrument use the same type of neurological pathway: muscle memory.
Muscle memory, or motor learning, is a form of memory that involves consolidating a specific motor task into memory through repetition. When a movement is repeated over time, a long-term muscle memory is created for that task, eventually allowing it to be performed without conscious effort. In time, you won’t even need to pay attention to these processes. For example, you don’t even think about walking, typing, tying your shoes, or even waving. But when you were first learning them as a tot, they required quite a bit of concentration. Once these routines were set down, you draw from them without effort.
The same is true of playing an instrument. All those years of practice have ingrained those muscle movements into your cerebellum. When I meet with parents of my students and they tell me they played clarinet in high school, I try to put one in their hands. They are always shocked they can still do all the fingerings.
You can, too. The “rust” falls away quickly. And you will be surprised at how much better you are able to focus as an adult than you could as a teenager. (If you stop to think about all the distractions in your life as a teenager, this isn’t surprising at all!)
So, if you have an interest in playing again, please contact me (e-mail or call 845.417.5568). Don’t let money, lack of an instrument or the amount of time since you last played stop you from making music. All of those obstacles are easily conquered. What’s important is that you have the joy of playing music in your life.
