06/04/2026
The paths of life which lead an adult to approach a musical instrument—either returning to it after an earlier stage or starting for the first time—are varied:
The kids have grown and moved out, leaving you with spare time, disposable income, and a perceived lack of purpose.
You are taking a sabbatical.
You are hitting a “mid-life crisis”
You tried it before and have always regretted quitting.
These and other factors are the drivers which eventually lead a fully grown adult to search the internet or local ads for piano lessons. Invariably, the first question they ask is: “Is it too late now?”
The short answer is no. The cliché answer is “It’s never too late.” But if you have been following me long enough, you know that as an educator, I feel it is my moral duty to do two things:
To tell you the truth.
To go beyond a cliché response aimed at closing a sale, and instead elaborate further.
While the truth is that it is not too late to start, we must have an honest discussion about what is realistically achievable.
The paths of life which lead an adult to approach a musical instrument—either returning to it after an earlier stage or starting for the first time—are varied: The kids have grown and moved out, leaving you with spare time, disposable income, and a perceived lack of purpose. You are taking a