I sit here some days and watch YouTube videos of teenagers, pre-teens even, who are playing the cello beautifully. Solos, concerti, chamber music ensembles. I'm amazed at their talent and ability. Some of them are fantastic players and can play better than I've ever heard.
On my bad days, it's very discouraging (Side note: never listen to child prodigies on a bad cello day! --Gary S.). But then I have days like today where I wake up positive and optimistic (quite rare in the winter!), and the first thing I see in my news feed is a 16-year old girl who has won 2nd place in some international cello competition. No, my aspirations aren't quite that high, but it gets me to thinking. Adult beginners in the musical world usually get told, "You're too old to really master this," or, "You won't accomplish much more than just playing for your enjoyment." For some, that's fine. For me, that's unacceptable.
WHY NOT!?
Who are you to tell me that I'm "too old" to master something? If someone who starts at age 8, but not seriously until age 13, is good enough to earn Juilliard at 18, and eventually a doctorate in cello performance, why is it "too hard" for me to learn well at 41? If this girl started when she was 5, for example, and she's winning an international competition at 16, why is it "too late" for me at 41? Really, I feel like it's quite the opposite.
Why? Because at 41, even though my brain may be slower at building new pathways to nerves and slower at learning, it hasn't stopped. My brain is still sharp. Not only that, at 41, I have the dedication and the drive to learn this instrument like I never had at 11. At 16, this girl who won probably practiced for hours on end, as a figure skater does getting up at 4 a.m. to practice her routine before school. I never took flute lessons before college, or even practiced 2-3 hours a day in college, so I never got where I wanted (can you say "young and stupid"?). But as an adult beginner, I find I have more desire to practice (there are days that I stare longingly at my cello before I go out adulting...) and more determination to get it right.
My practice sessions may not be able to go on for hours, and honestly, my fingers are glad for that. Life gets in the way sometimes, as you saw from one of my earlier blog posts. We're adults and life happens. We get busy doing other things, including work demands and raising kids, and we don't have as much time to devote to our cello being in our laps, but that doesn't mean we aren't practicing. You'll often catch me listening to cello music in the car, in the shower, or before I go to bed. That's ear training, and it's vital to successful playing. It helps your intonation, as well as helping you internalize tempos, dynamics, and home in on what style you want to play.
Bottom line: Who are they to tell me I'll never make it as a cellist? Who are they to tell me I'll never make a professional orchestra? Yes, I will absolutely, without a doubt, have to practice my tail off, whether with or without my cello, to make headway. But I'm also smart enough to know that it's not how MUCH you practice... I know people who used to "practice" for hours and get nowhere. It's WHAT you practice, HOW you practice, and how much attention you pay to your own development. Record yourself practicing. It's scary, but it's also a real eye-opener! Or invest $10 in a tall mirror to watch your bowing, left-hand position, and posture. It only takes a few sessions to re-train your body as to where your bow should be on the strings, if you're vigilant and relaxed.
If a young person can make strides to get into an orchestra on a cello in ten years, SO CAN I!
Now, go practice!
Happy Cello'ing! #celloislife