Jacobi Caldwell (right) tunes up Penny Trauth’s cello as Penny prepares for the adult beginner orchestra rehearsal. Trauth is one of many hill country adults taking on the challenge of learning a new instrument well beyond the high school years. Photo by Phil Houseal
Details:
The Take-A-Bow orchestra welcomes adult beginner string players. They meet every Tuesday evening at the First United Methodist Church in Kerrville.
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Adult beginners:
Never too late to learn
by Phil Houseal
Feb 15, 2006
What possesses someone closer to AARP than adolescence to put down the garden trowel and pick up a guitar?
In the past few months, I’ve rubbed elbows - literally, in violin class - with quite a few “adult beginners.” They range in age from 30 to 80 - yes, age 80. They are learning to play dulcimer and guitar, taking piano lessons, and even joining string orchestras. I sit amongst them in the Take A Bow adult beginner string orchestra in Kerrville every Tuesday evening, as we scrape away and try to master an unfamiliar and challenging instrument.
Our role model is Penny Trauth, who started playing cello at age 78. Other than a brief attempt at teaching herself to play organ years earlier, she had no previous musical training.
“I really had a love of music all my life,” said Penny, who is now 80 and proud of it. “When I turned 70 I decided I could do anything I want.”
She may have felt that way, but the folks at several music stores in Houston did not share her enthusiasm as she sought to buy an instrument.
“They discouraged me,” she said. “They said it’s a little late to begin learning to play violin.”
It wasn’t until she moved to the Hill Country eight years later that Penny discovered the adult beginner orchestra.
“I was really scared to walk in. Not only because of my age, but I had no training or music theory.” She started anyway. “That’s one of the advantages of age,” she laughed. “When I make a commitment , I follow through.”
Jacobi Caldwell is the conductor, instructor, and counselor of this earnest crew.
“I fell in love with these courageous adults, who are doing something so new and s-o-o-o very weird!” Caldwell said. “They laugh, they make friends, and most of all, when they relax, they start to make great music. We are definitely on to something fantastic.”
I asked several whether their new-found musical interest is fun, functional, or folly.
There is “Billy,” who is over 50 and learning guitar: “Every year my wife’s brothers haul out the guitars at the family reunion. It seemed like so much fun, I had to learn. Just hearing them play, I thought, hey, we can all have that kind of fun.”
And “Jamie,” 60ish: “I mentioned to my husband a few years ago that I was interested in learning to play the violin, because the music they make is so beautiful. I forgot about it, but this Christmas he gave me a violin! Now, I have simply got to try to learn to play it!”
“Denise,” who just turned 50: “For the second half of my life I decided I was going to do everything I wanted to do the first half but didn’t get around to doing. If I can play one song, I’ll be happy!”
Penny has some advice for those of us considering taking on a new instrument in our “old” age.
“Do it,” she said. “Life is short - start now. Think how good I would be now if I had started learning at age 50!”
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