I have always loved to sing so I suppose my voice was my first musical instrument. But, other than two years of playing trumpet in 5th and 6th grades, I didn’t pick up an instrument until after college. Because of my relatively-late start, I always encourage kids in my audiences to pick up an instrument as early as possible. Here’s why:
- The learning curve is not nearly as steep. The developing brain has so much more neuro-plasticity. Childhood is the best time to acquire new knowledge, learn a new language, or master a musical instrument.
- The earlier you start, the more years you give yourself to get better.
- It is simply so enjoyable. Played well, a musical instrument can bring pleasure both to the player as well as the listener.
- Unlike other activities (such as athletics), you will get better and better the more you practice and the longer you keep at music.
Not that I was ever very good at sports (proficient in most, but far from excellent), but my best days are far behind me — I’ll never play basketball as well as I did when I was 25. I’m not saying that I shouldn’t continue to play sports — it is really important for one’s mental and physical health to remain active — but to pretend that I’ll ever get back to my peak performance . . . that’s just “chasing a ghost.”
Speaking of chasing a ghost, I’ve taken up recreational running in the past couple of months. My eldest son has participated in Starkville’s Frostbite 5K the last few years (race usually is in late January). When registration opened back in September for the 2025 race, he decided he wanted to take a shot at running the half-marathon. Since he is a senior in high school and will be out of the house this time next year, I decided to get off the couch and give the 5K a shot. If nothing else, I hoped it (at least the training leading up to the race) would give us something to do together.
The fact that he is decades younger snapped into sharp focus when I tried to join him during his cool-down (10 minutes slow pace) after he ran (and set a sub-19 minute personal record) a 5K earlier in his cross country season. It was all I could do to keep up with him for 10 minutes at his slowest. So we really haven’t run together — I didn’t want to mess up his pacing while his season was going on. However, he has been really helpful in providing advice and encouragement.
Having never been a distance runner, I’ve really surprised myself in building up my stamina. Maybe after the race is over, Daniel and I can enjoy a few runs before he heads off to college in the Fall. And of course, between now and then I may be running through your town during my “Stormin’ Bob’s Rockin’ Rainbow” Summer 2025 Tour. Keep an eye on my schedule as I add more shows.
1 Comment