Never too old to learn anything. Life is all about the memories and the journeys, not necessarily the end result.

No, a thousand times no. Your brain works and your hands work. Go for it.

Aloha, as a member of the Honolulu Symphony, experienced music teacher and president of the Hawaii American String Teacher's Association, I think that you will have a great time learning to play the viola. Since you have played several instruments before, I think you will find that you can progress quite rapidly.

Choosing the right teacher is the most important factor in helping you quickly reach your goal of playing in a community orchestra. I would avoid a teacher who specializes in starting very you children (2-3 year olds) and produces "prodigy" type students. These teachers are very comfortable spending a lot of time -- sometimes years -- perfecting each step of the process. This is fine if the students is 3 years old and time is plentiful.

I suggest finding a teacher in your area who has spent time teaching beginning strings in a public school setting. This person typically starts kids who are in the 5th or 6th grade and is accustomed to having students read and perform in an orchestra setting right away. This sort of person will focus on the specific "orchestra skills" that you will need.

I hope this helps!!

With Warmest Aloha,

Dan Padilla
President, Hawaii String Teachers' Association
http://www.examiner.com/x-7007-Honolulu-Music-Examiner

Learning continues until death, if you are eager/willing to learn then you can learn how to play it. As long as you have a determination, it is easy to learn if you like what you are learning.





“You don't love someone for their mens wear, or for their fancy car, but because they sing a song only you can hear.”

You can always learn a new instrument. That is unless your hands are missing some fingers

One is never too old to learn a new instrument.

No, you are never too old to learn new things!