Turning 50 is a milestone worth celebrating and the best way to celebrate is learning to play the saxophone.
Charles Benoit explains why it’s the perfect time to follow your saxophone dream.
Now is the time
Loads of our thousands of Sax School students start to learn sax at 50 or older.
While it’s true that children have an easier time learning, age does come with some significant learning benefits. Here are 5 ways older learners have the advantage.
You want it more
Signing a child up for music lessons is one thing. Getting them to go is another.
And sitting them down to practice every day? Some kids love it, but many see it as a chore, not a joy.
School bands require them to learn songs they don’t know (or like) instead of the songs they’d rather play.
When you learn sax at 50, you want to play. You jealously guard practice time and find joy in the smallest improvements. Plus, adults learn what they want to play, whether it’s jazz, blues, rock, ska, classical—or the same songs their grandkids are forced to play at school.
You keep it real
Teenage fantasies of world tours, big-money recording deals and private jets seldom pan out.
Experience has taught adult learners to set goals that are both challenging and achievable, goals that are out of your comfort zone but not out of reach.
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Playing the main stage at Glastonbury is probably too much. But when you learn sax at 50 plus, sitting in jam sessions, joining a band, accompanying the church choir, and playing holiday tunes for friends and family are all realistic, first-year goals. When those goals are met, older adults know how to use the knowledge gained to set new goals.
And if Glastonbury does call, you don’t need your parents to drive you there.
Time Zone
Kids have more time to practice.
But it’s not time in the seat that matters, it’s time on task. And here’s where older learners have the edge.
Younger brains are still developing, which is why they really can learn faster. But older brains aren’t as easily distracted, and are able to make cognitive jumps and connections that come from years of learning and doing. At a certain age, you stop worrying about FOMO (or even what FOMO means) and can zone in on a task. You can block out distractions and multiply your learning potential.
There’s also that whole puberty thing that can be a wee bit distracting when you’re young. Squeaky notes, like squeaky voices, fade with age.
Patience is a virtue
Remember when you NEVER thought your birthday would come, even when it was two weeks away?
Age brings a deep understanding that things take time and that overnight success doesn’t happen overnight. Whether it was raising a family, building a career or amassing a record collection, older learners know that things worth doing take time and patience. That includes patience with themselves.
When things go sideways, young learners can be rough on themselves (and their instruments). For those who learn sax at 50 and over, they face the same musical challenges, but thanks to a lifetime of challenges, they know how to keep calm and play on.
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You are a pitbull
Some say stubborn, some say resolute, some might even say bull-headed. We prefer to say that older learners are tenacious.
When they set their mind to something, older people just don’t let go. They stay at it like a pitbull on a postman’s arm, showing a commitment to their chosen quest that would impress Sir Winston “Never Surrender” Churchill.
It takes decades to develop willpower that powerful, and when it’s focused on learning the sax, that call from Glastonbury may not be that far off after all.
No matter what your age, right now is the right time to start your saxophone journey. Sax School has all the resources to help you. Start today with Sax School