Experience vs Hard Work

       Are you at a disadvantage as a musician if you don’t start out playing at a young age? Is skill developed primarily from hard work? Or the buildup of muscle memory over time? Can extensive and effective practice compete with gradual improvement over time? I started playing in sixth grade, but I always wondered if it would be “easier” to play if I had started at a younger age.

       A few years ago, when viola was something I was really serious about, I played in solo recitals at my private lessons studio. At these recitals, students of all ages performed, so there was a wide variety of skill level. Middle school students were playing pieces I had just played last year, eight year olds were playing the songs I had been learning as a sixth grader, even the itty bitty three year olds were able to carry a tune that could be recognized as “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” or “The Monkey Song”. When I was three, I’m pretty sure I was eating dirt. It’s clear that starting out later put me behind the students that started at a young age, which makes sense, and it’s nothing to be ashamed of, but how does that apply to the development of technique?

       Technique comes through practice. For years I believed that starting a young age would magically make you a brilliant player, but now I'm not sure that that's completely true. If the child practices regularly over the years, their skills will improve rapidly, but if the child practices only ever so often over the years, their skills will not improve at such a pace. If you practice poorly for ten years, your technique would probably only be as advanced as a someone who had practiced frequently for five years. So I ask, is it “easier” to put in more time and less effort? Or more effort and less time? Or, perhaps, it is not about “easy”.

       The musical world is very competitive, and if you start out playing in sixth grade as opposed to second, you could be at a disadvantage. If you practice regularly and effectively , you will get ahead, but if you start in sixth grade and practice just as well, you won't be “behind”. But just because you're not behind doesn't mean you're not at a disadvantage. Whether or not you are at a disadvantage depends on why you play. If you play to be the best and compete for first chair in every ensemble you play in, then starting later may set you back. If you play simply because you love music, however, you'll never be at a disadvantage. Developing basic skills at a young age may make playing “easier” when you're older, and it may give you a bit of a competitive edge, but no matter when you start, it is ultimately your passion and hard work that will make you successful.