Some of my students ask "Why do certain people catch on faster than others?". It's not that they "catch on"; it's probably that they have invested many hours and lots of effort into their art.
For myself, it all started when I was six years old at piano lessons with Nettie LeBlanc. I stuck to it and practiced every day (I was allowed one day per week of no-practicing). At that age, my mom had to make sure that I took the time to practice as my busy brain was too young to remind myself. Parents play a big role in learning an instrument. Marc and I would put on fake concerts (we would play along with cassettes) and get our parents to come watch (I think there may also have been a cover charge at times lol!). I’m sure they had more important things to do, but having them there showed us that our art mattered to them.
As a pre-teen, I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in many live performances and productions. This was a big boost to my artistic confidence and it allowed me to work with real musicians. I even tried to play different instruments which allowed me to explore different styles of music.
Later on, the real gigs started popping up and that is when I knew that music would play an important part in who I was as a person. Today, I cannot imagine my life without music.
So if you are a new learner, stick to it, practice every day and most importantly, have fun. It won’t happen in one session, or even in one year, but you will learn and achieve that goal. Like I said, I started at the age of six… and I am now 37 years old. I am still practicing, still learning, and most importantly, I am having a blast!