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they start dying off from the age of 25 or so. Albert Frantz is the proof of a pianist who developed virtuoso technique late.

Um, yeah, right...

You don't believe it or you know it isn't true? If so, show me a link that says he could play the piano before the age of 17. The link I showed you above says he started at 17; he says it himself.

The world of pianists (not just classical) is divided into those who claim that they climbed up onto the piano stool at the age of one, and played 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star' (or even Mozart's variations on it ) at the age of one - by ear, with no help - and those who claim that they'd never even seen a keyboard before they became virtuosi at 20, just a few months after touching one for the first time.

You pays yer money......

So you believe his statements are false?

What you are saying is true. But at what level could he play the piano? Almost no level from what I've heard. He could learn easy pieces by ear, that's about it. He couldn't even read notes.

I know of a pianist who started when he was 17 and went on to earn a doctorate in piano at USC and enjoy a career teaching in a college.

That's no longer thought to be true, ben. The last 30 years of research show that the brain continues to grown and change throughout life:

1- Neuroplasticity is the quality neurons have of disconnecting old synapses an reconnecting new ones. And the quality continues all the way through to old age provided overall health stays good. Moderate alcohol consumption actually helps encourage this quality of the neurons. Researchers suspect that neuroplasticity is essential to learning.

2- Very recent research shows that stem cells produced by the hypocampus in the mid-brain form new neurons during the entire life cycle.

3- The beneficial effects of various lifestyle habits on brain health has long been recognized. Activities such as regular exercise, a good diet, proper stress management, and continual mental stimulation of a challenging nature maintain the brain's acuity well into old age.

The old saw that it's too late to learn anything if you've over 13 is just that.

Jor, you make it sound like a "virtuoso technique" is rare thing. It's not really, not in this day and age. Since the 1950s, as a matter of fact, it seems that great talent is becoming more and more common. There are more and more young people entering colleges and conservatories these days playing at a very high level than ever before, not less. Which is a pity, because there are fewer and fewer opportunities every year for them to launch a career.

Oh, sorry. I figured an article on the topic couldn't not mention the age at which the part of the brain stops developing. It's 25 from all accounts I've heard and read.

At any rate, focus less on his age and more on the fact that Albert Frantz had several world-class teachers - something very few people can discern between and/or have access to. With proper instruction, [b]anyone[/b] can learn to play, but without it, only a dedicated few statistically can, if any (with as wrong as intuition is in self-teaching).

I played a little piano as a kid (what my Mom showed me) but couldn't read music and couldn't sit still in piano lessons that lasted a few weeks.

I picked up piano again when I was 26 years old and now I'm 27. What are my chances?



Whatever the internet thinks, I'll see you at the Van Cliburn competition in 3 years.

Will you be in the audience or on stage?

I'll be judging those on stage. Ziing.