Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum ABF Average Age?

Happy Birthday!

Regards, JF

Kathleen - Unless you've been 69 for a number of years now, just like some wishful thinkers who hang onto 39 or 49, I think the oldest might be maybe 80 or 81 - I saw someone claim that publicly the other day somewhere in an ABF thread, but can't remember where (which is a frequent occurence at my age).

Regards, JF

I wonder how many people regularly read ABF (vs. Pianoworld more generally), how many stop by with some consistency, and how many just visit over the course of the year.

I'd guess something like 2-300 regulars at the most, a few times that many consistent visitors, and maybe 10x that many one-timers.

Not 30,0000: the original question what about ABF, not Pianoworld.

Keith

It would nice to know how many are adult beginners and how many are adult returners to the piano? My age is 57 and I would be classified as a returner to the piano. I usually come to the forum after I realize I am too tired to practice.

39 here. (Really, I AM 39.) Been playing for four months, never played before that.

Is someone keeping up with the math in this thread?

I'm 57, and I'm a returning beginner (returned about a year and a half ago). The average ABF age so far seems to be about 45.

Bumping the average up just a little, I am 63. Last year I was 62

Lowering the average with my 28.
Judging by PW it certainly seems to be more common with adult (re-)starters in their 40's and 50's then 20's / 30's. I wonder why that is?

An interesting thread might be _why_ people started playing as an adult.

That indeed is an interesting question Sii, why don't you start one as I am interested myself.

I'm 45. This Oct will mark my 3rd year as a prodigal pianist.

John Frank:

Thank you! I bet that person who is in his/her 80's is probably a piano teacher. Hopefully this proves that playing the piano can add many years to one's life.

Regarding Sii's question about people in their 40's and 50's returning to the piano as opposed to people in their 20's and 30's.......that's a easy query to answer.

Just one word: WISDOM

It tends to come as one gets older. As we age, we realize what our priorities should be. Naturally, famly and friends come first. (I guess you have to throw in "job" somewhere only because it allows us to provide for our families.)

The happiness that we once thought material things would provide now just leave us cold. This is the time when we feel that void within that begs to be fulfilled. A new car or that big screen TV just doesn't do it anymore.

Now we know that happiness comes from within. And to express ourselves as we believe we are is what we strive for. That's why so many older people take up hobbies (painting, etc.). And returning to the piano for many of us is the perfect outlet. Also we really "hear" the beauty in music now (I'm typing this listening to Beethoven's Moonlight).

Please realize that I am speaking in general terms, for I know there are many "younger" people who already possess this "wisdom." And I applaud them with all my heart and wish them well, for learning to play the piano is (IMO) the most difficult and frustrating task a person can do. Oh, we oldsters are also more obsinate (and patient...usually) and that's why we don't give up as easily as we did when we were younger.

Sorry to get so philosophical, but I believe that is where the answer lies.

Kathleen

loveschopintoomuch, you have it exactly right.

Loveschopinsomuch,
That was wonderfull wisdom. I am 35 and that sums up so many things that I am trying to figure out in life. And maybe thats why playing the piano is so important to me right now. And I cant wait to instill the love of music into my kids.
Thank you for that bit of wisdom.
AspenX

Well I am 61 until next week. This will probably bump the average up a little. I am a true beginner. I have been taking lessons for a couple of years.

I'm 40.

I'm 50. I won't sigh about my age, only about the years I squandered by not starting this wonderful instrument earlier in life.

Oh well, better late then never!

I'm 42.

Very insightful, and likely also very true. So it's basically a midlife-crisis thing.
Sorry, just kidding, couldn't resist. I agree with what you wrote and it certainly feels like it explains why (re-)starting adult piano players are more common in the slightly higher age brackets.

I'm not sure I agree with this however. Change just 'music' to 'classical music' however and I might be inclined to agree. Though i suspect that piano players are very over represented in the 'enjoys classical music' bracket. Piano playing and classical tend to go hand in hand - though there is certainly much more to piano than just classical.

From the very limited subset of people that I know personally, music enjoyment in general very much belongs to people of my generation rather then that of, for example my parents. My parents, their friends, pretty much any and all middle age+ people I'm aquainted with don't really actively listen to music the way friends my own age do.

I'll admit to having pondered why this is on occasion, and it's possible that the relatively speaking small amount of people that I know and use in the comparissons deviate widely from the norm (whatever that might be).

Well, I certainly don't personally fall into the 'wise' category, that much I do know for sure.
My comments, like yours, obviously use some very sweeping generalizations and should be read in that light.

Simon

After 77 answers, an average of 45.55 years for a whopping total of 3507 years of experience.

61 now, 62 pretty soon. Started for the first time in February 2008. I guess that raises the average a bit over 45.55.