Have you always wanted to play an instrument but you thought it was either too late to learn or that you have no talent? A developmental psychologist says don’t give up on those dreams!
Gary Marcus is a professor of psychology at New York University and the director of the NYU Center for Language and Music. He’s written three books on the development of the brain and he says, yes, old dogs can learn new tricks.
He says he’s living proof that it’s never too late to finally to chase dreams that you may have been fantasizing about since childhood. After a lifetime of being told he had no musical talents, he took up guitar at the age of 38 and it all started with the video game Guitar Hero.
He’s written a book about his experiences called “Guitar Zero: The New Musician and the Science of Learning.” Gary explains that the video game was his “gateway drug” to playing the real thing and it gave him motivation to learn how to play a real guitar.
Part of the reason why he was able to stick with it, he says, is that computers are actually more patient than real-life teachers. So, even though his fourth-grade music teacher encouraged him to give up on the recorder, the video game computer kept working with him through his many mistakes.
But Gary says it was more important than learning to play the guitar; he wanted to prove that there isn’t a cut-off age for mastering a new skill.
He shares his tips for pursuing your lifelong dreams to learn something new and explains how a growing field of scientific research is supporting the ideas that it’s never too late to keep your brain healthy, vibrant and growing.
To learn more and to watch a video of Gary learning to jam, click here to visit garymarcus.com.