Never Too Late: My Musical Life Story

I loved this book. I've read it many times and I continue to be inspired by the wisdom Mr. Holt has left with us. I wish I would have read it when I first started playing an instrument (guitar) in my teens. Its perfect for an adult student but equally appropriate for younger students also.

This book, to me, inspired me to pick up chess. I have never in my life learned to play chess because to me it was quite hard, but i gave it a go. I searched for a good cd rom as compared to finding a teacher or a book and in the end learned to play chess in about a month. It took me about a month to play because chess was something so new to me, but once i got the hang of it, everything was like childs play. John Holt proved to me that certain things can be overcomed-if one tries very hard. At times, it won't work but in others it will. The program that i buoght was" how to play chess with fritz and chesster-part 1". On music, about playing an instrument. Mom's and Dad's should take them at an early age to music school. The other area is about pregnant ladies listening to alot of classical music as well as them having a positive environment while there babies are still in the womb. This will produce smarter, and intelligent babies. If mom's read alot of books while they are pregnant, this too benefits the child. Holt's book is inspiring. This may inspire me to take flight cessna lessons some day soon. Oh yes, for me, chess has been my musical instrument you could say. For me, chess has enhanced my IQ. It is a great stress releaser.... This book is inspiring. Give it a try, in reading it, it could help you take up the French or Russian language or it could help you -motivate you to become an Anesthesiologist.

This book contains the musical memoirs of John Holt, amateur cellist. Throughout his life, Holt was fascinated with the process of learning and of education. He taught classes in elementary schools, and he published a number of books including "How Children Fail." In this book, Holt presents many observations about his own struggles to learn music. Holt didn't come from a musical family and had practically no training in music as a young person. However, starting in his teenage years, he developed a great love of listening to music. Over the next few decades, he dallied with learning the guitar and flute, but it wasn't until he was 40 that he began studying music in earnest on the cello. Of all instruments to choose, the cello is not one to be taken up lightly, for it is notoriously difficult in its fingerings, bowings, and tone quality. Holt found that his musical studies were requiring more and more of his time, but he also found the time spent on working with his instrument to be so rewarding that he was willing to give up many of his other activities so as to have more time to practice and learn. In this book, Holt presents a lifelong analysis of all the types of music he had been exposed to, and what they meant to him and his development in music. He takes us from learning songs with his aunt on summer vacation through how he figured out musical notation by fiddling around with piano keys, through intensive summer music camps he attended as an adult with his cello. At times, this seemingly exhaustive enumeration of musical experiences can drag a bit. On the other hand, each anecdote does eventually play an important role in the big picture as Holt unfolds his story. As a struggling amateur musician, I found Holt's story to be quite inspiring. Since Holt was neither a trained musician nor a music educator, he was able to offer an uncommon perspective on music practice and learning. I was struck by his insistence that musicians at all levels should include in their daily practice pieces that are much too hard for them, rather than just sticking to material that is appropriate for their current level. He also stresses the need for playing real music, and not just exercises or pedagogical pieces (although he does note that sometimes these, too, are useful). He stresses the importance of playing pieces in their entirety as well as working on individual trouble spots. Holt makes it clear that musicians of all levels should be playing music that speaks to them (rather than to their teachers). Through his example, he shows that it doesn't matter what age you are when you first begin to study music-if you are serious about your practice, you will progress and find immense enjoyment as you play.

If you've regret giving up violin lessons back in sixth grade, think "if only I had stuck with it" when you hear Yo Yo Ma play, and you think fondly of the neglected instrument collecting dust in the attic, this book may be for you, providing a jump start to get you back into music. Holt is passionate about his cello, about music, about improving. He inspires courage -- the courage to start something new and work through the frustrations of being a older beginner (whose skills are surpassed by a Suzuki-trained child, no doubt). Holt dives in to his instrument with a seriousness and commitment that I doubt most adult learners would have (hours of practice, playing in community orchestras) -- but it's an inspiring read, nonetheless.

This book changed my life. It gave me the courage and inspiration to overcome a horrible childhood experience with piano lessons, and relearn to play as an adult. Playing the piano has become one of the great joys of my life, and John Holt gave me the kick to allow that to happen.