Music Diary Notes: Quiescence Music Brings Piano Skills To Older Adults

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I have written several times (such as here, here and here) about Quiescence Music, the site headed up by piano instructor Edward Weiss that takes a casual, hands-on and emergent approach to learning to play and compose based on the New Age style.

During that time, I have shared some of the materials from Quiescence with my family, and had my pianist son play around with some of the approaches. While he is already an advanced pianist and has solid techniques, the approach Weiss teaches in terms of exploration is similar to how I have always encouraged my kids to play and I could see and hear some atmospheric textural chords sneaking into his techno compositions over time. My older son plays brass instruments, but has still enjoyed using Weiss’s New Age piano approach.

Apparently they are not alone – according to a new article over at AllAboutJazz, Quiescence has had great success with adults – particularly those over 50.

The reason? His method is not about building up concert pianist chops and coming to compose symphonies, but rather about realizing the dream many folks have of playing a musical instrument, of building a relationship with that instrument and seeing fruits for your efforts within weeks rather than years.

Here is a snip from the article:

Almost everyone has unfulfilled dreams, and for many of us over 50 one of those dreams is playing an instrument. The ability to simply sit down and create beautiful, flowing music is one of life’s greatest pleasures.

Edward was asked why those over 50 make great students.

“There are several reasons. As we mature, we tend to be more patient. We’re not out to win a musical scholarship or gain entry into a famous conservatorium. We have the maturity to know that creating music isn’t a competition. It’s an expression of our inner selves—a lifetime of triumphs and failures. The essence of what we are—a reflection of our individual spirit.”

Edward’s online method is especially friendly towards senior citizens. They can take all the time they need for mastering each skill, building up to the point where they’re actually composing their own scores and melodies.

As Edward describes it: “There’s no mystical secret in learning to play piano and composing your own scores. It’s a step by step approach, first learning the basic chords and then building upon each lesson to create full length compositions. My method allows anyone, especially seniors, to almost effortlessly master what’s required. It’s not just doable—it’s fun!”

Have you ever wished you could play the piano? You should definitely check out Quiescence Music and preview some of his free lessons. You don’t need a full piano or music studio like I have in my house – a simple keyboard with reasonable sounds and full-size keys that you can get from a store like Walmart will do just fine. In fact, my younger son still uses a tiny Yamaha Porta-Sound keyboard with half-sized keys that I got more than 25 years ago so he always has something to tinker with.

Music is something that stirs all of our souls – it doesn’t matter what genre or style or era or whatever … if it beings you emotional joy, that is what matters. So don’t let the excuse of not learning a musical instrument stop you any longer – check out check out Quiescence Music: visiting the site is free and he always has free lessons available to check out. You might just find a renewed love for music.

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About the Author

Michael Anderson
I have loved technology for as long as I can remember - and have been a computer gamer since the PDP-10! Mobile Technology has played a major role in my life - I have used an electronic companion since the HP95LX more than 20 years ago, and have been a 'Laptop First' person since my Compaq LTE Lite 3/20 and Powerbook 170 back in 1991! As an avid gamer and gadget-junkie I was constantly asked for my opinions on new technology, which led to writing small blurbs ... and eventually becoming a reviewer many years ago. My family is my biggest priority in life, and they alternate between loving and tolerating my gaming and gadget hobbies ... but ultimately benefits from the addition of technology to our lives!