ISO Joy: Adult Lessons at Rock 101
When I was young, I thought all of the magical things would happen when I became a grownup. I wouldn’t have to follow any rules. I could do whatever I wanted. All of the time. My future plans included: being a famous movie star (easy enough), never ever ever eating fish again, and staying up late to watch the really good shows that only came on after my bedtime. Also, just in general, candy. My plans included lots of candy.
I am now 43 and can say with confidence that I am an experienced grownup. Inexplicably, somewhere along the line, all of my magical plans dissolved. You may have noticed that I am not a famous movie star (weird). I force myself to eat fish…because it’s healthy. (I can feel my inner child cringing in embarrassment.) To be honest, I like to be in bed by 9 and not once have I eaten candy for dinner. My secret shame? Sometimes I eat veggies as a snack.
You may wonder where it all went wrong and I can tell you. I became something that I swore I never would. The very thing I detested as a child. The destroyer of fun. The nemesis of joy. The adversary of all things sweet.
I became practical.
It happened slowly, even unnoticeably, over time. Bit by bit, vitamins and minerals started to override the need for sugar. Getting a good night’s sleep took precedence over late-night shenanigans. To the point that I now sit here wondering if I should save up some money to buy…a new vacuum.
No more, I say! It’s time to reclaim the freedom and possibilities that I believed in as a child. I have heard that awareness is the first step to change. Having had these realizations, it’s time to reclaim my joy. As a first step, I decided to sit down and chat with two fellow grownups who seemed to be on the right path.
Jessica Baca and Dan Lee started taking music lessons at Rock 101 a little over a year ago. I have found their stories inspiring and hope that in sharing them, I can give hope to other grownups who may also be feeling a lack of candy. I mean joy.
Meet Jessica
Growing up, music had always been an important part of Jessica’s life. Over the years, she has played saxophone, piano, flute, bells, and has been a singer. As with most of us, the joyful activities slowly fell away during the college years. When she was signing up her three sons for piano lessons, she had an aha! moment in which she realized that she could take lessons too. While her sons are no longer learning piano, she has now been taking guitar lessons for about a year and is loving it.
I was still skeptical. Why should I add yet another activity onto my already hectic schedule? What benefits has she actually seen?
She shared something that boggled the mind. As adults, we have long to-do lists. Things need to get done and it doesn’t matter if it feels fun or not. Grin and bear it. Jessica shared that learning something new as an adult brought back the sense of inspiration to her life. Because the instructors are welcoming, authentic, and meet you where you are, there is no pressure in taking lessons. Just joy.
Taking lessons - adding one more thing to her to-do list - brought joy back to her life. Not stress, just joy. Now I'm listening.
Jessica also feels that she is modeling important life lessons to her sons, such as how to go outside of your comfort zone, how to not know what you’re doing, how to make mistakes, and how to make time for yourself. These are not skills taught in school and she is happy to model these challenging things!
Meet Dan
I admit, Jessica already had me feeling intrigued as I sat down to talk to Dan, who has been taking guitar lessons for a little over a year (1.25 years, he tells me). Over the years, Dan had an on again off again relationship with the guitar: focusing on it, learning new skills, and then packing it away in the closet for months or years at a time. He decided to take official lessons at Rock 101 when his son had to stop his lessons. Dan just slid right into his son’s time slot and has no plans to stop.
While I was still feeling somewhat guilty for even considering joy over practicality, Dan put my mind at ease. He emphasized how practical it actually is to take lessons. It is convenient in that you get to choose the time slot that fits your schedule and, unlike in the school years, you get to have a hand in choosing your instructor. He loves how one-on-one lessons provide accountability that motivate him to practice, which in turn has resulted in steady progress.
Ooo…my practical grownup brain is loving this.
Taking music lessons as an adult has increased Dan’s sense of connection and satisfaction. The instructors make each lesson personal, meeting you at your level. He also loves how the lessons are flexible instead of rigid. If he walks in and asks to work on a certain skill, the instructors shift their plans to make it happen.
Ok. Where do we go from here?
Let’s sum up what we have learned.
Taking music lessons as an adult increases joy and satisfaction.
You have control over the timing and details of your lessons.
The instructors are flexible, personable, and work with you at your level.
My inner child is appalled at my low level of candy intake.
When I asked Jessica what she would tell adults who are considering taking music lessons, she joyfully exclaimed, “Just do it!”
If that is not motivation enough for you, consider Dan’s practical advice. Decide to take lessons for a certain time frame (3 months, 6 months, etc.) and then see how you feel. He’s convinced you won’t want to stop; however, if you did, you could easily bow out.
As for me, I have to wrap this up because the shower needs scrubbing and then I have to sit grumpily and ponder the increasing price of eggs. No no no…just kidding. Have I learned nothing?! I do indeed need to scrub the shower but what Jessica, Dan, and my inner child have reminded me of is that joy should also be part of my to-do list. It should be a requirement, non negotiable. Learning a new skill, investing in what inspires me, and connecting with others while I do those things. This is what my to-do list needs.
While I thought eating candy for dinner was the answer to everything as a child, what I was actually craving was freedom. As a current resident of the Adult World, I now know that candy is not the answer. Choosing to do an activity that is simply for my personal fulfillment? Yeah, that sounds about right.
Hope to see you out there.
Want More Info?
Interested in learning more about Rock 101 adult lessons? Check out the link below!
- Danielle Parker