Older adults are taking advantage of their extra time during coronavirus restrictions to learn to play a musical instrument through online lessons.
The piano Linda Howell had purchased for her now-grown children sat in the corner of her living room for decades before she wondered if she should take lessons.
Howell, 72, of Fairport, New York, was having trouble adjusting to retirement after a 50-year career in nursing, and figured practicing would be good for her brain.
When the pandemic hit, she had plenty of time for practice.
Howell isn’t alone. Older Americans are picking up instruments they always yearned to play, or returning to those they may have tooted or screeched through as young children. Staying close to home and a limit on socializing have provided time and space for this new pursuit.