I'm going to pick up where I left off on the subject of the adult learning process and it's implications. I like to think that we can learn new skills at any age. Not only learn skills, but continue to excel at those skills. At 30 years of age, while I can hardly consider myself to be old, I have learned not to compare my musical skills to those who are much younger and better. I will continue to practice, strengthen my technique, and learn as much about music as I can as long as I still breathe. The idea that if I'm lucky, I have that much time to reach my goals gives me hope.

It has also been suggested that some of the physical impediments associated with the aging process can lead to benefits. When we start to lose certain auditory and visual functions, some say that are abilities in other areas can become more acute. In Musicophelia Tales of Music and the Brain, author Oliver Sacks uses Beethoven in his discussion of brain imagery. Although Beethoven is an extreme and singular example, the fact that he composed many of his greatest masterpieces well after he had lost all use of his hearing faculties, supports the idea that some age related sensory deficits can lead to positive outcomes. Sacks suggests that the complexity of Beethovenʼs later works was directly related to his loss of hearing and subsequent enhanced ability to visualize his compositions.