No, you're not too old to learn a musical instrument. Too many adults still believe that they missed their chance to learn an instrument simply because they didn't have lessons as a child. This belief is based in the myth that the adult brain turns to cement and has limited capacity to learn new things.

But the demands of the modern workforce, as well as advances in neuroscience, proves that we grown-ups are plenty capable of upgrading our skills and learning new things. It's true that we are not generating new brain cells the way a child does. Our brains might not have the same level of plasticity, but our synapses are still forging new connections every day.

There are also advantages to learning music as an adult. We have greater powers of comprehension, greater attention span, and better discipline. We have highly developed motor skills and an ear more attuned to melody and rhythm. We tend to be internally motivated and to put in the required practice.

It is a welcome trend that adults over 50 are committing to learning an instrument for the first time. They're not likely to become virtuosos that play Carnage Hall or Madison Square Garden, but they will find pleasure and satisfaction in playing along with their favorite songs. 

I remember watching a certain instrumental guitarist. I thought about how he established himself as a virtuoso at the age of 19. Then I thought that however he has evolved in his songwriting over the past 30+ years, his technical abilities were essentially the same as that 19 year old kid. I knew he started guitar when he was eight or nine. Ten short years took him from zero to guitar-hero.

While these results aren't typical, it is still a realistic goal that someone who picks up an instrument for the first time in their 50s can, with the right teacher, be playing all their favorite songs in a few short years. And they will have a whole lot of fun on the journey along the way.