I don't know about you, but I'm inspired. This man, Gene Hnilicka, is incredible. Even though circumstances did not allow him to pursue his music at a young age, he continued his training at age 70! How many times do we bemoan our circumstances when we can't get all of our children into good quality music education by the age of 5 or 6? (Yes, that really is a nice, ideal way to start, but sometimes not practical)
So, what promptly him to pick up his cello at age 70? An ad in the yellow pages about the Music Academy of Rockford College, under the direction of Marti Franz, caught his eye. It claimed to be able to teach anyone from age 6 to 70 plus. So, the same young man who teaches the 6-year-olds also teaches the 74 year-olds! (Hnilicka has been playing for four years already, according to the Rockford Register Star).
There are probably many others just like Mr. Hnilicka out there--just pursuing music training for the pleasure of it. Some of us moms who are so eager to just get our children "on to the next book" could learn from his patient perseverance.
