The Late Starters Orchestra

by Ari L. Goldman

"We're all living longer. What should we do with the time? Ari Goldman has a solution. The Late Starters Orchestra is warm, soulful, sometimes rueful, sometimes passionate --just like his beloved cello. I found myself laughing out loud in places --and unexpectedly moved at the end."
--Jonathan Weiner, Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Beak of the Finch

In a cluttered room in an abandoned coat factory in lower Manhattan, a group of musicians comes together each week to make music. Some are old, some are young, all have come late to music or come back to it after a long absence. This is the Late Starters Orchestra--the bona fide amateur string orchestra where Ari Goldman pursues his lifelong dream of playing the cello.

Goldman hadn't seriously picked up his cello in twenty-five years, but the Late Starters (its motto, If you think you can play, you can) seemed just the right orchestra for this music lover whose busy life had always gotten in the way of its pursuit.

In The Late Starters Orchestra, Goldman takes us along to LSO rehearsals and lets us sit in on his son's Suzuki lessons, where we find out that children do indeed learn differently from adults. He explores history's greatest cellists and also attempts to understand what motivates his fellow late starters, amateurs all, whose quest is for joy, not greatness. And when Goldman commits to playing at his upcoming birthday party we wonder with him whether he'll be good enough to perform in public. To the rescue comes the ghost of Goldman's first cello teacher, the wise and eccentric Mr. J, who continues to inspire and guide him--about music and more--through this well-tuned journey.

With enchanting illustrations by Eric Hanson, The Late Starters Orchestra is about teachers and students, fathers and sons, courage and creativity, individual perseverance and the power of community. And Ari Goldman has a message for anyone who has ever had a dream deferred: it's never too late to find happiness on one's own terms.

• ISBN10: 156512992X
• ISBN13: 9781565129924
• Publish Date: 10 June 2014
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 23 September 2016
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Algonquin Books (division of Workman)
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 290
• Language: English

Reviews

[wcs53]

I usually enjoy reading books about music or musicians, so, even though I didn't know what to expect with this one, I had a feeling that I would find it quite enjoyable. What I didn't expect, to be honest, was enjoying it as much as I did. I'm glad that I was given the opportunity to read this by Early Reviewers at LibraryThing.

Ari Goldman has written some other books, but this is the first one of his I have read, so I have nothing previously read to base this on. He writes in a style that is easy to read, but there is a depth to his writing that makes it worthwhile reading, with lots given to think about and reflect upon.

The book is primarily about Goldman's decision to take up playing the cello again after a number of years of neglect. As he approaches his 60th birthday he decides that as part of his celebration he wants to be able to give a performance on the cello. There is some regret that he abandoned his cello playing for so long, but he shows some determination in getting back to it again.

I would have probably found the story of his re-acquaintance with the cello enjoyable enough, but he enriched the story by sharing his life journey as well. He tells the story about his life growing up as a Jew and how music had always been part of his life, going from how this initially involved regular singing in the synagogue to having to learn to play an instrument when his voice broke and he no longer sung as angelically as he had previously.

Goldman shares a lot of what and who inspired him over the years, especially one cello teacher who taught him a lot of what he knew, not just about cello playing, but also life in general. He also shares some of the struggles of balancing his career and family with his love of music. Of the three, it was music that mainly took the back seat as his career and family came to the forefront. He also shares the stories of some of the people who have come into his life as he has undertaken his journey of musical rediscovery.

At times the book was moving. Sometimes it was funny. Often it was both. I could identify with some of what he wrote, having been around music of some sort for most of my life. I grew up in a church where learning music was encouraged from an early age. I had my first musical instrument placed in my hands before my seventh birthday. Over the years playing music has moved in and out of my life. One of my regrets has not always having taken it as seriously as I could have, plus my aversion to regular practice probably didn't help. Although my journey hasn't been the same as Goldman's, I found myself identifying with some of the things he shred, perhaps especially some of the regrets.

Although I enjoyed this book partly because of my enjoyment of music, I think that those without a musical background would also enjoy it. It's inspirational and moving in the way it touches on life in general, in relationships, in the part religion plays in one's life, and in the way we are shaped by those who teach us, among many other things. Above all else, Goldman inspires the reader to see that one is never too old to deal with some of the regrets of the past, not necessarily returning there, but picking up something long neglected and continuing with it once more. Too many people live with regrets instead of actually realising that sometimes they can be dealt with and overcome.

I'd heartily recommend this book as one worth reading, especially if you enjoy musical biographies, but it is also worth picking up if you are looking for something inspirational to read.

[Lianne]

I received a copy of this novel through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers programme in exchange for an honest review. This review in its entirety was originally posted at caffeinatedlife.net: http://www.caffeinatedlife.net/blog/2014/08/01/review-the-late-starters-orchestra/

The Late Starters Orchestra recounts Ari Goldman’s relationship with music and the cello and his involvement with the LSO. The LSO is an interesting group, I like the concept of there being a group out there for people who just want to play regardless of how well they can play their instrument and stuff. I really enjoyed reading his accounts as he recalled his early instructor, Mr. J., and his children’s relationship and upbringing with their respective instruments and musical instruction. I also learned a lot about Ari Goldman himself, his career as a reporter and journalism professor, his Jewish faith.

But what’s really wonderful is that at the heart of this book and all of his accounts and his love of music, it’s all about being able to pursue the things you love regardless of age. I’ve also heard of the notion that for instrument learning, especially something like the strings, you need to start learning at a very young age and that your ability to learn diminishes as you get older. Goldman’s book is a testament that that is not necessarily the case; perhaps you’ll never be as proficient or as advanced as those who started at a very young age, but as long as you love what you’re doing, you’ll strive and learn well enough.

The Late Starters Orchestra is a wonderful book, hitting all the notes that the above book blurb mentioned. Goldman’s writing is very accessible, drawing readers into his stories and accounts and messages. I learned a lot, not only about the author, but also about music. I highly recommend this book if you’re looking for a non-fiction title to read or something uplifting and positive.

[lovelybookshelf]

Originally posted on my blog, A Lovely Bookshelf on the Wall:

Ari Goldman decides to return to the cello after a twenty-five year hiatus. He starts out in his son's youth orchestra, and eventually learns of and joins the New York Late-Starters String Orchestra, an amateur adult orchestra which accepts beginners on up.

Goldman shares his musical journey in his book The Late Starters Orchestra. Mostly a memoir, it also includes the science of learning music (especially as an adult vs. as a child), music history, music appreciation, and vignettes of some of the other people he meets in the world of recreational music making.

His story is a familiar one to me. Most of my adult music students have returned to their instruments after a long hiatus. A few of them are beginning for the first time. I enjoyed reading this from the perspectives of someone who teaches adult music students privately and as someone who has taken up an instrument (harp) as an adult. I loved hearing about some of the ways playing classical music is being made available to everyone, and about the bonds formed through playing with others. (And I had no idea Alexander McCall Smith helped found The Really Terrible Orchestra!)

The Late Starters Orchestra reads like a fantastic mix of Stacy Horn's Imperfect Harmony (but for instrumentalists) and Joanne Lipman & Melanie Kupchynsky's Strings Attached. Goldman has a wonderfully conversational writing style. His honest ruminations about his own musical ability, his struggle to find the discipline required to improve, and his search to figure out where music making belongs in his life will resonate with anyone who once played, dreams of playing, or currently plays an instrument purely for his or her own enjoyment.

NOTE: Goldman refers to a Minuet by J.S. Bach throughout the book; this piece was actually composed by Christian Petzold. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.