Flow – Why It’s Never Too Late to Learn a Musical Instrument.
October 11th, 2023 | 1 min read
By Chris Fower
At pBone Music, we recognise the value of learning a musical instrument to one’s mental health and in areas of developmental learning. It's never too late to learn something new.
In 1975 a Hungarian-American psychologist called Mihály Csíkszentmihályi gave a name to the feeling some of us refer to as “the zone”, the mental state in which a person performs an activity in a fully immersed way with energised focus, full involvement, and enjoyment. He called this mental state FLOW. Flow is characterised by a complete absorption in what one does and a resulting loss in one’s sense of space and time.
Flow is an important ingredient for creating a sense of well-being and happiness. The reason is that when you are in “the zone” there is no room for conflicts, contradictions negative thoughts, and emotions.
Here's a short video about finding creative flow.
As an undergraduate Chris studied Jazz at Leeds College of Music and then became a member of the Advanced Studies, post-graduate performers course at the Royal Academy of Music and Principal Bass Trombone with the European Community Youth Orchestra under Claudio Abbado. He then spent 25 years as a busy freelance performer based in both London and the North of England working with a wide variety of ensembles and artists, including being a member of Grimethorpe Colliery Band, The British Philharmonic Orchestra, Dame Shirley Bassey’s Orchestra and the Creative Jazz Orchestra.
Alongside this Chris has worked extensively in all areas of music education, latterly as a leading deliverer and trainer in informal, large group practice. This included roles as Leader in Wider Opportunities at Hertfordshire Music Service, Leader of Instrumental Development for Derbyshire City and County Music Partnership and as a face to face trainer on the Trinity Guildhall/Open University “Whole Class Instrumental Learning” national training program.
He became a key member of the team that created pBone, the plastic trombone in 2011/12 and has been involved with pBone Music in various roles since then. Chris is currently the Director of Creativity and Innovation for the company, a role that includes overseeing product development and improvement, quality and education.