When Reina Dornan turned 40, she decided to learn the clarinet.
Ms Dornan (52) had been ferrying her children to music lessons in Christchurch and decided she would like to have a go herself, so she signed up for beginner clarinet lessons through Cashmere High School.
She has now also completed a music degree at the University of Canterbury and plays in the Risingholme Orchestra.
The orchestra comprised mainly retired people - the oldest was a 91-year-old cellist - with many in their 80s and she found them inspiring.
She has been attending the annual Waitaki Summer Music Camp at Waitaki Boys High School for about seven years and "absolutely loves it".
The camp began last Thursday with four days of chamber music, to be followed by six days of the full orchestra, culminating in a concert in the auditorium on Saturday night.
The camp was an opportunity to meet people who "just want to play" music and she returned home "absolutely pumped up".
"It's what life should be about. You should be able to go and play music all day long," she said.
Ms Dornan, who played the piano as a child, has started taking piano lessons again and also plays the saxophone. "One of the neat things about music is you can learn at your own pace," she said.
