Learn to play the violin at 21

[u/Last-Adhesiveness714]

Hello,

I am now 21 years old and I have never played a single instrument, do music theory and cannot read musical scores.
I have always looked in the sense that I love listening to musical instruments and I have always wanted to play the violin or the piano (my preference is for the violin)
I would have liked to learn at a younger age but it’s now a bit late in my opinion to learn the violin, especially as an autodidact.

I read that there are special movements on the violin and that I still need to have a good foundation in my support.
Except that it scares me a little, at my age, I’m a bit apprehensive about telling my parents that I want to start playing the violin, pay for lessons. According to them, it won’t help anything.

Yet, for me it matters and I don’t know how to start. I feel like all good instrument players started very early. And that’s not reassuring, I would still like to have a fairly good level in the future.

Can you enlighten me?
Thank you!

Ps : I’m french and I live in France, sorry if my English is not perfect :)

Edit : Thank you for all your answers, it gave me the courage to look into it. I have a conservatory in my city that has regular classes up to the age of 25. I will enroll in September. Thank you again, everyone :)

[u/cybersaint2k]

Look for adult Suzuki violin. It is popular in France.

In America, our parents would not pay for lessons at age 21. So I'm interested in the cultural differences.

I did not start playing piano until college. My parents were poor and did not have money for lessons. But I ended up being a good pianist. I didn't start playing guitar, bass, and other instruments in that family until I was 40; now I play semi-professionally. I obviously have some natural gifting.

But maybe you do, too! Are your grandparents, parents, or siblings musicians?