It can be in the past or right now.
Piano lessons when a kid or played guitar with mates in the garage.
I will start.
At 11 in a brass band playing a b flat baritone and could site read..had to as you would line up Saturday morning or special days like Anzac day and be handed little cardboard pieces with your music part..no rehearsal just play it.
Later the guitar and self taught which is why I am not that flash as it can take ages to work out the simplest of things..like the importance of scales.
Over the last five six or seven years taken to playing a fretless cigar box three string guitar..open tuned say E B
and E so its a power cord.. lots of fun and not at all easy to play notes to make a melody but I like the thing..
Never heard of cigar box guitars..there is a world of them out there...here is some old guy doing a unrehearsed test run to figure out how to up load a video to youtube.
https://youtu.be/ROOy5l2iiLA
Edit found the other one..
https://youtu.be/D4DejuN706Y