Aging: Stuff Happens. Part 1, Expertise
A round table exchange and sharing of information about
surprises that affect our playing and careers as we age. Panelists: Brenda Schuman-Post
with Ruth Diamond, Michael DiPietro, Terry Ewell, Leonard Hindell, Edwin Lacy,
Paul Nordby, Oscar Petty, and Amy Collins. International Double Reed Society
Conference at Butler University, Indianapolis, USA. June 14, 2025. BDP #368.
[Music, “Tico-Tico no Fubá” Zequinha de Abreu, Performed by Terry B. Ewell]
The good stuff. So, I'm going to leave it.
So, there are real strengths with aging and becoming more
seasoned and experienced. You do not have encyclopedic knowledge in any
profession in your 20s or 30s. It's not possible to do that. You do not have
the range of experience. Raymond Cattell came with this idea of fluid
intelligence versus crystallized intelligence. Fluid being just the raw
abilities and the speed at which you can process things, which we find with
those in their youth. But this idea (crystalized intelligence) is about having
a depth of knowledge and being able to share that knowledge. It's not
surprising that the best teachers are those who are more seasoned. You don't
find the best teachers in their 20s or 30s. They haven't encountered the
issues, maybe they have no idea how they do it. And these are real strengths that
you can lean into as you age and as you improve. Arthur C Brooks, I don't know
if that's a name familiar, but he was a former horn player who has become a
best-selling writer. He has a book called “From Strength to Strength,” where he
he talks about that journey and moving into those areas of strength. Well, part
of the thing I think that should be the focus of aging is moving into those
areas where you have strength that others don't have. This is because of the
abilities you've acquired.
You know, hopefully with experience, as Terry was saying,
you've also learned to recognize this stuff that doesn't really matter. So that
you don't sweat that stuff, you know.
Yeah, yeah.
That's true. That's true. Anybody else?
About the good stuff. Well, I'll say that part of the good
stuff is also not being afraid. If you
have never improvised, You're improvising when you're warming up, Acknowledge
that you are an improviser. It doesn't have to be anything in particular. It
could be practicing getting from one note to the next without a piece of music
in front of you.
Acknowledge that you do not have to be preoccupied with
doing everything exactly the way you were taught. You do have the freedom to
come up with new ideas, and don't be afraid. I don't mean not walking down the
street, you know. But I mean. When you notice something that could benefit from
your observations. Consider the appropriateness of it and make a decision. If
you're going to help someone by something that you've observed, whether it's a
colleague or a concert that you went to and somebody said something
inappropriate. Fear not.
Apropos to what Terry said, I think probably many of us in
the room might feel that. With perhaps better grandmothers and grandfathers
than we might have been mothers or fathers. And it's not only because of when
you're raising children and you're busy working. The time element is limited. When
you're a grandparent, you have a little bit more time, a lot more time, but you
do have more wisdom, you have more patience. You have more insight and you're
able to distinguish the important things from the less important things. So, in
spite of all these physical things that we are very important and we all can
relate to. There's a bit of an embracement of embracing our status as seniors
and older people because there's a lot of positive things that we have to offer
and share with and enjoy.
Yeah. And you also
have to agree with everything that Lenny just said and Terry and Brenda as
well, you have to laugh and have fun.
This thing is a lot of fun. It challenges us. I know as
oboists, I love playing the instrument. I love hearing the bassoon and I love
all these different things that are around me.I love my colleagues. Those who
are supporting, before I come into solos. And to think so, we're, a family reunion with
instruments, folks. That's how you have to think about this. It's a family
reunion, a good family. You're a happy family, not Uncle Joe, but nevertheless,
because you have to embrace that and I agree with Brenda says. And you want to
conquer your fears. What am I? You know, what am I afraid of? I got to go to
that passage and work it out very, very slowly. And not being in a hurry. OK.
The speed limit in New Jersey is 55. But we want to again. Laughter, enjoyment.
This is what music is about. This is very important. Or if you're an actor or
you're a cinematographer, whatever.
Those activities, those interests, should be continuously
fed with something new. I want to know how to play more golf. I want to do
this. All that kind of stuff. All right, so very important one.
So thank you.
One last word here.
I think this relates but, but I want us you know, a lot of
us are still. Involved with teaching. And we're dealing with students who could
be our grandchildren, and I'm wondering And Lenny was talking about sharing and, you
know, your wisdom and etcetera, etcetera.
But I think and if anybody has any advice how to do this to
be a little careful like the eyes will roll and little crap and other grandpa
stories coming, you know, you know, you're meaning well with the young people,
but you gotta you gotta kind of temper it a little bit because we want to give
them so much while we can, but you can overwhelm them.
Listen to their music, listen to their music. Learn how to.
Yeah, yeah.
Play it what they. Have to say, listen. Yes, ma'am. Listen.
We do that in music. Listening is the most important thing
and in life we have to listen, particularly as we get older, we kind of get set
in our ways and we think. Well, they're young. They should listen to us, but we
learn a lot from listening. And anyone here on this panel and in the audience
who teaches, who does not learn and does not learn from their students. Is not
being honest, but we learn a lot. It's a two-ways. Really, it's two way, yeah.
Two ways. . I mean, I learned a lot from my students.
We want to thank you as a panel very much, Brenda last
words.
Likely. Thank you, Brenda.
Hopefully, this is to be continued, and maybe you can
encourage our DRS to continue with this health and wellness panel or committee
that's been established, and hopefully, we will have more of this kind of
presentation in the future Ideas conference.
Please make sure you copy the QR code you have all of our
contact information and take a look at all of these or some of these different
links that we've sent to you and just help us add to this list. Thank you very
much for being here.
Thank you.
[Music, “Tico-Tico no Fubá” Zequinha de Abreu, Performed by Terry B. Ewell]