In Next Avenue‘s most recent Vitality Arts Report, I came across an article championing the benefits of music making to older adults. To anyone who has read, “Ed Talks,” or spent any time on the Lifetime Arts website, this is not news.
What I found more dramatic as I explored the report further, was the 2016 article, “Inside the Musician’s Aging Brain,” by Jim Walsh, who talks about Oliver Sack’s book, “Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain,” in which Sacks reports that “playing music has a more positive impact on the brain than any other human activity, by engaging both halves of the brain equally.”
Oliver Sacks discusses music, the brain and the power of rhythm to move us, literally and figuratively.
This begs the question, “Why isn’t everyone running out to buy a saxophone?” Daniel J. Levitin, former Director of the Laboratory for Music Cognition, Perception and Expertise at McGill University, says it’s a cultural problem — a notion that making music is out of reach for most people. Amy Nathan explores these and other obstacles and how they’re overcome in her book, “Making Time for Making Music.” What I found refreshing about Ms. Nathan’s book is that she doesn’t target (but does include) older adults in her research. This speaks to Dr. Levitin’s premise that the reluctance for people, at any point in their adult life, to take up playing an instrument is a disinclination irrespective of age.
Talent is not a determining factor in how much the brain benefits from playing music
This “barrier-to-entry” thinking seems to happen regardless of art form. Throughout my life I have heard adults of all ages, even individuals accomplished in their fields with an understanding of the benefits of art-making, say, “I could never (sing, act, write, paint, etc.). While for many, the interest is not present, I can’t help but wonder how much of that lack of interest is preceded by the conviction that they don’t have the talent to (sing, act, write, paint, etc.). Interestingly enough, talent is not a determining factor in how much the brain benefits from playing music — the benefit derives from how the various parts of the brain are engaged by music making. In other words, your brain doesn’t know if you’re Carlos Santana, or if you’re taking your fourth lesson.
Finding Motivation Outside of the Self
Full disclosure: I have not yet read Ms. Nathan’s book, so I don’t know all the stories about how her subjects managed to overcome their reluctance, but I do have an example from real life. My sister Renee is about to turn 68. Last year she wrote to me that she was appearing in a play produced by her condo community in Florida. What was shocking to me about this was:
- Renee’s previous interest in theatre was such that she might have seen five plays in her lifetime, four of those were ones in which I was involved (and she sweetly came out of loyalty), and
- She has always had an aversion to public speaking.
As you can imagine I was curious, so I had to ask her:
ED: Why did you want to do this?
RENEE: I wanted to do this because my friend asked me after she bought the play, and I said, what the heck!
E: Have you ever thought about acting earlier in your life?
R: Never. I never used to be able to talk in front of a group of people.
E: So, what was the one thing that made you think, “I’m signing up,” after hearing about it?
R: I thought it would be something fun to do at my clubhouse. I knew we would make it fun.
E: What did you hope to get out of it?
R: Just a big crowd (it was a fundraiser). We had about 70 people and Michelle and Gigi (her daughter and grandchild) came.
E: What is it that you enjoy the most about being part of this?
R: Being with my friends and making them laugh and helping out.
E: What was the most challenging?
R: I wasn’t able to memorize all the lines. (A fear of every older actor. I [Ed] should know).
E: What would make the experience better?
R: Shorter lines.
Beyond the benefit to brain function, one of the positives that came through while talking to Renee is how this activity contributes to a sense of community. There is something about the feeling that, “We’re all in this together,” that dissipates some of the performance anxiety. Because these folks had the same level of (in)experience, they were less worried about being judged. They had a common goal, something beyond themselves, which kept them from allowing the fear to overtake them. I’ve veered off the track a bit from the benefit of music making, but if my sister and her condo buddies can act, you can certainly “fill in the blank”. It’s never too late, but why wait?
