Staying in the game: The best practices, attitudes, metacognitive strategies, and intrinsic motivations of aging musicians
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LIVE IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Serving the music

10/18/2019

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Master musicians serve the music, amateurs insist the music serves them. There is honour in both, but amateurs must guard against mistaking which group they are in. 

Last night I experienced both. Jazz Bistro with Mark Esinman? Served the music and audience. Professional display of skill and experience. Wonderful!

Jazz session with college students later in the evening? Grandstanding and showboating. A different experience. How does one make the transition from this to the later? They were fun to play with none the less. 

​I suggest they start with not smoking so much dope. Yikes!

Cheers, 

David
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Finding mentors and teachers after age 60

10/14/2019

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Go younger, much younger. A thirty year old just sees and experiences the world differently. What ever you think you know about life, reconsider. You are likely incorrect. 

I'm confident in only a few areas. And, that's mostly in my narrow business silo. 
  1. I know how to treat customers.
  2. I know how to plan and execute.
  3. I can play the piano well enough to earn a good living from it, 45 years in. 

After that I'm ready for some new input. 

Some examples that motivate me to seek out new perspectives.
  • I've received some coaching from a 30 year drummer, a touring pro. I demonstrate my swing pattern. He goes, "Hmmm, we don't play like that anymore". Ouch.
  • I've received some coaching from a 35 year classical pianist. She goes, "your musical pulse is weak". What!?
  • I spend some time listening to some Hip Hop related music. There is much more going on than I imagined. Kendrick Lamar really is a poet. 
  • I team up with some musical artists, artists with a integrity and vision. I realise I know how to play, but the my vision is B&W, theirs's is in 3D virtual reality.

So, how to find your own mentors and teachers? Look around your community and discover some skilled younger musicians, buy them coffee, and hire them to teach you if their ideas challenge you. At this age looking for someone to confirm our prejudices is not the way to go. 

cheers,

David 
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"A guide to going all in without ruining your life" Brad Stulberg

10/12/2019

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If you are blessed to have the privilege of going all in, life has the potential of being quite an adventure in the here and now. Some thought on going all in without ruining your life.
  1. Our greatest assets are our relationships not our instruments. Musicians and artists often forget this and end up alone and miserable. There is no nobility in loneliness. That being said, as adults we have the choice in picking our relationships. So, pick very carefully. I've made some serious errors in the past that cost me decades.
  2. Confidence comes from competency. Learn to play well, but stay humble. That will make it possible to grow further. Added bonus in learning? You get to relive or rediscover the joy you felt at 12 years old when you first picked up the instrument. 
  3. Art is not worth dying for. You die for your family, your tribe, your country. Not, your friggin' music. That's stupid and selfish. See point #1.
  4. Reflect on what you think you know. Chances are high you don't know you don't know. The world has evolved. Be sure to check in once in awhile. The ground may have shifted and you didn't get the memo. 

Cheers from grumpy, 

David
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My Top Ten List of Activities That Helped Me Reach My Goals

10/10/2019

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  1. Sleep
  2. Exercise
  3. Practice
  4. Eat healthy
  5. Time for fun outside of my work
  6. Time with my wife
  7. Playing music with my friends
  8. Stretching
  9. Continued commitment of my musical growth
  10. Saving for retirement

Best regards, 

​David
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    Author

    David Story: Professional pianist, drummer, composer, and educator. Well into his 5th enthusiastic musical decade, David works with adults pursuing musical dreams in the autumn of life, while he maintains an active presence in the Toronto arts scene.

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