Okay I could be wrong. But I’ll wager that most of you CBA folks are not in a bluegrass band, or any band for that matter. Maybe you were in a band, or will be in a band, but are not in a band now. Yes I know, some of you are thinking, “Oh yeah, I’m in a band!” If you are, be thankful and continue to try to make it work. It has its rewards, and is something you can look back on and say, “I’m glad I did that when I could.” It’s hard work to be in a band and make it last a long time. There are definitely exceptions, but for whatever reason or reasons, many people won’t get along in a band situation (you’ll notice I use the word “won’t” and not “can’t” get along. At some level it’s a choice, isn’t it?) There are many examples of this with the result being band breakups. On of the biggest examples is Bill Monroe who had over 150 Bluegrass Boys come and go, for reasons known and unknown (some of you know some of those reasons that the rest of us don’t). Of course when Flatt and Scruggs left Monroe, Bill kept the band going with new players and singers, but you could consider it a band breakup. Open for debate I suppose. And outside the world of bluegrass there are The Beatles, Crosby-Stills-&Nash, and on and on. Closer to home it happened to a band I was in, and the band died. And probably a band that you were in?
Okay again, why they if you aren’t in a band should you play a musical instrument and pursue songs and tunes with various shades of blue?
One good reason is that playing an instrument and learning new stuff is really good for the aging brain (any brain really). Learning new things stimulates the brain by forming new networks. It doesn’t matter what you age is. It used to be that the neuroscientists thought when you hit age fifty you might just as well say, “Adios,” to any chance of the brain learning and retaining new things. But now it is known that the brain can form new networks and learn things and remember what we learned. And we can put that learning to good use in bluegrass jams or just getting together with others to make live music. It’s also thought that stimulating the brain by learning a musical instrument and learning new songs and tunes is a potential prevention for dementia.
And then there is the world of sheet music vs. no sheet music. Many folks rely on sheet music for their songs and tunes, in and out of jams. But many don’t rely on sheet music. Now the learning gurus with Ph.D. titles know that we can memorize new songs and tunes, and “We ain’t got to show you no stinkin’ sheet music!” Sure, use sheet music for a while to learn, and then file for divorce (from sheet music that is). Sure again, as older adults it takes longer to learn songs and tunes than when we were wet-behind-the-ears, but adults can learn new things, no matter what their age. I’ve heard that Mark O’Conner (fiddle) could hear a tune once, and then he had it. Same with Mike Marshall (mandolin). Those guys (and some gals) have a gift, and so do we; it just takes longer for some of us to unwrap that gift.
And if you keep pursuing the obtainable you’ll find that you are a little bit better on your instrument and can learn new songs and overall be a little bit better than you used to be. Then keep going, and in a while you’ll find that you are a lot better than you used to be. Accomplishment = Endorphin release! We then are pursuing excellence in our playing and singing, being the best that we can be, and keep raising the musical “bar” just a little bit higher and higher as time goes marching on.
Keep your pursuit of playing, singing, and learning new stuff alive. It’s good for your brain. It’s good for your fingers. It’s good for your spirit. Don’t take it from me. Take it from Steve Martin who said, “You can’t play the banjo and be depressed at the same time.”
In the end, the pursuit of excellence is an excellent pursuit!
