As a form of communication, music transcends all boundaries. It’s not uncommon to see individuals of various ages and cultural backgrounds, even people who speak different languages, playing together in perfect harmony. Music is a universal form of human connection that ignores such barriers.
Age is one of the barriers that can segregate individuals in daily life. I’ve been playing and performing for more than six decades; the people I perform with these days are typically half my age. But not only does that not matter when the music starts, we’re also good friends who spend time together when we’re not working. Music not only brings us together on the stage but has been responsible for enduring friendships.
The conventional thinking is that “older musicians share wisdom, tradition, and technique; younger musicians bring fresh energy, modern influences, and new perspectives.” That might be true in some circumstances, but in my case, I learn from those younger musicians every time we play together. Today’s jazz musicians are highly educated players, while most of the musicians I played with in the 1960s and ’70s learned on the job. We learned from each other, not in a university setting but in the bars and clubs, before, during, and after playing together.
While communicating through language relies on vocabulary and syntax, musical expression is rooted in melody, harmony, dynamics, and emotion. The joy of playing music together is its own form of communication, transcending all boundaries without the need for translation or explanation.