Age related issues that cause playing limitations?

[gwwilk]

Guess I had a good teacher.

Even your teacher had diminished capacity as he aged.

And your teacher demonstrated that more important than capacity is how you use it. Less can be leveraged into more. I had a 7.1 liter vital capacity in my 20's, but I never learned to breathe properly because I didn't need to. Proper deep breathing now in my seventies with a diminished total capacity allows me to play and phrase better than I ever did in my teens and twenties.

[Sandlapper]

You guys are starting to scare me. I started back playing in my upper 60's. I've lost stuff?

Definitely marking music more. But is some ways, probably playing better than at any other time in my life. Definitely a better range that ever before ... now if I can just remember how to count. Wasn't there a video of the Kennedy Center Tuba Christmas from a year or two ago with an older guy with big Conn 20 or 24 K in his late 80's.

[vapourboy]

Fool your body, fool yourself! Make your residence at great altitude and do the things that matter at lower elevations. Living at almost 9000', when I visit family at sea level or play down in Denver (a mere 5280,) I feel like a total beast when it comes to playing the horn and distance runs.

Of course, everyone here seems to wrinkle prematurely, and the requisite beards add years to outward age appearance...

[scottw]

Interesting topic! Especially with my 67th birthday coming next week. About all I can add to the discussion is that I need to concentrate much better than when I was younger. If I allow my mind to wander just the least bit when I am playing, I begin making mistakes. I was able to play easy, routine [boring?] stuff with about half my mind engaged, back in the day. Now, I am constantly "on". I can still breathe well and provide steady airflow, my musicianship is so much better now, my sense of timing and of pitch is also still good, but multi-tasking mentally while playing is over and done!

[Karl H.]

I think we've seen and heard enough to state that there are NO tuba playing limitations specifically related to age. Any 'limitations' are from a general-health standpoint, and influence more than just playing a musical instrument.

I would suggest that, far from being limiting, tuba playing POSTPONES age-related limitations! The regular deep breathing (think exercise/yoga/meditation, etc.) is good for lowering blood pressure and stress levels, and the mental stimulation from the production of musical sound (a minor miracle, if you stop and think about it) is rejuvenating for the brain.

We have plenty of examples, even at the very highest level, of folks well past retirement age playing beautifully.

Tuba: The Fountain of (Rome?) Youth!

Karl "The Old Grey Mare/Stallion/Gelding?" H.

[tbn.al]

I would suggest that, far from being limiting, tuba playing POSTPONES age-related limitations!
Tuba: The Fountain of (Rome?) Youth!

Preach on brother!

[wr4]

I made a semi-adjustable sit-on tuba stand (out of plywood, cushion, some 1 1/2" PVC pipe, and hardware to adjust the height), and that problem is totally solved.

Do you have a picture of this? You know, just in case...