Posted by Mike Ross on February 27, 2000 at 20:27:44:
In Reply to: Getting Older posted by Chuck Jackson on February 27, 2000 at 01:56:12:
Well, for me, getting past 35 made a big difference in my playing, simply because I started playing again in a band this year, after about 20 years off.
More in response to the question, I find that I can focus better on the goals I want to achieve in practicing (sp?) and get more out of my practice time on particular subjects or pieces that our band is playing. This also holds true for getting ready for piano lessons.
On the downside, I find it much more difficult to find time to practice, and community bands tend to rehearse less often than high school bands. As a result, I find that the things I was able to do a long time ago come back quickly when I have time to work on them, but I really wish I'd learned more the first time so I'd have more raw material to recover, now that focus let's me do it more quickly.
As for the $64,000 question, is my increase in focus due to a reduction in testosterone levels? Don't know....If, as I read somewhere, male pattern baldness (receding hairlines and such) results from high testosterone levels - I ain't hurtin' for testosterone as I get older....
Mike