Author: HairWeavings Editorial Team

I still love to sing in the bath and dance around in the kitchen (of course, when no-one is watching!). I still get excited when I think about that certain someone, and my tummy does little flips. Age is no barrier to love!

I am inclined to dress a little more comfortably than I used to, but still like to buy some nice clothes, shopping at Zara, A Hundred Stars, Jigsaw, etc. I enjoy looking and feeling as good as I can, and take care of myself inside and out. Life is interesting, exciting, and I always look forward to what lies ahead.

Sure, when I get up in the morning my first thought is ‘I need to pee’ and as I descend down my tiny cottage staircase, my knees usually give a few noisy groans.

Sadly, my reflection in the bathroom mirror holds no image of the gorgeous young thing I still feel on the inside, but that’s ok. I am happy being me.

Learning to Reframe

I have to say it used to feel a bit strange when people offered me a seat on the bus. Aren’t I the one who should be doing that? Or if I got a concession at the cinema for over-60s, without being asked if I was. But I am learning that it’s all ok and all I need to do is ‘reframe’.

If someone offers me a seat, it saves my aching feet. If I get a concession at the cinema, it pays for an ice cream. My hair may look like a bird’s nest in the morning, but I still have lots of hair. My face, let’s just call it ‘lived in’, shows I have indeed, lived. If you look for a silver lining in anything, you can usually find one.

I am alive, there are many who haven’t made it this far. I am reasonably fit and healthy and, although I have no fear of dying, am happy to be living as long as I am able. I am always and forever, grateful.

The Greatest Gift

I have found the greatest gift of being older is time. Time to just be me. Sometimes I am awake at 5 or 6 in the morning, eager to see what lies ahead for me in the day. Other days, I do it slowly, with a cup of tea (or maybe two) and a little breakfast in bed. It is pure joy!

I have recently moved to a beautiful old cottage, but the garden had not been tended for years and the weeds were taller than me. My first thought was that I had to get some help, it was too much. But then I decided to tackle it myself, one bit at a time. I am exhausted, my back aches, my knees creak, but I am so proud of myself as I watch this beautiful walled garden unfold.

Though the signs of ageing are evident for anyone to see, my inside me is young and excited to learn new things. I am a brave new me, who is willing to try (almost) anything, and I really like it!

16 or 60?

If you asked me honestly, would I rather be 16 or 60, the answer is most definitely 60. I have had a fabulous life and loved every minute (well almost every minute!), and I think us Boomers really did get the best deal. We were pioneers, go-getters. We thought we could change the world, and in many ways, we did.

And we still are… 

There has never been a generation that had the opportunities that we have now. Most of our mothers didn’t have chance to start a new career at 60, travel solo round the world, or even go to university (over-60s can still have loans for tuition fees in England). The possibilities for us are endless.

So what can you be when you are 60? Absolutely anything you want to be! If you are happy taking life a little more slowly, do exactly that, if you are looking for an adventure, now could be the perfect time. If you want to learn new things, start a new career, travel, write a book, blog, just give it a try. You never know, it might surprise you! 🙂

Let’s Start a Conversation

Would you rather be 16 or 60? If you started a new adventure, what would it be? What do you most enjoy about being over 60?

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Welcome to Lesson 38, where we talk about persevering with our piano practice.

[NOTE: If you are just joining us for the first time, you can find my previous Sixty and Me Free Piano Lessons on my Author pages. You can join our lessons any time and move at your own pace!]

38.1 When You’re Feeling Discouraged

I take French lessons remotely with a French teacher. Sometimes when I am practicing my French, I start to hear voices in my mind saying, “I’m never going to get this, why am I even trying?” Perhaps you have had a similar experience while learning your music.

Suddenly, the page in front of you seems so difficult, and it seems like it is taking so long – too long – to get where you want to be on your keyboard. When that self-doubt sets in, you might want to leave your keyboard and do something else for a bit.

I find that doing something physical, like taking a walk or dancing to a favorite song, or doing something replenishing, like taking a drink, or calling a beloved person in my life, can help snap me out of my funk and feelings of hopelessness.

When you return to your bench, look back at some of the old songs and exercises you have played that used to seem so difficult, and notice that you can play them and understand them much better now. When you go back to play a song you played a while ago, you might not play it perfectly the first time. But, after a few times through, you will realize that the pieces you played before are now easier for you, and you have progressed beyond them. Celebrate your progress! Then get on with moving forward in your current studies.

It’s true, you probably won’t make your public musical debut at Carnegie Hall if you didn’t start playing until you were an adult. And I will never be a truly fluent French speaker, the way I heard little 7-year-olds chatting to each other in Paris. But last time I was in France, I was able to make myself understood to a few shop owners. I understood much of what they said to me. And that was thrilling! And so fun.

Similarly, you will be able to play an increasing number of songs and pieces smoothly as you keep studying the piano. Let yourself be thrilled and delighted by your growing ability to make beautiful music! If you pause to notice and acknowledge how far you have progressed, you will be encouraged to continue.

And of course, while we are enjoying (and sometimes struggling with) our piano studies, we are doing the very best thing for our brains; we are improving our memory, mood and thinking skills. Research shows that learning to play the piano is like “fireworks” for the brain, increasing brain cells and maintaining robust brain function as we study and learn new, challenging things. Cognitive scientists know that exercising our brains as well as our bodies gives us the very best chance of aging well – with beauty, grace, wisdom, a sharp mind, and a song in our heart.

38.2 Santa Lucia p.93

Notice that in my Santa Lucia demonstration video below, I did not repeat the first section (to keep it short), but you definitely should! I did repeat the second section playing the 1^st ending, then repeating back to the repeat sign in the second line, fourth measure. I then continued, skipping the 1^st ending to play the 2^nd ending.

Passion Practice

1. Exercise #3 – Review in B, F#, D-flat, A-flat, E-flat, B-flat and F with your hands together. Remember to play the notes 2x forte, and 1x piano, before playing the major, minor and diminished chords at the end.
2. p.93 – Practice the chords in Santa Lucia with your left hand alone, then practice the right-hand melody. You might think that the A# in line 2, measure 3 sounds funny, but it is supposed to sound a little dissonant, until the A# resolves to the B. Note that your RH 2-finger slides from the A# to the B. When you feel ready, put your hands together. Listen to Elvis Presley sing Santa Lucia here!
3. Review the Note Reading Drill on p.81, and Simple Gifts p.85-86. You can play the written bass notes in your left hand, or you can use the chord symbols to play left hand triads.
4. Chord Calisthenics #5 – Play the minor and diminished triads in the second line, E, B, F# and D-flat, and review the first line. See how many of these chords you can remember without looking at the letters.

Let’s Have a Conversation!

Do you ever feel like learning to play the piano is just too difficult? What do you do when you feel like quitting something that you know you’ve really wanted to do? Do you power through the self-doubt? Or do you take breaks? If you take breaks, what do you do to replenish your spirit and restore your desire to persevere? Journaling? Exercise? Eating, drinking or cooking? Reading? Reaching out to friends? Leave us a comment and tell us how you keep sight of your goals and get your groove back!

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