Man in decline: aging, anger and finding catharsis in music

ABSTRACT

There are few studies that have explored music as an interpretive framework, or as a moderator of emotions, both positive and negative, for late-life individuals outside of dementia-related depression. Further understanding of negative emotions that may arise during the aging process, be those emotions self-imposed or because of one’s social environment, is warranted, particularly if those negative emotions can be dealt with constructively through leisure instead of leaving them to fester in a self-destructive manner. To do so, this manuscript explores the life of one man in his 70s, Joseph, as he navigates getting older, the demise of his third marriage, falling out with lifelong friends, and ongoing troubles with his neighbours related to noise from his musicmaking. We employ a non-traditional approach to storytelling that draws from interviews over the course of two months with Joseph filtered through a methodological and stylistic approach to writing we call ‘gonzo ethnography

Résumé

Il existe peu d’études ayant utilisé la musique comme cadre d’interprétation, ou comme modérateur d’émotions, positives et négatives, pour les personnes en fin de vie en dehors de la dépression liée à la démence. Une compréhension plus approfondie des émotions négatives qui peuvent survenir pendant le processus de vieillissement, que ce soit ces émotions auto-imposées ou à cause de son environnement social, est justifiée, en particulier si ces émotions négatives peuvent être traitées de manière constructive par le loisir, au lieu de les laisser s’envenimer de manière autodestructrice. Pour ce faire, les présentes explorent la vie d’un homme de plus de 70 ans, Joseph, alors qu’il apprivoise son vieillissement, le flétrissement de son troisième mariage, la disparition d’amis de longue date et les problèmes persistants avec ses bruyants voisins musiciens. Nous employons une approche narrative non traditionnelle, qui puise son contenu d’entrevues réalisées au cours de deux mois passés avec Joseph et filtrée à travers une approche méthodologique et stylistique d’écriture que nous appelons « l’ethnographie gonzo ».

KEYWORDS:

• Leisure
• anger
• aging
• music

MOTS CLÉS:

• colÉre
• musique
• vieillissement

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. The pronouns ‘I’ and ‘me’ refer to the first author throughout.

2. A pseudonym

3. The second author was not involved in the data collection but in the construction of the paper and editing, serving as a ‘check’ against the first author’s intimate level of involvement.

4. The title, ‘Man in Decline,’ comes from an inside joke between the first author and Joseph. More importantly, it is intended tongue-in-cheek because Joseph feels, despite the hardships he has endured late in life, that he still has much to accomplish – if only his anger when negotiating social situations does not impede that potential.