How can the arts impact our lives as we age?

By Evan Dawson,

Published October 12, 2023 at 2:34 PM EDT

(foreground) Ray Pettis, Susan Pettis, Carol Podgorski, (background) Elinor Freer, and Yeates Conwell on "Connections" — (foreground) Ray Pettis, Susan Pettis, Carol Podgorski, (background) Elinor Freer, and Yeates Conwell on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Thursday, October 12, 2023

A smiling man with short dark hair wearing a blue button-down shirt and a grey blazer. He is holding a pair of eyeglasses. The word "Connections" appears on the left side of the photo in vertical letters.

How can the arts impact our lives as we age? And how does aging influence artistic expression? A new collaboration between the University of Rochester Aging Institute and the Eastman School of Music called “Aging INSPIRED” emphasizes the benefits and healing qualities of music for older adults.

This hour, we discuss the research behind it, and we hear from community members who say music has had a powerful impact on their lives as they age. Our guests:

Yeates Conwell, M.D., professor of psychiatry at the University of Rochester Medical Center
Carol Podgorski, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry at the University of Rochester Medical Center
Elinor Freer, associate professor of piano and chamber music at the Eastman School of Music
Ray Pettis, lifelong musician and Susan’s husband
Susan Pettis, music fan and Ray’s wife