The Power of Creativity in Aging: David’s Return to the Trumpet
At the United Church Homes Center for Abundant Aging’s Symposium on Creativity & Aging, held on October 31, leaders, practitioners and partners came together to explore a powerful truth: creative expression is not limited by age — it is expanded by it.
This year’s Symposium focused on how creativity fuels wellbeing across the lifespan. Experts shared evidence-based insights on the benefits of lifelong learning, the role of curiosity and self-expression, and how older adults thrive when given new avenues to explore identity, purpose, joy and community. Attendees were encouraged to consider how creativity can reconnect us with what makes us feel most alive.
For one attendee’s son, the message hit home in a deeply personal way.
A Moment of Inspiration: David’s Story
Lars Olsen, longtime friend and supporter of United Church Homes, left the Symposium with more than notes and inspiration — he left with a renewed idea for his 92-year-old father, David.
David had played trumpet in the University of Minnesota marching band in the 1950s, but life, work and time pulled him away from his instrument. He hadn’t held a trumpet in decades.
After hearing speakers discuss the transformative impact of creativity and lifelong learning, Lars felt a spark. Why not help his dad reconnect with a passion from his past? Inspired by the Symposium, he signed David up for trumpet lessons.
The result? Something extraordinary.
David had his first lesson recently — and he has been eagerly anticipating it for days. Picking up the trumpet again takes effort and he’s using muscles he hasn’t used in years, but the joy is unmistakable. After just one lesson, he signed up for weekly Friday sessions because of how good it made him feel.
Lars said: “Your event made a real difference in his life — and in ours.”
To make this story even more meaningful, David is also being served by United Church Homes’ NaviGuide service, making this a beautiful example of how United Church Homes programs work together to support older adults thrive with meaning, purpose and connection.
Why This Matters
Rev. Beth Long-Higgins, Director of the Center for Abundant Aging and Vice President of Engagement said, “David’s story is exactly what the Symposium hopes to spark each year — real moments of growth, joy and rediscovery in the lives of professionals, older adults and their families.”
Creativity changes lives. Sometimes in big ways. Sometimes in quiet, beautiful ways — like a 92-year-old man picking up his trumpet again.
This is the difference United Church Homes is dedicated to making.
About the Author: Ashley Bills
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