What Joni Mitchell Teaches Us
In 2005, the legendary singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell suffered a brain aneurysm that left her disabled. Doctors predicted she was unlikely to walk again. Mitchell had received the same prognosis when she contracted polio at age nine, and again she dismissed it. She was determined to walk again. But when friends asked when she’d sing again, Joni Mitchell would say “Oh, that’s gone.”
Last month, Joni Mitchell, now 78, astonished the Newport Folk Festival by singing and playing guitar for a full set—her first public performance since that aneurysm.
Her surprise performance gave the world goosebumps. Much has been said, but here are some takes specific to seniors, whether you’re music lovers or not.
Dress your spirit, not your age
Introduced by fellow musician Brandi Carlile, Joni Mitchell shimmied onstage in post-hippie regalia: flowing garments, glittering necklaces, jaunty beret and long white pigtails. Did she look like a typical senior citizen? No. She looked like herself, an artist for the ages.
Make younger friends
In the last three years of her long convalescence, Joni hosted “Joni jams” in her living room, attended by old friends and new ones. Many were younger musicians whose careers and artistry had been influenced by Joni, and who’d revered her from afar. Forty-one-year-old Brandi Carlile—the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter—spearheaded Joni’s surprise return to the stage. As Joni performed, Brandi sat at her side, adding supporting vocals and moral support. Dozens of musicians encircled Joni on stage, many far younger in years but equal in heart, all loving her madly.
It’s good to be queen! Let your youngers respect and adore you.
Anything worth doing is worth doing imperfectly
If you can’t sing a song—or hit a ball or cook a meal or (insert your favorite activity here)–the way you used it, modify it. “Different” isn’t any less wonderful—it’s just different.
By her own admission, Joni isn’t a soprano anymore; she’s a low alto. So, she can’t hit those high notes and yes, she did stumble over some lyrics. But after a gorgeous rendition of “Both Sides Now,” a now-classic song she wrote when a healthy 23, she laughed in glee. Never had that lyric been more resonant.
Childhood polio had left Joni with residual weakness in her left hand, making her unable to play conventional guitar chords. To work around it, she created alternative tunings that became part of her sound. Her signature sound.
Last month at Newport, when she stood unaided and played her guitar for an extended version of “Just Like This Train”—having only relearned the guitar a few months earlier—it brought the house down.
Never be ashamed to show your struggle
As a woman and an artist, Joni Mitchell is legendary for her strength, determination and indomitability. Throughout her career, she’s done things her own way. But when struck by that aneurysm, she fell and fell hard. It took years of struggle and pain and very hard work to come back.
And she’s not afraid to show us! None of us should ever be ashamed of our struggles and setbacks.
A life of ease is easy. It’s overcoming hurdles that shows what we’re made of. Let’s not hide our light, or our strength, under bushels. We survived! Forget embarrassment or shame—that’s cause for self-respect and celebration.
Let your friends help you
This is true at any age, but as we age, we might need more assistance. When friends offer help—because they truly want to help you—say Yes, please.
Creativity will save us, individually and collectively
Art saves us. It wakes us up, it calms us down, it makes life worth living. “I have a tremendous will to live,” says Joni. That’s the urge to create. And when we collaborate with others, there are no barriers between us—not age, not race, not gender, not anything.
As a young woman, Joni Mitchell broke musical boundaries. As a radiant 78-year-old, she upends our notions about age, disability, limitation and relevance.
Joni Mitchell: a true artist for the ages.