“I really wanted to do something where I could keep growing because the stereotype and to a degree the actuality of getting into your 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s and some of your powers are in decline,” Bersson said. “That idea of decline is pretty powerful.”
His first night returning to a stage and performing for an audience was nerve-wracking. Gradually, he became familiar and comfortable with the scene and played there every Tuesday evening for the next four years, until the pandemic brought live music to a halt.
Curious what other feats of courage and rediscovery his friends and colleagues had ventured and overcome during their later halves of life, Bersson sent an email prompt to which he received nearly 30 responses. Twenty-nine of those voices are shared in “Better With Age.”