Airwaves and Age

Audience, Grund senior residence, Reykjavík, November 7, 2018. Photo by Mummi Lu

Age is just a number, right?

I attended my first Iceland Airwaves 12 years ago, when I was 56. In another 12 years I’ll be 80, perhaps I’ll be in the wheelchair crowd then. A distinguishing feature of Iceland Airwaves is the wide diversity of ages in its audiences. The regular shows are limited to 18+ (although the performers were as young as 13), but the off-venues are open to all:



This age continuum is not an accident. Not only is the Icelandic culture more open and accepting of children, but the music education in schools encourages exploration and experimentation. There are showcases for young performers and even direct support for those who show promise.

The oldest Airwaves attendees are shown in the top picture (I’m on the right, just below the man standing in the green shirt), while the youngest were toddlers:


Audience, Norræna Husið, November 9, 2018

Airwaves wrap-up tomorrow…