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Age of AgingAuthor: Penn Memory Center
Welcome to the Age of Aging, a podcast about living well with an aging brain. The Age of Aging is a podcast released every other Tuesday, covering a wide range of stories in aging research. Co-hosted by Jake Johnson and Terrence Casey from the Penn Memory Center communications team, each episode they will explore what it means to age with independence and dignity in the modern world. You can expect to hear from the University of Pennsylvanias world-class researchers, caregivers of those with cognitive difficulties, and everyday people who want to keep their brain as healthy as possible as they age. Supported by the Penn Memory Center, Penn FTD Center, Penn Institute on Aging, and Penn Alzheimers Disease Research Center. Language: en Genres: Health & Fitness, Medicine, Mental Health Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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Sprechstimme
Episode 5
Tuesday, 21 April, 2026
What does it mean to age well? For soprano Lucy Shelton, the answer may lie in music itself. At 82, Shelton recently made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera — performing in the world premiere of Innocence, a Finnish opera about a school shooting, sung in nine languages. On this episode of The Age of Aging, Dr. Jason Karlawish sits down with Shelton to explore her remarkable career, the relationship between music and the aging mind, and what it means to keep creating — and performing — well into the eighth decade of life. Inside this episode: 0:00 – Shepherd on the Rock: Dr. Karlawish introduces Lucy Shelton with her recording of "Shepherd on the Rock" by Franz Schubert and shares why he wanted to interview her. 4:17 – Met Opera Debut at 82: Shelton and Dr. Karlawish discuss her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in Innocence, a Finnish opera performed in nine languages. 9:08 – A Musical Life: Shelton reflects on growing up in a musical family, discovering her voice, and building a career as a singer — not an opera singer. 15:23 – Singer vs. Opera Singer: Shelton explains what sets her apart from traditional opera singers, including the vocal techniques that have allowed her to keep performing into her eighties. 20:56 – Art Meets Life in Lucidity: Shelton describes performing Lucidity, a chamber opera written for her about a singer living with dementia — and what it meant to hold her score on stage, not just as a prop, but out of personal necessity. 26:34 – Bringing Lucidity to Philadelphia: Dr. Karlawish and Shelton discuss the possibility of bringing the opera to Philadelphia. 27:26– Music, Memory, and the Mind: Dr. Karlawish and Terrence Casey explore the connection between music and the aging brain, including PMC's partnership in the Community Voices Choir — a collaboration welcoming adults of all levels of cognition through music. Resources available on the episode webpage linked below Review of “Innocence,” in The Wall Street Journal The New York Times Review of “Innocence.” More information on “Innocence.” (The New York Times) Visit Lucy Shelton’s website Learn more about Shelton’s previous opera, “Lucidity.” (NPR) Learn more about sprechstimme (Britannica) More information on the Community Voices Choir What Is the Association Between Music-Related Leisure Activities and Dementia Risk? A Cohort Study (International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry) Longitudinal effects of choir singing on aging cognition and wellbeing: a two-year follow-up study (Frontiers in Human Neuroscience) Special thanks this episode to Jason Karlawish, MD, and Lucy Shelton. The Age of Aging is a Penn Memory Center production hosted by Editorial Director Terr...
