Aging & Wisdom Quote by Billy Higgins

Warmth, mentorship, and a craftsman’s pride radiate from that line. Billy Higgins was a drummer whose time and touch made other musicians sound more fully themselves. From his early work with Ornette Coleman to countless Blue Note sessions, he embodied an ethos of listening, support, and discovery. That same ethos informs his delight in seeing young people become curious about their own capacities. The emphasis falls on agency: not what they are told to do, not what they can get, but what they can do. It frames youth as makers rather than consumers and treats curiosity as the spark that turns potential into skill.

The phrasing matters. Being interested points to an inner ignition, a self-propelled attention that teachers cannot manufacture but can nourish. Jazz is the art of turning interest into action in real time. A young player asks, What can I do with this rhythm, this melody, this moment? Higgins knew the joy of that question from the inside, and he built spaces where it could be asked aloud. In Los Angeles he co-founded The World Stage with poet Kamau Daood, creating a community workshop that offered exactly the kind of listening, guidance, and room to experiment that transforms interest into craft. He was known for an encouraging smile behind the kit, nudging teenagers into the pocket and letting them feel the music carry them.

There is also a quiet social defiance here. In communities where talent is often overlooked or channeled away from the arts, valuing a young person’s own exploratory impulse is a vote of confidence in their future. Higgins celebrates process over product, curiosity over credential. He enjoys not only what young people achieve but the moment they realize they are capable of achieving, when imagination meets effort and becomes a habit. That is a drummer’s wisdom: keep time, keep faith, and keep the door open long enough for someone else to find their sound.