The quote "You can't teach the old maestro a new tune" by Jack Kerouac shows a nuanced perspective on the trouble of change, especially with regard to learning and adjustment in the context of experience and age. In this expression, Kerouac evokes the metaphor of an "old genius" to encapsulate a picture of someone who is highly proficient and experienced in their field, much like a seasoned conductor or artist. Maestros are generally related to proficiency and authority, leading orchestras with a deep understanding of music and a know-how that has been developed over decades.
In this context, the phrase suggests that people who have reached a certain peak of know-how, or who have actually established a distinct way of doing things, may find it challenging to embrace new approaches or ideas. The "brand-new tune" represents development, modification, or brand-new understanding that deviates from what the maestro already understands and practices. Teaching a genius a "new tune" indicates introducing a novel idea or method that may be outside their world of experience or convenience zone.
The broader ramification is a reflection on humanity-- how individuals often end up being set in their methods as they grow older or more experienced. It speaks with the friction in between custom and innovation, where developed approaches are often resistant to brand-new ways of thinking. However, the quote doesn't necessarily knock this element harshly; rather, it observes this reality with an implicit understanding of its inevitability in life.
This concept is prevalent not just in music however throughout various disciplines, from organization to technology to everyday life. The burden of entrenched practices recommends that with age or know-how comes a reduced propensity for adaptability, not out of obstinacy however as a natural consequence of familiarity and comfort with the understood. However, while the quote acknowledges the problem, it does not entirely dismiss the possibility of modification but highlights the fundamental obstacle included.
