While this is certainly true for one Lone Elm tree, it is evidently also true for composers. Tyler Cowen at Marginal Revolution brings our attention to a posting by Kyle Gann. Gann argues that the industry's preoccupation with the young new talent is missing the boat.
Well, the Lone Elm, as a first born daughter, is pleased to find out that a recent study has concluded that first-born daughters have a longer life expectancy! We are three times more likely to make it to age 100 (a goal that the Lone Elm has) as compared to later born daughters (sorry Sister Elm). But...."children of farming parents who lived in the Mountain Pacific and West Pacific regions of the U.S. have a greater chance of surviving to age 100 than those from the Midwest and Northeast areas of the country." Let's see, where does that put me (or my sister for that matter)? I started out on a farm but now I've ended up in the Northeast, but...we now have the wonderful benefit of a local organic CSA farm.
