The Collings Forum

I share music in an assisted living community with a resident who has played and taught violin his entire adult life. It never ceases to amaze us the response music evokes on the residents we visit. Anyone else doing music for elderly residents with memory loss? If so any strategies you are using that seem to be effective?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdQbO36YsEc

This is great! Hope others will follow your lead.

I will also say that it is a good low risk (not directed at you Dale) place to play in front of people that are just happy you are there with them. If you haven't done a gig yet and want to, this is a perfect opportunity.

The people there really need this so thanks for this.

Frank Sanns wrote: ↑Wed Apr 27, 2022 9:29 pm This is great! Hope others will follow your lead.

I will also say that it is a good low risk (not directed at you Dale) place to play in front of people that are just happy you are there with them. If you haven't done a gig yet and want to, this is a perfect opportunity.

The people there really need this so thanks for this.

Hello Frank, thank you sir for the kind words and encouragement for others to consider this kind of opportunity. Hope all is well your way sir, your friend, dale.

I have seen that people in these facilities respond well to things from their youth. It seems memories from early in their life often remain while those later are fleeting or gone altogether.

The music that we often most passionate about is defined in our late teens and into our twenties. Find a top sound from when they were in their peak years between 16 and 24 years old and you will have the best chance of lighting a spark. I have seen it first hand and sometimes even with extraordinary results.

Here is an incredible 13 minute video about such things with Tony Bennet. It is worth a watch whether you are a fan or not. Enlighten to watch.

https://youtu.be/yNrvXw9juNs