Music and Memories

My goal is to reach out to people who don’t get the opportunity to interact with music a lot. These people may be in elderly care homes, assisted living, or places that help people with disabilities. People in these places may not have the opportunity to connect to live music. This project would give them an opportunity to express themselves through music and interact with others. I will be performing nostalgic music relating to their youth on the piano. This will get them in the groove and they might even hop up and start dancing!

I will be performing music from the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. This was a time when music was upbeat. Songs such as Singing in the rain,Twist and Shout, and Imagine will be played and many others. While I am performing these songs on the piano they will be offered instruments to play along with. Instruments such as shakers, tambourines, maracas, bongos, the triangle, sticks, and wooden blocks. They will be able to express themselves and play these as they feel.

Listening to music can be a great time to relax, bond with others, and even to relieve stress and anxiety. My goal is to be able to give them the experience of live music and for them to be able to interact with it as well as listen. I hope this brings the comfort of being with others and time to express themselves through music in which they might not get to do otherwise. I hope that as I look out in the audience I see them having smiles on their faces and enjoying this lovely time!

I think that now would be a great time to start this because I would need lots of free time to learn the music. Since I am in quarantine I have this time now. I think that after this we will all need a little healing as this has affected many people in many ways. Some studies show that music can heal you. It can also help with emotional suffering. Saying this I mean that people in nursing homes might miss their families. I think that this could help them feel happy and together.

Funded by Cass Clay (June 2020)