catty Posted December 16, 2006 Share Posted December 16, 2006 Just a reminder to play for the folks in nursing and rehab facilities this holiday season. It's a great way to share and it is very much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squeezbxhvn Posted December 17, 2006 Share Posted December 17, 2006 Just a reminder to play for the folks in nursing and rehab facilities this holiday season. It's a great way to share and it is very much appreciated. Such a nice gesture of good will! What is your experience with these types of venues..any stories? Do you think some homes might not be receptive to this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chainyanker Posted December 17, 2006 Share Posted December 17, 2006 been going to nurseing homes every monday for the last year, playng hynms and a lil preching for the last year and half. and twice a month to the salvation army on fridays for the last six months. merry CHRISTmas to yall all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Worrall Posted December 17, 2006 Share Posted December 17, 2006 (edited) Just a reminder to play for the folks in nursing and rehab facilities this holiday season. It's a great way to share and it is very much appreciated. Funny you bring that up; if you're in Houston Monday evening 6:30, our English Session group will be playing at the Park Manor Cyfair nursing home; we have to play early as bedtime is at 8...you'd be welcome to join in! Last Weds we played the MD Anderson cancer clinic, and the weekend before we played at a Street Festival and collected a nice purse for Habitat for Humanity. There are 10 of us in that particular group, doing traditional carols and some English/American dance music. It serves us well too....our harmony singing is improving, which cannot hurt the pub sessions next year. After all that is over, our English Session folks are having a Christmas session and party at the Oddfellows Hall in the Houston Heights Wed Dec 20, 6:30; any more musicians are of course welcome, so do come if you can! In addition to the normal session musicians and carolers, we'll be visited by a professional caroling quartet we've befriended via a contact made on this Forum (they're mostly retired professional singers), and the local Scottish dancers will join in and lead some Virginia Reels for whoever is not playing tunes. It's potluck, so bring whatever you like to eat.... Merry Christmas, yall! Edited December 17, 2006 by Dan Worrall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chainyanker Posted December 17, 2006 Share Posted December 17, 2006 dan, wish i was comeing your way. sounds like you haveing lots of fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Barnert Posted December 17, 2006 Share Posted December 17, 2006 Such a nice gesture of good will! What is your experience with these types of venues..any stories? I have done this many times with morris dancers. I often am approached by folks who remember a family member from a previous generation who played concertina.Do you think some homes might not be receptive to this?Can't hurt to ask. In fact you really should ask first even if you expect the answer will be "yes." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catty Posted December 17, 2006 Author Share Posted December 17, 2006 Such a nice gesture of good will! What is your experience with these types of venues..any stories? Do you think some homes might not be receptive to this? I work as an activities director for a 98-bed long-term care facility. I try to play music every day, as it's about the most efficacious modality for the most people. Concertina is among the most effective instruments I use in this setting. I also play at other facilities--I personally don't know of any facility that doesn't want frequent music for its residents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Madge Posted December 18, 2006 Share Posted December 18, 2006 John o' Gaunt Morris Men occasionaly perform at an Old Folk's Home (is that still a PC description?) in Garstang. We do have to keep an eye on one of our dancers when it's time to leave as he's older than several of the inhabitants and we don't want to leave him behind! Robin Madge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Besser Posted December 18, 2006 Share Posted December 18, 2006 Just a reminder to play for the folks in nursing and rehab facilities this holiday season. It's a great way to share and it is very much appreciated. I've done this many times, with different groups. A clogging troupe I used to play for had a great arrangement. They were allowed to use a local nursing home's multi-purpose room -- with a stage and a nice wooden floor -- for their weekly practices, in return for putting on an annual Christmas show and allowing residents to watch practices. A good deal for everybody involved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woody Posted December 19, 2006 Share Posted December 19, 2006 The Morris side I'm with has done a couple of visits to the local nursing home. The first time we went was last Xmas and we found it slightly dispiriting to find several of the residents deliberately leaving the room just as we were about to perform. It might have been understandable if they'd seen us perform before of course, but you'd think they'd have given us the benefit of the doubt Seriously, we've enjoyed playing at the home and to see the elderly residents smiling and tapping their feet to the music made it a very rewarding experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squeezbxhvn Posted December 20, 2006 Share Posted December 20, 2006 I also play at other facilities--I personally don't know of any facility that doesn't want frequent music for its residents. (Catty) How are these venues arranged? Does one wander from room to room playing & visiting. Or does one allocate a room & give an hour concert laced with inspirational speech, or Is a dance occasion set up? I guess it might depend on what type of carecenter is involved...what do you say? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catty Posted December 20, 2006 Author Share Posted December 20, 2006 (edited) Typically, a room is arranged for a period of time--if it is prearranged then usually the staff will have a clean room such as a dining room cleared and have chairs set up and folks ready and waiting--since the logisitcs of arranging an audience can at times be challenging (due to reasons such as conflicting activities, lack of preparation, etc). I've had folks come in and entertain for as little as twenty minutes; however, at least 45 minutes is more typical. We have many folks who entertain for no charge--mostly children's groups, but the ones who receive payment usually have a set-bag of material suited specifically for older folks and charge a fee per/hour. Since many of the volunteer entertainers are associated with various church groups or may be motivated by a spiritual faith, there may be a modicum of proselytizing involved--but usually not particularly overt. While no one is required to say anything at all, the entertainers who are most successful typically have some interaction with the audience. Also, some singing usually is an asset, since there are usually some folks who will want to sing just about anywhere you go--and the participation element is nice for the folks. Not to say, however, that you couldn't do it any other way--any music works--just experiement and find what you and your audience prefer. Or contact the activities director and ask what they prefer. Edited December 20, 2006 by catty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Evans Posted December 20, 2006 Share Posted December 20, 2006 Nice topic. At the job site I run a midday concert series that is free to the public. A couple of Elder care facilities bus in residents and we have one Golden age group from a local church. They have a very good time and it's important for our college students to see elders alive and enjoying life as best they can. Back in my opera singin' days I was involved with a group of folks that brought a yearly program to a local facility. Sure put the Christmas spirit in me. Obi's Boys and my duo Appalacian Travelers have done a few this season. It's good for the soul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samantha Posted December 20, 2006 Share Posted December 20, 2006 I'm just back from doing a half-hour of carols with a brass quintet at a local sheltered housing unit (basically a single story block of apartments for the elderly with emergency call buttons in every room and a resident warden. There is a common room for communcal activities and this is where we played). Tomorrow we are taking the full band (overkill, really in a domestic situation!) to two local care homes (where residents need more personal care/nursing attendance). I keep meaning to run up a programme with the concertina, but I'd have to learn all new songs if I want people to join in... Samantha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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