I�ve had this �assisted living� account for 17 years now. I play the piano in the front lobby in the morning and the accordion in the Alzheimer unit in the afternoon.

When I first started, a music performance was sacred. No one dared interrupt both out of respect for the musician and out of respect for the listeners.

What changed? The indifference of the staff and office personnel. Nowadays they think nothing of talking loud (so they can hear each other over the piano) while I�m playing. I can�t concentrate on what I�m doing and the audience can�t focus on the music.

The Alzheimer unit is not as bad, but since I�m only playing my accordion acoustically there, the slightest disturbance becomes upsetting.

A few week ago I was doing the �accordion� event, and the nursing staff in the room took a break from working their smart phones and starting a social conversation back and forth across the room.

I politely asked them NOT to talk while I�m playing to the residents and they did so. But I knew I was walking on thin ice with that request.

Later I was talking to the AD, who I know on a personal level for many years now, and relayed my experience to her. She advised me, under her breath, �it�s different now.....just play the job, send an invoice, wait for your paycheck, and don�t think about it anymore� Another way of saying.....I want you to continue playing here, but if management hears about what you said to the staff, they will do what is �politically correct� and replace you with someone else.

That�s hard for me to do. That�s hard for any man to do. Retreat to the corner, put duct tape over your mouth with a sign that says �Do Not Open Till Christmas.�

Now, my friend, on the other hand, has a voice like Johnny Cash. He told me he just stops playing and tells everyone to shut up with that big booming voice of his.

I�m wondering is it geographical or has everyone gone rude, self-centered, and narcistic to the point all they see is their latest tattoos? Who cares if you�re ruining the performance for the residents?

What do you guys think? I�m really having a hard time with all these changes over the years. There�s just no fun in playing anymore!

Would you tell staff to �shup up� or just �ride it out?� It�s a tough call because I know a lot of you think about the residents first and the paycheck second!

Mark