Had a great, lively and responsive crowd yesterday at a Memory Care Facility. All was going great, there was a woman sitting near me in a wheel chair who was really getting into it, then, all of a sudden in the middle of a song she grabs my keyboard, yanks it and almost pushed it off the stand. As surprised as I was I quickly grabbed it and pushed it back and just hollered, HEY, on the mic and the AD looked and I just pointed to her and then she was moved away. Wow, what a surprise how strong this frail old woman was. While I was doing everything by ear, there are times I like to use my tablet for lead sheets, but I'm pretty sure I won't bring it to a Memory Care unit.

Scott, maybe she didn’t like your singing. Hahahaha
John C.

NEVER be alone without an aide or 2 in a memory care gig situation period!

Scott....
Based on the picture you posted there were at least two people too close to you for a memory care situation. The aids in the room should never permit their folks to get within touching distance. I do very few MC's because of this very issue.

I perform at a place in Columbus (largest in state Alz) and believe me, it's like Time Square. I put my speakers at my feet, on the floor there. But their love of music is 2nd to none - very emotional job.

It's not only NH jobs that have this problem.
I encounter this problem at the restaurant, parties, senior centers.

People come up to talk, and have to lean on the keyboard, especially the older folks that have to steady themselves. I just prepare myself by holding the keyboard to prevent an incident.

I had a keyboard friend get hit in the head with a speaker when it got knocked over. Fortunately he wasn't injured too badly, but it looked worse then it was because his aspirin therapy caused him to bleed. He was a good sport and wore a hard hat next time he played at the place.

Regards,

Jerryghr

Surround yourself for safety

It reminds me the country bars, back in the day, when we played behind chicken wire to field the bottles and bodies involved in numerous fights. The good old days.

Guess what. I acually played that place in the blues brothers movie. It was in wheeling Il. a suberb of Chicago. If you saw the movie it was just like that. The worst dump we ever played. Needless to say we never went back even thou they offered use more money.

MEL