I played a Senior performance today on piano....in the Memory Care Unit, which I was told was a place where most residents are beyond comprehension and also on heavy medication. Most of them could hardly move.

I usually start my performance in a comical way. I'll play something like Yankee Doodle, Three Blind Mice....simple things....kind of a warm-up for both me and the audience. Then maybe into my Irving Berlin medley or something upbeat.

So I'm playing my first song, Yankee Doodle, and I looked closely at the audience this time. They were either singing out loud or to themselves. Those not singing were starting to move. It appeared I tapped into something happening here.

A few weeks ago, I read an article about how old folks lose their senses chronologically. The last faculty to go is music. When they can't even remember their names or the names of their children or where they are even, the one thing they don't lose is recognition/remembrance of songs and associated memories.

I experimented and continued in this vein. Now...I play everything out of my head....spent a lot of years memorizing so I had all of the following songs at my fingertips. I continued to play every one of these songs (which I refer to as the "Yankee Doodle" era). Lo and behold, they sang or moved to every tune I presented to them.

But....the key to putting these simple songs over is to "dress them up." John (Bruno) posted a few days ago to "take liberties with a song." Don't just play it boom-boom-boom. Give it a comical intro...stop or hesitate between stanzas.....hold onto a note....etc. But....never, ever, ever deviate from the melody when playing these kind of songs. Every note has to match every word!

But I remember saying to myself...."You study music and learn songs constantly to keep up, and, in the end, it goes back full circle. The old two-chord songs from the 1890's are what it comes back to.

I don't really care what I play as long as I'm affecting people's lives. That's what keeps me going


Oh, Susanna
Dixie
Golden Slippers
Yellow Rose Of Texas
Camptown Races
Tavern In The Town
Comin' Round The Mountain
Old MacDonald
JINGLE BELLS
Deep In The Heart Of Texas
ON TOP OF OLD SMOKIE
HOME ON THE RANGE
RED RIVER VALLEY
ALOUETTE
Blue Tail Fly
CLEMENTINE
MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG
The Old Grey Mare She Ain't What She Used To Be
The Man on the Flying Trapeze
EASTER PARADE
THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
MADEMOISELLE FROM ARMENTIER (PARLEZ VOUS)
MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB
BLUE DANUBE WALTZ
FERE JACQUES
I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THE RAILROAD
ROW, ROW, ROW YOUR BOAT
THIS OLD MAN
THREE BLIND MICE
TWINKLE, TWINKLE LITTLE STAR

Good on you for your unselfish motivation.
I used to play for our local state veterans home, and was told by the wife of a severely afflicted patient that her husband is unable to respond much, but that my music helped him enormously. The power of music should not be minimized,

I’m guessing most of us who have played in memory care units have experienced what you’ve written. Some residents look as though they aren’t sure where they or at but when the music starts with old familiar tunes you see there lips moving singing the lyrics.

Mark, I have never more pleased with someone’s post. What you did was the key to contentment and happiness; you put those people before yourself. You made them enjoy, you added to their life. And not once did you mention money, or complain about how you were treated.

Cheers to you my friend, you just said it all.

Mark, I am proud of you, I feel you have found something that will bring a lot of happiness.

Your friend, John C.

Only a suggestion:
Using an arranger keyboard would add another dimension. Even through they may not understand, they will feel.

Bravo, Mark:

I'm hoping I'm never destined to be a member of a Senior Care Unit but your work and thoughtfulness are so important. I'm hoping the researchers in this field and it's "tributaries" are putting a cure or at least, a prevention for this life stealing disease at the top of their list. It impacts members of the family... and close friends even more than the "oblivious patients."

Keep up the good work. ----Dave

A great post. I've had similar experiences. BTW, I'd think that when you dress up well-known tunes, you could have fun doing the same with the melody line, too. The audience knows the melody and as you "jazz up" the melody, it makes it more interesting and still the audience can follow. A case in point, here's Long Long Ago. Such a simple melody and yet Louis Armstrong and his band..... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2OFjoAMdrM

Chris

Hi Chris, when you jazz it up it does make the song more interesting – because there is you in the song.
When the song is jazzed up beyond recognition, which many do, you have defeated your purpose.

Just my opinion, John C.

Mark, your post really touched me. In general I think musicians have much more empathy than most people (except doctors, nurses, clergy, etc.), because music is all about emotion and passion. The greatest gifts we receive as musicians is when we touch someone.

The greatest gifts we receive as musicians is when we touch someone.

I can not add anything to that my friend, beautiful, John C.

With such a venue you have to make some keen observations to know if or when you've connected. I'll watch their feet and hands. Sometimes you'll see a single finger tapping only slightly, but if in time with the music, you've connected!

Glenn

Mark, what impressed me most about your post is that you remembered all those songs 'on the fly' ...

I've recently had requests for Red River Valley and Clementine, and what I've done is play them in the original style and then in 'updated' styles like these:
https://youtu.be/76OSOg5E_HE

https://youtu.be/gKxjvlEQvaQ

I've done the same thing with Little Star, playing the 1958 #1 hit version by The Elegants, 5 guys I knew in my Staten Island high school days
https://youtu.be/l8F4vdF-bJc

Way to go, Mark.

R.

I did a similar gig few years ago, and I did some of the songs mentioned, but I did play also the old standards like It had to be you, All of me, etc...songs that you may consider appropriate or that age group, and the result was a happy sing along on the room....that day, was family day, so, relatives of this people where there and to their amazement, they all sang those tunes, but had no idea who was next to them.....Music is incredible tool....

My 2 cents.

Manuel

I was blessed with a fantastic memory....as long as I work hard with my "fantastic memory" I memorize very easily, especially on those 2-3 chorder's.

You wrote about that lady that memorized all those songs. I was going to reply to that about how it's done through "imaging." Maybe I still will.

I understand what Chris means and I understand what John means. They are both correct. Playing music correctly is a definite "balancing" act.

Well......I was somewhat shocked when I opened up this post. I was starting to think I was one of only a few who cared about actually making music as compared to spending their time A-B'ing keyboards.

Not only "shocked" but pleased to see in all of you who responded a similar "passion to please" folks and the recognition of (what I consider to be) music as therapy (both to yourself and others) rather than a paycheck.

And......not sure how to say this, but as I look at those who remarked here, the thought suddenly occurred to me that if I had to guess who would relate to this post, it would be all of the members above.

And....I didn't write this for the glory or to pass myself off as a "hero to the people." My intended meaning was something like.......don't dismiss these hundred year old songs because they're "a hundred years old." They still have a lot of mileage left in them and you get your money's worth when you use them.

And finally....thanks for your comments about my "moral makeup." I honestly never thought about it that way. Only ever thought about stockpiling songs that make people happy. I took a good look at myself in the mirror now and came away with a different perception of myself.

Does this mean I get a free ticket to the Promised Land now?