Rockin' With The Oldies

dreadnut

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On Wed morning, six of us played and sang with our old friends at one of the Alzheimer's units we visit monthly. As usual, they were very engaged with the singing and clapping, etc. Of course, we sing the songs of their youth - I've Been Workin' On The Railroad - Let Me Call You Sweetheart - You Are My Sunshine - When The Saints Go Marching In - If You're Happy And You Know It - This Land Is Your Land- as well as a bunch of Sunday School songs and old hymns.

When we were leaving, one old gal in a wheelchair grabbed my hand and said "Thank you so much for singing with us - you made us feel just like little kids again!"

To me, that compliment was worth way more than any applause I ever got. These folks get a lot of drugs every day, but none make them feel like little kids again! It's nice to know that we can provide something the drug companies can't bottle or encapsulate; you know they would if they could.
 

5thumbs

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On Wed morning, six of us played and sang with our old friends at one of the Alzheimer's units we visit monthly. As usual, they were very engaged with the singing and clapping, etc. Of course, we sing the songs of their youth - I've Been Workin' On The Railroad - Let Me Call You Sweetheart - You Are My Sunshine - When The Saints Go Marching In - If You're Happy And You Know It - This Land Is Your Land- as well as a bunch of Sunday School songs and old hymns.

When we were leaving, one old gal in a wheelchair grabbed my hand and said "Thank you so much for singing with us - you made us feel just like little kids again!"

To me, that compliment was worth way more than any applause I ever got. These folks get a lot of drugs every day, but none make them feel like little kids again! It's nice to know that we can provide something the drug companies can't bottle or encapsulate; you know they would if they could.

You are a very special person. Thank you.
 

dreadnut

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Thanks for all the kind comments; outings like this one are what keeps me going back.

Note: You could all do this too, it doesn't take much, the folks in the Alzheimer's units would absolutely love to hear you play and sing for/with them. Actually, they're thrilled when they get any visitors at all. You could start going just once a month like we did; now we play and sing at 18 different facilities each month. Of course, we have about 20 solid volunteers, which means I don't have to attend every session; there is at least one instrumentalist/leader at each gig.
 

Velvet Phelts

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Way to go dread, If you want another gig like that try playing for special needs kids. Used to do a benefit for the local special needs school, in my town. Did it I think 10 years in a row. Once you do a gig like that. You start to learn what the whole thing is about. Those kids had the best time of anyone I've ever played for. And had us signing autographs for two hours afterwards. They really thought we were somebody's.
 
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