Notes From a Violinist

Notes from a Violinist

"Music is like an elevator. It lifts you up when you're down." A woman from an assisted living facility in St. Paul recently shared these words of wisdom with me after attending a performance I gave in her building.

During my first six months with Care Options Network, I've had many experiences for which music school did not prepare me. While learning the technique, theory and history of music, as well as practicing violin and piano, I don't remember hearing about the healing power of music......

.....While setting up for a performance in a memory care residence, a woman threw a banana peel at me. My response? "You can't throw anything until after you've heard me play!"

.....For St. Patrick's Day I was playing an Irish jig. One woman got up with her walker and started dancing, while the other people clapped in time to the music. When the music stopped, she came to me and kicked me in the rear, saying "The music must go on!".

.....A man came up to me and asked me to play 'Misty' for him. I did and he began to cry; that was the first song his future wife played for him when they first met.

.....A woman was having a hard time taking her medication. I started playing 'Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh, what a relief it is'. I don't know if the music helped the medicine go down, but I do know it relieved the tension in the room.

There are many simple ways to bring the healing power of music into everyday life. Have you considered:

Offering instrumental lessons at your facility? You could start by offering piano lessons.
Offering one or a series of music appreciation classes? Topics might include music from a specific era, folk music, movie music, music from TV, etc.
Offering Summer Serenades? An opportunity to listen to live music while enjoying a box lunch.
Offering a Music Under the Stars concert? A great way to gather community.

Stay tuned for the next article about the benefits of live music.

For more ideas on bringing the healing power of music into your facility, or to schedule a performance, contact Janet at 952-474-8273 or janetroper@mac.com.