[78-L] music making a big difference to residents in rest homes

[Kristjan Saag]

A few years ago I had the opportunity to DJ in a home for the elderly. 
Two turntables, real 78's and some talking in between.
Everyone had a good nap until I mentioned that a certain artist was 
still alive and well and living in the neighbourhood - a coarse voice 
from behind murmured: "he's buried in the next village..."

Speaking of 78's: at least one rest home in Gothenburg has 78's on 
display in the music room, in order to make the residents feel at home. 
Part of a therapeutic program to supply those units with objects and 
furniture that have symbolic meaning to elderly people.
Kristjan



On 2012-04-08 22:17, Anthony G Pavick wrote:
> A number of years ago I was involve in a vaudeville style troupe that
> did 30 minutes shows at rest homes. I used to sign My Blue Heaven,
> whilst wearing a cowboy get-up. We always had a sacred number and
> always ended with God Bless America. They'd wheel people who looked
> sullen and lost into a recreation area and we'd make a point to
> specifically play to those who seemed so far gone. I can still recall
> seeing a spark of life in a person's sad eyes when we'd sing as if
> that person was teh only one in the room.
>
> To a certain extent this type of musical presentation was attempted,
> albeit half heartedly, via Bonneville's "Music of Your Life"
> satellite distributed radio format. That, as do most corporate radio
> formats these days, had even less animation and life in it than the
> most moribund of patients in any rest home
>
> T
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> 78-L mailing list
> 78-L at klickitat.78online.com
> http://klickitat.78online.com/mailman/listinfo/78-l
>