Christmas gigs for the elderly: A tale of two radically different, yet similar shows

Methos1979 · #1 12-05-2021, 02:27 PM

It's the Christmas season and for us that means doing what we can to give back a little and bring some joy to those that need it most. We had just started to play assisted living facilities (ALF) before the pandemic hit so that got quickly shut down for obvious reasons. This year we decided to call around to some local homes and facilities and offer to play some free shows for anyone interested. We figured it's a great way to give back a little to some wonderful people that are too often forgotten about especially this time of year. The response was enthusiastic and we booked every weekend solid until Christmas. We just plug 7 or 8 Christmas songs into our regular ALF setlist.

This weekend we played two shows. The first was at a relatively new-construction ALF center that is large and state of the art. We played in their cafeteria/function room which was quite large with dozens of tables and plenty of space. There was a nice corner for us to set up and we were able to perform without masks. The gear was what we consider our 'full' setup consisting of our EAE D6-58 amplifier, two mics, my RainSong Nashville OM shorty, a mic stand, wireless for one mic (wife's) and my guitar also wireless, and a stand with our tablet for the music. We always run on battery power so no need for extension or power cords. Setup (and tear down) is less than 10 minutes.

There were probably 30 residents in attendance, some with families visiting, and many staff came and went as they could. We rocked the place. I'm always a little conservative with regard to volume but they asked us to turn it up a couple times! No problem!! They loved it. They sang and danced and rolled around in their wheelchairs. Afterwards we stuck around and made the rounds and chatted. It was wonderful hearing their stories and they loved having someone listen. The most active woman in the bunch who was rolling all over the place said she'll turn 101 in January. The activities director was particularly impressed with our show and can't wait to book us for regular shows for 2022.

Today's show was the exact opposite. This ALF is in an old, Victorian house that has been converted to a rest home. We played in a small living room to 7-8 people. Needless to say, we didn't need anything other than my guitar (this time the Froggy Bottom H12) and our tablet and stand for music. But this gig was just as great as the day before. The residents were all sitting very close and singing along to every song (we play a great selection of oldies). They loved it and begged us to come back. We did have to perform with masks on which I'll admit was challenging on the faster songs where I have to take in quick and full breaths but I managed to get by without passing out.

Pre-pandemic we'd made the slow progression from our living room to open mics to gigs. We very quickly realized that the 3-hour bar/pub grind playing to inattentive patrons and half-empty rooms was not for us. Brunch places, art shows, farmers markets - that's more our speed. But these ALF shows are really fun to play. They are short, hour-long shows to usually fully attentive and greatly appreciative audiences. The songs we play are classics from mostly the 50's and 60's that are super easy and fun to play. We are retiring in a few short weeks and we're already planning for a regular slate of shows throughout the coming year, doing what we love and picking up a little pocket change in the process. Win-win!

Methos1979 · #2 12-05-2021, 02:29 PM

The difference in equipment:

The 'full' setup for the big center

The minimal equipment for the small home

DaveG · #3 12-05-2021, 02:37 PM

It's great that you were/are able to do that. I spent about a month in a nursing home recovering from surgery a few years ago, so I know how much things like this are appreciated by the residents. There's really not a lot of things to do, so everyone really looked forward to live music. I'm sure you brought a lot of smiles to a lot of faces.

SpruceTop · #4 12-05-2021, 02:39 PM

Thanks For Doing These Shows & For Relating Your Experiences! Happy Holidays!

Bob from Brooklyn · #5 12-05-2021, 03:56 PM

What a beautiful thing to do! Go right to the head of the nice list!

Glennwillow · #6 12-05-2021, 05:09 PM

I appreciate that you and your wife are reaching out to older folks who in turn can appreciate what you two are offering.

- Glenn

jricc · #7 12-05-2021, 05:15 PM

That's really cool of you and your wife, Scott! Great giving back during this season. Thanks for the report on the gigs and setups.

TRose · #8 12-05-2021, 06:26 PM

Thanks for sharing your experience.
Sounds wonderful.
Good on ya for being generous and kind.
Merry Christmas.

SingingSparrow · #9 12-05-2021, 07:20 PM

I really enjoyed reading this post. Thanks so much for sharing. The mental image of y'all playing music to residents at the facilities is heartwarming. Blessings to you and yours and a very happy holiday season.

Wellington · #10 12-05-2021, 07:24 PM

What a cool thing to do. During my religious years I attended a Bible College and I was part of a group 'assigned' to music ministry at centre's like this. I hate performing but this was always very rewarding, these b people were so appreciative. Many were very lonely, I had some great interactions. Thanks for what you're doing.

CASD57 · #11 12-05-2021, 09:43 PM

This has inspired me for next year... I'm going to work up a dozen Christmas songs through the summer and intertwine them with my normal setlist.
And do it for free to get myself back out there...
I've done VFW's with a Band and it was great, can't wait to do some solo stuff

Brent Hutto · #12 12-06-2021, 08:48 AM

I can't play or perform any sort of music well enough to even think about putting on a performance, per se. But a few years back one of our family members lived in a nursing home so we went to visit a few days before Christmas and they had a piano in the commons area with a couple hymnals sitting on it.

I'm not much of a piano player but at some point I leafed through one of the hymnals and found a few Christmas tunes that I somehow managed to stumble through with a few notes omitted here and there

There were a dozen or so residents scattered around in their wheelchairs and they seemed to appreciate the attempt.

On the last song I played, I realized there was someone singing along with an absolutely beautiful soprano voice. I couldn't look away from my hymnal long enough to see who it was so I asked my wife about it after I was done. She said nobody was visibly singing but there was one really old lady sitting in a wheelchair with her head down, almost like she was asleep. My wife was pretty sure that's where the singing was coming from.

It was quite an experience. I'm glad I made the effort and I've wished ever since I'd have gone over afterwards and spoken to the lady in the wheelchair.

SingingSparrow · #13 12-06-2021, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brent Hutto

I can't play or perform any sort of music well enough to even think about putting on a performance, per se. But a few years back one of our family members lived in a nursing home so we went to visit a few days before Christmas and they had a piano in the commons area with a couple hymnals sitting on it.

I'm not much of a piano player but at some point I leafed through one of the hymnals and found a few Christmas tunes that I somehow managed to stumble through with a few notes omitted here and there

There were a dozen or so residents scattered around in their wheelchairs and they seemed to appreciate the attempt.

On the last song I played, I realized there was someone singing along with an absolutely beautiful soprano voice. I couldn't look away from my hymnal long enough to see who it was so I asked my wife about it after I was done. She said nobody was visibly singing but there was one really old lady sitting in a wheelchair with her head down, almost like she was asleep. My wife was pretty sure that's where the singing was coming from.

It was quite an experience. I'm glad I made the effort and I've wished ever since I'd have gone over afterwards and spoken to the lady in the wheelchair.

heartwarming story there, too Brent - thanks so much for sharing. it is amazing to me how the most fleeting of human connection or cognizance of a small moment of beauty can mean so very much. i, too, am glad you made the effort - what a sweet reward that alone must have been - and i would hope the next time you get the inclination to interact with a human from a place of honest connection, you honor your intuition. to approach another human with no expectations and sincere affection has never yet let me down. hope you and yours are well. sending you good thoughts.

llew · #14 12-06-2021, 12:13 PM

Such a great thing you're doing! Merry Christmas!

folkmusikfan · #15 12-06-2021, 12:55 PM

That is awesome. I volunteer at the local trauma center once a week playing for the patients. They all love it, so does the staff. Even though I not an expert like some of the people on this forum, the patients don't mind.
Love playing my Rainsong OM. Thanks Methos 1979. I really love this guitar. It sounds good and is easy to carry around.

Ron