Joyful vibrations uplift residents of local retirement home!
Recently a group of MSIA musicians visited a local retirement home. We received this wonderful report about the visit from Linda Goldfinger, the Activity Director of Country Villa Terrace Assisted Living Center:
“Clarinetist Alethea Lamb, pianist Merrill Collins, and fantastic singers Cheri Jamison and Eric Lumiere, were kind enough to come entertain our residents on Monday, March 11th. Our residents were fortunate enough to go on an outing to Peace Awareness Labyrinth and Gardens (PAL&G). Aging brings about many losses. We lose our independence, our health, our careers and even our loved ones. Although we try to make the best of life, there are so many daily struggles.
When we visited the home of the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness, we were transported to a place of peace and relaxation, with our worries left far behind. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. And to add to this experience, we were treated to a concert in the foyer of the mansion. We asked the musicians if they would possibly visit our residents at Country Villa Terrace, as the majority of our residents have difficulty leaving our facility.
On Monday, March 11th, four wonderful musicians from MSIA came to our community. Beautiful Merrill played the piano and stunning Alethea played the clarinet. Cheri is a superb opera singer and Eric has an outstanding voice as well. They told us a little about MSIA and entertained us for over an hour. Eight of our residents had a great time on the outing. And due to the generosity and talent of these lovely four volunteers, 25 of our residents were able to enjoy themselves and experience the calming effect of music right at Country Villa Terrace. We can’t thank-you enough!”
We had a great time playing music for these elderly people. We could tell it was a treat for them to be entertained, and to hear songs from their generation and experience something different from their routine daily activities. One gentleman, who was quite subdued when we arrived, perked up after just the first song, and became the most animated one out of the group! He smiled and conducted the music with his hands from his chair, clapping and cheering after each piece. Activity Director, Linda Goldfinger, told us that he had been having quite a bad day before we arrived, and our music and joyful presence totally transformed his mood. He was eager to chat with us afterwards to learn more about us and tell us about himself and his favorite songs from his youth. It was special to share about MSIA and PAL&G, and bring some of the energy and peace from PAL&G into these peoples’ lives and home.
Upcoming concerts at PAL&G
There will be a classical music concert at Prana on Wednesday, July 3rd as part of the Prana Festival Day. This concert is a reprise of the Travelers Through Their Music concert given in November, 2011. The musicians are Cheri Jamison (soprano), Merrill Collins (piano) and Alethea Lamb (clarinet). They will be playing music by Mozart, Bach, Beethoven and Sibelius. For more information about this event, please click here.
Also, stay tuned for what promises to be an outstanding concert in the fall, of show tunes performed by singers Cheri Jamison and Eric Lumiere, pianist Merrill Collins and clarinetist Alethea Lamb.
This is so sweet! I know the residents must have been so uplifted by the attention, loving and music. What a wonderful ministry.
Donna Walton San Diego
What a thought, to bring music into the lives of the older forgotten folks of our own USA. I know that a traveling spiritual musical event would be the one of the kindest ways I can think of to bring the Travelors Message to so many about to life from this realm, and perhaps be their lifeline in this lifetime. What do you musicians think about this idea?? Coming to Prana is a treat most of our elderly will never have. Just a thought. Hope you love it. I do. But I am not one of the performers, or the presenters. I just love the thought of it.