So this is about a week later than I wanted it to be, but here it is anyway.
Two weeks ago, I walked just a few blocks off campus to Newark Manor, one of the retirement homes in the area to sing for some of the retirees there with some of the brothers of Phi Mu Alpha. I cannot express how amazing it is to serenade these people. Upon singing For He's a Jolly Good Fellow, one of the men was dancing around in his wheelchair with the biggest smile on his face. He was in his late 80s and not doing too well health-wise but our song lifted his spirits, at least for that day. The joy that our simple act of singing could bring these people was incredible. The smiles on their faces was enough to keep me going through the rest of the day.
Luckily for me, I was able to touch even more lives with music that weekend. On Sunday, the UD Symphonic Band performed with the Academy of Lifelong Learning Band. This band's average age is somewhere around 80. Some members have been playing their instrument since the 1940s, some for only about 2 years. They played their set for us, then we played our set for them and then we played two pieces together. Was it perfect sounding? No. Did it have the most complex parts? No. Was it still an incredible experience? YES. The A.L.L. Band members were mixed in with us and we shared the experience together as one unit.
Final Point: Music is incredible. And you're never too young to appreciate it, or even make some yourself. Music rocks, and so do seniors... :)
Music is one of the few things universally known and used and loved!! It's one of the few things that can penetrate your soul without your permission.
ReplyDeleteIt's life.
1) Another list :)
ReplyDelete2) LOVE music
3) Missed reading your blog
4) Had a BLAST at both the MMM and the Concert
5) When I tell people I'm a music major, a good portion of them tell me they either never played an instrument or used to play one but didn't keep with it and they wished they did. Every time, I tell them it's never to late to start. Music is a magical thing that doesn't care how old you are or how much talent you have. It has the power to touch every single person on Earth.