[Dixielandjazz] Nursing home gigs

[LARRY'S Signs and Large Format Printing]

I did a nursing home gig today that was a 50's  review.  Two of the old
ladies setting in the front row  were doing hand jive that was popular in
the 50's.  Somehow I don't think that sort of thing will happen in 40 or so
years to def leopard or some heavy metal band.  Picture a rap group doing a
nursing home in 50 years.....scary
Larry Walton
St. Louis
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <nvickers1 at cox.net>
To: <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
Cc: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Monday, May 09, 2005 3:22 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Nursing home gigs


> Steve Barbone wrote:
>
> An elderly gentleman had not uttered a word for several years, so the
chief
> nurse told me. He just sat and stared. We play familiar tunes at these
> events and started on "My Blue Heaven". Somehow that made a connection and
> the old guy started to sing it. He sang it perfectly.
>
> Very moving experience. The more of them we play, the more we find out
that
> music makes a connection to these people, when mere words or actions.
>
> Vickers' response:
>
> I have seen this myself a few times. But first an anecdote from medical
school days.  Professor of neuroanatomy was talking about disabled and
elderly Englishmen who had been moved to the countryside to escape to London
blitz.  One person had a stroke and hadn't spoken in months.  When the
German bombers flew over their village on the way to London, the man raised
his cane and uttered a string of cursewords to the sky.
>
> The hospital in which I practiced had a nursing home attached.  One
morning a week the chaplain, himself an amateur musician, would assemble
some of the patients for a "memories" session which would include music.
One elderly woman was sitting in the wheelchair with eyes closed.  Hadn't
spoken or looked around the entire time that I'd observed her.  They sang
"Take me out to the Ballgame."  The woman opened her eyes, sang all the
words.
> When it was over, the slumped over and closed her eyes as before.  To my
knowledge, she never spoke again.
>
> Simple, layman's explanation of this-- some imbedded memories are in a
different part of the brain.
>
> Thanks for listening.
>
> Norman Vickers
>
>
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