The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
Reply to Thread Bookmark Thread
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Posts 1 to 25 of 46
  1. #1

    User Info Menu

    I approached the activities director at the assisted living/memory care facility where my late MIL lived for a time and suggested that I might come and do an hours' worth of guitar music for the residents as kind of a 'give back' for the great care they gave her. She was agreeable and suggested I do a half hour with the assisted living folks (who have their faculties) and another half hour for the memory care folks. I'd originally planned on just playing over backing tracks - maybe some Great American Songbook, a bossa or two, maybe a few Chet things, Yackety Axe, Alley Cat and the like. Then I got to thinking that it might be better to just do solo chord melody - Misty, Moonlight In Vermont, Shadow of Your Smile, Georgia, etc. Then I got to thinking...again... that I'm not sure that those folks would sit still for that type of thing. Now, I don't know what to do; I know that those places are starved for entertainment but it's maybe those who do You are My Sunshine and gospel type sing-a-longs which is not my thing. Or, maybe I should let the whole thing go? Any suggestions? Anyone else done this type gig?

  2.  

    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

    User Info Menu

    Our vocalist loves those gigs, and I’ve even done a few in our local hospitals. These can be wonderful experiences. What’s most amazing is that many of those with memory and communication problems often respond to songs they knew years ago - they really perk up and mouth or even sing the words along with you. The residents who are US born and raised will do great with the music of Americana from their middle years. Assuming most are over 75, you’ll probably want to do a lot of popular movie and show tunes from the ‘50s and ‘60s along with some TV theme songs.

    I was also surprised that many respond well to the silly side of Americana, like the Bunny Hop and Ballin’ the Jack. These are easy tunes for solo guitar. Enjoy!

  4. #3

    User Info Menu

    I've done my share of these gigs. They usually don't pay well ( though a friend did a duo for $300 on Sunday) but the reaction from the residents can make up for the low pay. Most of the ones I did were accompanying a singer but I've had my piano trio on some.
    Good advice from nshsi, play older tunes they might recognize.

  5. #4

    User Info Menu

    Hi, S,
    Poor pay for the effort. However, if you feel like you want to give something back . . . do it for free, once. Those are very depressing places where uncaring families dump their parents in old age. I have a difficult time going into those facilities.
    Marinero

  6. #5

    User Info Menu

    Switch it up – bring your backing tracks, and do some of those numbers, and intersperse with chord melody. See what they respond to. They'll give you all the information you need – and you'll never have a more appreciative audience. Those gigs are not done for the amount of money they bring in – they're done to feel part of a community.

    It can be very rewarding. Just as we go to visit loved ones who are near the end, in spite of how depressing it can be, if we think of how it affects others rather than how it affects us, it's always worth doing.

    If you can carry a tune at all, think about singing some of your tunes. It will encourage them to join in, and no one will care how well you sing.

  7. #6

    User Info Menu

    THE Jazz giant in my area, the late Bill Huber, with a CV anyone would envy, said that he had never felt more appreciated for his work than when he started playing these kinds of facilities. For myself, I found playing these gigs withe the Big Band "The Sentimentals" gratis (we got gas money once in a while) was reward enough.

  8. #7

    User Info Menu

    These type of gigs are very rewarding spiritually. But I was thinking about repertoire. Will the Great American Songbook be recognized?
    Even if medium age is 80 they would have been 20 in 1962.

    Beatles
    Dylan

    Sunny might be reconized

    Then again the GASB is called that for a reason. Most anything would appreciated. Case in point we did a gig circa 1985 with our obnoxiously loud rock band and they loved it. Still one of the most satisfying gigs to date.

    Please report back.

  9. #8

    User Info Menu

    I suspect it depends a lot on the location. I played with a group for some time that rotated between the nursing homes in the area. Down here, you cannot go wrong with Bob Wills. We played other similar tunes, along with other older, simpler tunes. All the other members were in their 70s at the time, and we also played at different members' houses on the next night, usually no audience. They said "On Wednesday night we play what those old folks want to hear. On Thursday night we play what we want to hear." Those were the nights when I learned things. Before the pandemic, I played in a mostly older female ukulele band, led by a nun, which played weekly at a local adult daycare center. It was mostly old tunes that most people tend to know. Those gigs are not the place to showcase your repertoire of little-known gems, and usually aren't the greatest musical experiences, but the audience more than makes up for it with appreciation. Play familiar old songs everyone knows and your efforts will be rewarded.

  10. #9

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by Marinero
    Hi, S, Poor pay for the effort. However, if you feel like you want to give something back . . . do it for free, once. Those are very depressing places where uncaring families dump their parents in old age. I have a difficult time going into those facilities.
    There are a lot of depressing facilities as you describe. But there are also many nicer ones and many residents who actually prefer being in the company of others to being alone or living with family members who treat them like a burden. Even the lower level facilities have many residents whose families simply couldn’t afford more but needed to provide care and attention they couldn’t give at home..

    My mother decided at 86 (a few years after my father died, and still healthy for her age) that she should move into a building with mixed care levels - independent, assisted living, nursing care etc. She had friends there, plus a library, meals, care for problems etc. Some residents were dumped there, as you put it. But many had families & other visitors. She lived there until passing at 100, moving from independent to monitored to assisted to nursing - and she was much happier than she would have been in our house or alone in an apartment.

    Growing old is tough on everybody, and we don’t deal with it well at any level from personal to family to community to national attitudes and efforts. But many elderly nursing home residents look forward to an entertainer and really benefit emotionally. If you see it as a chance to give back to the prior generation, and the unpleasant parts don’t deter you, many of us like to do it. The vocalist in my blue band does several nursing and retirement facility gigs ever year.

  11. #10

    User Info Menu

    This particular facility, in the assisted living wing, has ages ranging from around 80 to over 100 and are mentally sound. I'm 77 and was born in 1945 and still going strong as I hope to be at 80. 85+ year olds were teenagers during the latter part of WWII so would remember all that great big band swing stuff. I was introduced to big band and western swing by my parents, and, growing up in Oklahoma, you HAD to listen to Bob Wills. I got in on the start of rock n roll and started playing guitar during the 'great folk scare' of the 1960s but pretty much quit listening to pop/rock music with the advent of distorted guitars. Even today, listening-wise, I lean more toward the old swing stuff than anything from the late 60s on up.

  12. #11

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
    There are a lot of depressing facilities as you describe. But there are also many nicer ones and many residents who actually prefer being in the company of others to being alone or living with family members who treat them like a burden. Even the lower level facilities have many residents whose families simply couldn’t afford more but needed to provide care and attention they couldn’t give at home..

    My mother decided at 86 (a few years after my father died, and still healthy for her age) that she should move into a building with mixed care levels - independent, assisted living, nursing care etc. She had friends there, plus a library, meals, care for problems etc. Some residents were dumped there, as you put it. But many had families & other visitors. She lived there until passing at 100, moving from independent to monitored to assisted to nursing - and she was much happier than she would have been in our house or alone in an apartment.

    Growing old is tough on everybody, and we don’t deal with it well at any level from personal to family to community to national attitudes and efforts. But many elderly nursing home residents look forward to an entertainer and really benefit emotionally. If you see it as a chance to give back to the prior generation, and the unpleasant parts don’t deter you, many of us like to do it. The vocalist in my blue band does several nursing and retirement facility gigs ever year.
    Hi, N,
    Yes, you get what you pay for and some facilities are on par with 5-star hotels for about $7-9k a month in my area. However, I believe it is a family commitment and when I grew up in Chicago in the 50's/60's, the only people who went to those facilities were truly incapable of home care and needed 24-hour medical assistance. Culture plays the greatest role and strong family units would never consider putting their loved ones in long-term care facilities as was the case in my old neighborhood where at least a third of the homes had grandma and grandpa living with them. However, today, we live among generations of people who put "Me First" regardless of circumstances and the practice has become the soup du jour for many. So, back to track . . . I think people who entertain in those facilities are doing a great service and perhaps, can bring some light into those people's lives. And, better to do it as a public service, on occasion, than believe it is fair pay for your efforts. Personally, I have never tried to save the world . . . only myself and that's been a full-time job and have taken care of my parents until they passed. Thanks for your honest reply.
    Marinero

  13. #12

    User Info Menu

    Play tunes you feel confident they will recognize with a tempo that will have them clapping their hands and bobbing their heads to the beat - - that will leave them (and you) smiling!

  14. #13

    User Info Menu

    I have always made this part of my music life. when I started in the eighties, i put together Trivia questions like who was in high school when this was a hit and so on. all of that was for naught.. In the South where I live, they will sing along with all of me and just the way you look tonight sometimes. But they are strongest whenever I sing amazing grace or a hymn. There are people even in the dementia units who still know the verses to when the roll is called up yonder or or I'll fly away.. I have had people but people in wheelchairs want to go get their mandolin or banjo and play along. I have occasionally been paid but I agree with the above and what it does for the soul is better than anything else. I stroll around now and Playing an acoustic arch top, And it does more for me than any of them.

  15. #14

    User Info Menu

    I should have mentioned patriotic songs as well given that it was just the 4th of July.

  16. #15

    User Info Menu

    Years ago I was in a swing combo that played gigs at care homes quite frequently. I remember one such gig, outdoors on a beautiful day, with a largely appreciative audience except for one old lady who sat on a bench beside the band and, after every number, shouted out, “Why won’t you play some real music?” Eventually the band leader turned to her and asked what she wanted to hear. “Real music,” she replied, “Songs about Jesus.”

    The trouble with building a set list for the care home crowd these days is that most of the standards we like to play are from their parents’ or even grandparents’ generation. I was reminded of this the other day when a young harmonica player came by to jam and we discovered that we had no repertoire in common; there was a gulf of at least a couple of decades between our tune lists.

  17. #16

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by Marinero
    Culture plays the greatest role and strong family units would never consider putting their loved ones in long-term care facilities.
    With all due respect, I think you need to discuss this with a few seniors in such faciities today. We've had several relatives choose them over living with our parents, us, our siblings or our cousins, including all 4 of our parents and somewhere around 20 grandparents, aunts, uncles etc. My mom, who died 10 years ago, was typical - she had friends in the building with whom she ate, played cards and watched television. They had movie nights, a small library and book discussions. Until she was about 95, she could take the building's bus to the supermarket, parks etc. When she couldn't do her shopping by herself, she still enjoyed just getting on the bus and riding around town for an hour or 2. She even sold greeting cards in the lobby at holidays to benefit the building until she was 98. That kind of activity just doesn't happen when the elderly live in their kids' homes.

    There was a supervised gym, which helped her stay fairly limber and active well into her 90s. And when she lost free and easy mobiity, she went into the assisted living part and there was someone to help her get out of bed, walk around, and carry out the activities of daily living. Her building was between our home and our offices, so one of us could get to her within minutes if she had an emergency. We saw her at least a few times a week, had meals with her as a family, and were both pleased and proud that she did so well for so long. Had she lived with us, she would have been bored to tears, lonely for friends her own age, and in premature decline from a lack of activity. She died peacefully at 100 after a few days of semiconsciousness.

    Her sister lived in a lower level nursing home for about 20 years. Even that facility kept her occupied and as good as she could be until she passed at 99. She used to complain bitterly on the phone about how they weren't doing anything for her. But every time we went to visit, she was in the middle of a group of women doing something she didn't want interrupted by us. She was clean, nourished, with her hair done and even a little makeup. She never got a bed sore or had a medical complication of being in a facility.

    The flip side is my wife's grandmother, who lived with my in-laws for a while after she was unable to stay by herself. She got into so much trouble that they had to get her 24/7 supervision. In a moment of lucidity, she asked if there was a "nicer place" she could go. So she moved to a nice assisted living center close to us where she could be enjoyably occupied, carefully watched, and protected much better than the family could ever have done.

    My wife and I are in our 70s and can't imagine living with either of our children. We've seen how nice these place can make the end of your life. And I can play gigs at my own retirement home

  18. #17

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
    With all due respect, I think you need to discuss this with a few seniors in such faciities today. We've had several relatives choose them over living with our parents, us, our siblings or our cousins, including all 4 of our parents and somewhere around 20 grandparents, aunts, uncles etc. My mom, who died 10 years ago, was typical - she had friends in the building with whom she ate, played cards and watched television. They had movie nights, a small library and book discussions. Until she was about 95, she could take the building's bus to the supermarket, parks etc. When she couldn't do her shopping by herself, she still enjoyed just getting on the bus and riding around town for an hour or 2. She even sold greeting cards in the lobby at holidays to benefit the building until she was 98. That kind of activity just doesn't happen when the elderly live in their kids' homes.

    There was a supervised gym, which helped her stay fairly limber and active well into her 90s. And when she lost free and easy mobiity, she went into the assisted living part and there was someone to help her get out of bed, walk around, and carry out the activities of daily living. Her building was between our home and our offices, so one of us could get to her within minutes if she had an emergency. We saw her at least a few times a week, had meals with her as a family, and were both pleased and proud that she did so well for so long. Had she lived with us, she would have been bored to tears, lonely for friends her own age, and in premature decline from a lack of activity. She died peacefully at 100 after a few days of semiconsciousness.

    Her sister lived in a lower level nursing home for about 20 years. Even that facility kept her occupied and as good as she could be until she passed at 99. She used to complain bitterly on the phone about how they weren't doing anything for her. But every time we went to visit, she was in the middle of a group of women doing something she didn't want interrupted by us. She was clean, nourished, with her hair done and even a little makeup. She never got a bed sore or had a medical complication of being in a facility.

    The flip side is my wife's grandmother, who lived with my in-laws for a while after she was unable to stay by herself. She got into so much trouble that they had to get her 24/7 supervision. In a moment of lucidity, she asked if there was a "nicer place" she could go. So she moved to a nice assisted living center close to us where she could be enjoyably occupied, carefully watched, and protected much better than the family could ever have done.

    My wife and I are in our 70s and can't imagine living with either of our children. We've seen how nice these place can make the end of your life. And I can play gigs at my own retirement home
    Hi, N,
    Please understand that I cast no stones for others' choices and know people who absolutely prefer the above scenarios for their final days. Some families are more social than others and for them, it is certainly the right choice. My mother was an extremely social person, well-educated with many talents but when my dad died, my brother wanted to put her in an assisted living facility and since I was still living in Chicago, he did not want to alter his lifestyle. My Mother called me in Chicago and, crying, begged me not to put her in a home. We were preparing for another multi-year cruise, after we sold our house, on our sailboat to the Bahamas and Eastern Caribbean and put our plans on hold and moved South. Within a year, she developed Dementia/Alzheimers and it became progressively worse until the end. There is no perfect solution, I suppose, to these matters in life. Follow your heart since if you make the wrong choice, for some, it could haunt you for the rest of your life. I have no regrets with my choice despite giving some prime years back to my Mom at the end of the road.
    Marinero

    P.S. Is this really a Jazz Forum??????? Catharsis is restorative.
    M

  19. #18

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
    My wife and I are in our 70s and can't imagine living with either of our children. We've seen how nice these place can make the end of your life. And I can play gigs at my own retirement home
    My mother's mother moved into my parents' home when she was 60 (her husband had died, youngish, some years before), and stayed, spending a few summers back in TX, until she was 95. She told my mother she was staying because she didn't trust my parents not to run off and leave the children behind (my parents were sort of in "show biz" – my father an opera singer, and my mother, until she became a primary school music teacher, was a pianist who played for Broadway musical auditions).

    My mother, after my father died at 69, stayed on at her home for a few years, and then, telling her five children quite forcefully that she did not want to do to her children what her mother had done to her, moved to a retirement community where she lived, quite happily and making many close friends, until she died at 88.

  20. #19

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by Marinero
    Is this really a Jazz Forum???????
    What's more essential to jazz than emotion and life experience?

  21. #20

    User Info Menu

    100 Greatest Traditional Pop Songs of the 1950s

    Here's a list of pop songs from the 50s. Lot of good choices.

  22. #21

    User Info Menu

    100 Greatest Traditional Pop Songs of the 1950s

    100 Greatest Traditional Pop Songs of the 1950s

    Lists of pop songs from the 50s. Lot of good choices.

    Don't forget Volare, That's Amore, Purple People Eater, Witch Doctor, Hound Dog, Charlie Brown, Runaround Sue, Runaway, As Time Goes By, Take Five, Blue Suede Shoes ...

  23. #22

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
    What's more essential to jazz than emotion and life experience?
    Hi, N,
    I hope you didn't miss my irony. However, we'll said!
    Marinero

  24. #23

    User Info Menu

    I have done retirement home/nursing home/hospital gigs both solo and with a small band (duo's and trios). The money is never great, but the looks on the faces of the elderly folks listening can make it worthwhile indeed.

    I never use backing tracks on a solo gig. I agree with the late Joe Pass who once that a guitarist should be able to play solo with nothing but a guitar and make music. If he/she can't do that, they need to woodshed a bit more before taking a solo gig.

  25. #24

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by Stringswinger
    I have done retirement home/nursing home/hospital gigs both solo and with a small band (duo's and trios). The money is never great, but the looks on the faces of the elderly folks listening can make it worthwhile indeed.

    I never use backing tracks on a solo gig. I agree with the late Joe Pass who once that a guitarist should be able to play solo with nothing but a guitar and make music. If he/she can't do that, they need to woodshed a bit more before taking a solo gig.
    I like Joe as much as the next guitar nerd but I don't see the 80+ crowd appreciating how many choruses of "All The Things You Are" I can pull off in a 5 minute improvised chord solo. They want to hear tunes that they can relate to and, maybe, sing along with a little bit. They are likely NOT jazz lovers but would love to hear "Alley Cat" with a simple bass and drum backing track. I'm there to entertain the folks, not to strive for some self imposed level of expertise to soothe my own ego. Somehow, I think I'm being insulted because I don't play at the level of Joe Pass and just want to provide a little entertainment for the folks in 'the home'.

  26. #25

    User Info Menu

    If you can get a nursing home crowd singing along to the chorus of Witch Doctor (ooh, eeh, ooh, ahh, ahh etc), in my book, you're an artist.

    Or, at least an entertainer who can lift people's spirits and take them away from themselves for a few minutes.