Blog #5

 One of the other experiences that really stood out to me this week was when we performed at the Maplewood at Twinsburg. For this experience, we had a slightly different set-up than past performances. Usually, we perform during lunch hours or during activity times. When it comes to lunch performances, we play as background music when the patients are setting up and eating lunch. Meanwhile, during activity times, the workers help bring in the patients to a living room or activity room so that we can play for the community. This time around, we did a lunch performance specifically for two couples. We got a text from Brandy Turner the morning of our performance explaining that they were celebrating the couples within the Maplewood at Twinsburg facility. Jamie and I decided to set up our performance repertoire with some lovely songs to help the two couples in their celebration! They were in a separate dining area from the rest of the patients, and we played personally for the two couples. Some of the pieces in our repertoire included “A Whole New World” from the movie Aladdin, “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley, and “A Tale as Old as Time” from the Beauty and the Beast. One of the couples explained that their daughter also used to play the cello, and we were happy to hear their enthusiasm for the performance. I thought that the experience was so sweet to be a part of! Afterward, we moved to a different wing of the facility where we could play for a bigger crowd of people. In the audience, we met a former teacher who was especially enthusiastic about our songs! We really enjoyed hearing her humorous remarks and jokes throughout the performance! We also met another woman who was incredibly moved after our performance of “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” Afterward, she repeated that she has never heard anything like it before. I was so grateful for all of her kind words as oftentimes, patients in memory care aren’t as vocal. I truly loved this experience, and I hope to talk with them again.

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