As reported in the New York Daily News, a group of 17 senior musical artists performed for an appreciative crowd on January 10 , as part of a collaboration between Carnegie Hall's Musical Connections and the artists.
“The result was way beyond my expectations,” one of the musicians, Chris Washburne, told the newspaper. “In the end, I think I learned more about music going through the process than maybe even the participants.”
Some of the seniors involved did not perform the music, but were the songwriters and composers who made the music, and then were able to see their work come alive.
One songwriter, 67 year-old Miriam Canaan, wrote a salsa song called Temor a Amar, which means Afraid to Love, and when it was being performed on stage, she danced to the beats she had created, while her son looked on.
The evening was attended by more than 200 people, and at the end of the program, they gave the seniors a standing ovation. Given the program’s success, perhaps more assisted living communities will be offering similar events in future.