This meetup group is all about appreciating the wonderful music (pop, soul, rock, jazz) of decades past, roughly encompassing the 50's to the 80's. We use music to facilitate interaction and for the therapeutic benefits, especially for seniors, of rhythm-based music therapy. As a professional drummer and songwriter, I have found that listening to and enjoying music from a rhythmic standpoint has great benefits for people of any musical background. The only requirement is that you enjoy music too!
This particular group is open to all individuals in the area who are at least 55 years in age. I have carried out many sessions like this with great results, as I especially love bringing joy to seniors, who too often don't have viable social opportunities and don't have any way of revisiting good memories from their youth via music.
The primary reason to join this group is to HAVE FUN! To expand on that, the fun you have during these sessions is based on simultaneous appreciation of music and positive social interaction with an individual who is not necessarily in your age group (ME!). If you would like to enjoy not just listening to music, but interactively getting INSIDE the music by rhythmically playing along or clapping, then join! If you are looking to meet other like-minded, music-loving seniors, then join! If you want to have a unique experience enjoying music you love while creating lasting friendship, then join! While I certainly offer musical knowledge with each session and information regarding the instruments and the music that I bring, my priority is for you to have a great time while also possibly learning something about music!
In a typical session, we begin by chatting for a few minutes about music (or any other topic!). Oftentimes, I will then do a quick performance to demonstrate the rhythmic approach to listening to music. Then, I pass out small instruments to whoever may be interested while we play, sing, clap, and dance! If you have limited mobility, you can still join in with small percussion instruments that I bring, or you can simply watch and listen. You will forget your aches and pains for an hour as we jam together within the context of music you love, like Stevie Wonder, the Beatles, Benny Goodman, the Grateful Dead, Michael Jackson, and a whole lot more. I often dance with and interact with everyone in the room while we play our instruments and forget our worries inside the music.
If you're a senior who loves music, join our group today! I'm very much looking forward to meeting you! No musical experience necessary.