Giving

Thursday the studio performing group, which has no name but really needs one, gave away our gift of music to residents at a nursing home, a retirement center, and a church. 

Our program:

Folksy Fiddlin’ 

Macy B, Christian K, Mattie S

Yankee Doodle…..Arr. McMichael

Ashokan Farewell..…Ungar/Mason, arr. McGlaun

Fantomen....... Arr. McLean

Little Fandango…….McLean

Orange Blossom Special.....Rouse

*Solos: Macy B…German Dance…von Dittersdorf

Mattie S…Humoresque…Dvorak

At the nursing home we had a piano, so I accompanied the group. We had a broken, bent music stand incident, but I keep two yoga mats and two music stands in the trunk of my car.  In case you were wondering I actually use the two yoga mats more than the stands.  Most of the places where I play there are music stands in place.

Anyway, after performing at the nursing home the residents, many of them in wheelchairs, wanted to thank the students personally. One of them, a fastidiously groomed lady wearing pink from collar to ankle, told me she hadn’t heard Humoresque in 10,000 years and it made her feel like she was in a wonderful dream.  That’s why we go to these places and play these programs.

When we arrived at the nearby retirement center forty-five minutes later I was expecting to perform in a large room, which is almost a mini auditorium with a grand piano.  However, the program director was on vacation and had failed to leave instructions or to even put us on the calendar. So…

We improvised by asking to play luncheon music in the dining room.  We set up along a wall, taking care to keep the stand legs out of the way and moving all the cases and bags away from potential disaster with a resident with a walker or cane.  What I haven’t mentioned yet, is that my Mom, The Nannie, came along for the performances.  She enjoyed chatting with the program director at the nursing facility, and at the retirement center decided to sit in the foyer just outside the dining room door out of the way.  Well, a resident sat beside her and complained loudly about us for twenty minutes—the duration of the program.  She called us beginners, said we were “right in the way of ther table”, and that we were way too loud for the dining room.  Then she went on to get really nasty from there. At the end of the program she told Nannie that her house burned to the ground, she lost everything that she owned and her children asked her to come to the center, but her money is running out.  Bless her heart, no wonder she has a bad attitude.  I pray that she can find joy and receive abundantly from the Father who provides abundantly for His children. 

Moving on to First Nazarene Church for the senior citizens monthly covered dish, Christian K was providing some drama.  His character was Starving Teenager.  Thankfully they let us eat right away and it was delicious food!  Homemade bread, fried chicken, beef fingers, King Ranch Chicken, fresh vegetables, macaroni and cheese, and lots and lots of pie and cake.  By the time we performed we were very happy musicians indeed.