My yearlong project, Interactive Concerts for Creative Aging, is now in motion. We qualified for grant funding from the City of Austin and we’ll know what our budget will be very soon. In the meantime we held our first free public event, a music & discussion gathering at the Howson Branch of Austin Public Library. The staff was very appreciative, so we will do another event there later in the year. Many thanks to Oliver Steck, Jimmy Lohman, and Karen Blizzard for performing with me and encouraging guests to participate. A little jazz, a little bossa nova…it was a fun afternoon!
The next event will be a house concert with pianist Peggy Stern and bassist Glenn Schuetz. Join us Oct 14, 4:00-6:00pm. This will be at a private residence with limited seating, so we need to get RSVPs in advance. If you’d like to attend, send me an email at [email protected].
Also, if you’re interested in volunteering with the project, we can use a variety of skills, including videographers, stage hands, publicity and social media people, as well as outreach with senior citizens groups and resources.
Interactive Concerts For The Elderly: General Information
We are pleased and privileged to have been awarded funding by the City of Austin to produce a series of music concerts through 2018-2019 which are designed to entertain and involve Austin’s senior citizens. The songs in the Interactive Concerts are drawn from classic jazz, pop and American songbook, as well as international hits, to reflect the diversity of backgrounds among Austin’s aging population.
The performances are by some of Austin’s best professional musicians, but the goal of the series is also to create a deeper interactive experience. In the months leading up to each concert, smaller music events are held in informal settings, at which elderly participants can share their memories of their favorite songs, as well as other memories which the music elicits. This helps the musicians gain insights into the personal and social history of the songs they play, and shapes the repertoire for the formal concerts.
A documentary team will capture these important interactions with audio and video recording. Additionally, in this relaxed setting senior citizens can participate in individual interviews to share their personal musical experiences and cultural insights if they want to. The audio/video recordings of the performances, interviews and social interactions will be of value to many in the Austin community, such as family members of elderly participants, caregivers, music and social historians, memory and aging researchers, and many more.
The Interactive Concerts For The Elderly Project actively seeks involvement from individuals, community organizations and corporate sponsors.
