That's enough!

[furtwaengler]

I played another one of my famous and most anticipated nursing home recitals today, returning to a health center where everybody is either rehabbing or just hanging in there. There have been some real inspirational moments playing these sort of concerts this year, going over the impact music is having on lives of suffering people...as they sometimes express directly their appreciation by saying how thankful they are that I've come, that it made their week, and even shedding tears of joy for the moving experience...

And then there are also those times when it is made exceedingly abundantly evident that I'm not helping their situation.

[starstruck5]

Not a fan of Brahms then!  The piano wasn't exactly suited to his sonorities either!

[m1469]

Oh goodness!  Was she really talking to you, or was there something else occurring at the same time (like a helper giving medication  )?  Yes, it's really something to hear you playing on this piano and in these circumstances.  It's not the same for me, but I can't help but be reminded of my "Opera in the Schools" stint several years ago, where we gave over 120 shows.  Though primarily we focused on schools, there were some retirement homes in there, as well.  No show was ever the same as another, and we learned to carry on through outrageous things, like school alarms going off, kids running for the bathroom right through our set while we were actually performing, middle school kids throwing things at us  , and of course wiggly and talkative adults and students (though often the students were better about that than the retirement homes).  I personally believe it actually is important for these people to have live music in their lives, whether they realize it or not!  And actually, I'd like to get myself into retirement homes sometime in the not-too-distant future.  How often do you do this?

[furtwaengler]

Not a fan of Brahms then!  The piano wasn't exactly suited to his sonorities either!

Ah, but Brahms it is not! It is an interesting thing with the pianos. This was my second time performing at this health center. The first time I was rather impressed by the naturally sweet tone of the instrument, though I was conscious it wasn't exactly in tune, and the action was slow, making it easy to get weighed down. I did not find the instrument exactly as I remembered on this last visit, though there were some surprises in how different music received different responses from the instrument.

[furtwaengler]

Oh goodness!  Was she really talking to you, or was there something else occurring at the same time (like a helper giving medication  )?  Yes, it's really something to hear you playing on this piano and in these circumstances.  It's not the same for me, but I can't help but be reminded of my "Opera in the Schools" stint several years ago, where we gave over 120 shows.  Though primarily we focused on schools, there were some retirement homes in there, as well.  No show was ever the same as another, and we learned to carry on through outrageous things, like school alarms going off, kids running for the bathroom right through our set while we were actually performing, middle school kids throwing things at us  , and of course wiggly and talkative adults and students (though often the students were better about that than the retirement homes).  I personally believe it actually is important for these people to have live music in their lives, whether they realize it or not!  And actually, I'd like to get myself into retirement homes sometime in the not-too-distant future.  How often do you do this?

If you listen closely there are audible signs of discomfort before she speaks up, but at the same time, I wouldn't doubt she was referring to the piano when she said, "That's enough!" The recording really does not even do justice to the how jarring it was as I was playing, thinking, should I just stand up at this next cadence? As it is I continued to the end, and then asked "Was that too long?" And another lady responded, "Not for me!"

Wow, I didn't know you were a part of opera in schools! Very cool. I find these music for seniors performances always rewarding. I play 1-2 times a month at various places. 

[emill]

hello Dave!

My Filipino ears almost could not pick it up hehheee!!!  I am embarrassed to admit I had to repeat it twice before clearly  hearing the "that's enough!"     

There are just too many variables in a nursing home among them the mental status of the patients.  A good number may have suffered strokes which have affected their frontal lobes without compromising motor function. That is that big part of the brain which affects appreciaiton of the arts, interpretation, memory, feelings etc....  so that one may just be a totally changed person where in her younger days classical music was bliss while today it is "that's enough!!".

But be assurred .... your playing is still wonderful and that ending part was flowing with gentleness even with the ...that's enough!!   and I am sure most of the senior elderlies there are genuinely touched.

emill

[pianowolfi]

Hammerklavier Adagio.
I love it.
Don't worry about comments like this, just ignore them and keep going.
I played for my mom in her home when she was almost "not here" anymore. She'd say all kind of crazy things, screem, yell, say "STOOOP It, Stooop IT, STOOOP IT!!" or "I know this, I know it, I know it!!!!!!" and whatnot.
Just keep going. It will arrive at some point in their soul, deep inside

[arielpiano]

I played in a nursing home recently, and yes, some people did doze off, but after the recital about half a dozen came up to thank me and they clearly had listened very carefully. And who is to say how many former musicians are among them?...

[furtwaengler]

Hammerklavier Adagio.
I love it.
Don't worry about comments like this, just ignore them and keep going.
I played for my mom in her home when she was almost "not here" anymore. She'd say all kind of crazy things, screem, yell, say "STOOOP It, Stooop IT, STOOOP IT!!" or "I know this, I know it, I know it!!!!!!" and whatnot.
Just keep going. It will arrive at some point in their soul, deep inside

Thanks, Wolfi. And it's nice to read about you playing for your mother in these conditions. What sort of music would you play?

[furtwaengler]

I played in a nursing home recently, and yes, some people did doze off, but after the recital about half a dozen came up to thank me and they clearly had listened very carefully. And who is to say how many former musicians are among them?...

Yes, the bulk of my experiences have concluded with a warm show of appreciation. In the first one I did back in January there was a lady who taught music in schools all her life. In August I played for a different health center, and a man told me he had heard Paderewsky give a recital, saying he was a great man. These have all been great experiences.