(gentle music) - A lot of us as we age, we tend to isolate, especially in some of the senior living communities that we visit.

A lot of those folks don't have the means to get out and take themselves out to hear live music.

So, that's where we come in.

We bring the programming to them.

♪ So buckle your belt and fix your hat and spit her out ♪ (musicians imitate spitting) - Music for Seniors is a 501c3 nonprofit.

Our main mission is to connect area musicians with older adults through engaging, entertaining, and interactive music programs.

(audience applauds) We have a variety of programming, our outreach programming where we go into senior living communities or senior centers or dementia support groups, Parkinson's support groups, and do one-hour interactive programs, live music programs.

That's one part of our service.

We also do what we call learning labs, live music learning labs, where we teach older adults how to play instruments like ukulele, harmonica, percussion.

Great opportunity for everybody to connect socially around a music program.

Play it.

(drums beating) It takes a really special person to be able to do this work, especially in some of the memory care settings.

It is emotionally draining at times, but again, the reciprocity on being able to serve in that capacity outweighs, most of the time outweighs, any difficulty.

Keep it going!

- I met the creator, the founder of Music for Seniors, Sarah Martin McConnell, and she asked me about it, and I said, "If she's doing it, I'm gonna try it."

And I had done some long-term care facility gigs when I lived in New York, not very many.

So I had that in my mind and thinking, you know, foolishly thinking, "I'm really gonna give them something.

This thing is so important and I'm so cool."

Turned out, I was getting more.

(wistful country music) And you know, if you can engage with somebody, that's meaningful for both people and I don't take that for granted.

That's really, that's what it's all about.

That's what life is all about.

So if you can do that with music or dancing or art or poetry, whatever, that's what we all ought to be aiming for.

(gentle music)