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Musicians Bring Christmas Joy to Sick, Lonely Elders in Pasadena
Arts Dec 11, 2014
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Volunteer Band Begins Tours Pasadena Nursing Homes
The “Pay it Forward” Volunteer Band, recently performed their nostalgic Christmas Show for the Eisenhower, Sunrise and Golden Cross Convalescent Homes, on North Fair Oaks Blvd in an area known by many as “Nursing Home Row”. These are the organization’s first three 2014 Christmas concerts, of the 40 planned throughout Los Angeles County. Pasadena Vice-Mayor Jacque Robinson attended the first concert.
“The stretch of North Fair Oaks that these nursing homes are in, 8 skilled nursing facilities in a 5 or 6 block stretch, is very unique, a band spokesman said. We have never seen a city with a like number of nursing homes, in this case 16,concentrated into such a small area. There is probably an interesting story to that.” This organization is likely to understand how unique that is as they also operate in San Jose, Nashville, San Diego, Cincinatti, Denver, Las Vegas, Orange and Riverside counties.
The band’s Christmas program features the most popular Christmas songs from the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s, songs, made famous by the most popular singers of that time like Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, and others. They are no caroling group, opting to perform as a jazz ensemble of 6 to 9 people typically. The band tries to perform the songs in such a way that it reaches deep into often reach deep into the memories of the patients with Alzheimers and Dementia, making the band’s efforts highly effective therapy. Sometimes the effects are miraculous.
But the show is also typically the best entertainment that a nursing home has ever seen as many of the recruits are some of the best professional and talented amateurs musicians in the City. “We also do these shows year-round because so many of these people have nobody left”, said the band spokesperson. Nearly 100 volunteer musicians will be involved in this year’s LA County effort.
