Songs Appropriate for Nursing Home...

Subject: RE: Songs Approp. 4 Nursing Home...
From: Marion
Date: 02 Aug 02 - 01:01 AM

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Subject: RE: Songs Approp. 4 Nursing Home...
From: Genie
Date: 02 Aug 02 - 01:56 AM

Jerry R, Your song lyrics are wonderful! Do you happen to have an MP3 of the song, or have you put it on CD? I'd love to hear you sing it.

Genie

Subject: RE: Songs Approp. 4 Nursing Home...
From: Genie
Date: 02 Aug 02 - 04:31 AM

Two points, I think, bear repeating/emphasizing:

¥ there are a lot of different populations residing in what some would call "nursing homes" -- with widely varying mental functioning levels, of various ages, and from widely varying cultural backgrounds. You could be asked for "Jailhouse Rock" to "Rachmaninoff" to "Rock-a-My-Soul" to "Rock-a-bye, Baby" to "The Rock Island Line" to "Rock-a-bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody."

¥ It makes a big difference whether you're doing a sing-along, a concert, or background music.

Subject: RE: Songs Approp. 4 Nursing Home...
From: Genie
Date: 02 Aug 02 - 02:56 PM

Just connecting the nursing home / retirement home threads.

click here

Subject: RE: Songs Approp. 4 Nursing Home...
From: Genie
Date: 23 Sep 02 - 07:52 PM

Here is a list from Gern, who recently played his first nursing home gig (and got a fine reception).

Genie

Subject: RE: Songs Approp. 4 Nursing Home...
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Oct 02 - 11:50 PM

Subject: RE: Songs Approp. 4 Nursing Home...
From: GUEST,coloradoboy
Date: 30 May 10 - 05:06 AM

i.am.looking.for.lyrics&chords.to.the.old.song,"In.The.Sweet.Long.Ago"
i.have.a.few.o.the.lyrics.and.a.version.on.youtube.done..by.George.Wilton
Ballard.in.the.1930's,i.believe.But.i.don't.have.complete.lyrics&chords.
Can.anyone.help?i've.got.to.do.this.song.on.Friday,June4th.HELP!...thanx
coloradoboy

Subject: RE: Songs Approp. 4 Nursing Home...
From: deepdoc1
Date: 30 May 10 - 10:25 AM

I've always wondered if songs like Bed By The Window or Hello In There have a place in an older venue, or if one must be unfalteringly positive and uplifting. As I get older (62-ish) songs like this do give me pause, make me think, both backward and forward.

I crack a big grin when I read the stories above about the more earthy sensibilities of older folks - some of the friskiest people I know are getting up there.

JimB

Subject: RE: Songs Approp. 4 Nursing Home...
From: GUEST,Stevoe
Date: 28 Aug 10 - 05:37 AM

where is the best place to get music for keyboards to play for retirement homes?

Subject: RE: Songs Approp. 4 Nursing Home...
From: GUEST,NickF
Date: 23 Sep 10 - 07:59 PM

One of the easiest places to get great NH songs free is on a little known site called Wikifonia.org

There you can find many Standards of the past in the form of lead sheets containing melody line, chords and lyrics in pdf format. You can even transpose the song into any key before downloading or printing it out.

A few of the Synth keyboard (one-man-band) NH performers use this site as a song retrieval resource.

Nick

Subject: RE: Songs Approp. 4 Nursing Home...
From: Genie
Date: 23 Sep 10 - 11:52 PM

I see one of the elves has corrected the misspelling of "sing-along," so here's the link:
Sing-along Songs From the '20s and '30s"

Subject: RE: Songs Approp. 4 Nursing Home...
From: Genie
Date: 24 Sep 10 - 12:04 AM

Re the type of songs that are "appropriate" for "nursing homes," having focused on doing music for senior communities, including nursing & rehab. centers, for 17 years, I'd say any songs like this have their purpose in homes for people who are very old and/or impaired physically or mentally:
~ Songs they know and can/will sing along with, even if just on the chorus
~ Songs that make them laugh (and some that make them cry, by bringing up fond memories)
~ Songs that make them move (e.g, "dancing" - even in wheel chairs - or tapping feet, etc.)
~ Simple new songs that they can learn (learning something new being, in itself, one of the best ways of fighting cognitive loss)
~ Songs that connect with the season, holiday, etc.
~ Instrumental music - whether familiar or not - that soothes and/or elates.


Especially with groups wherein people are very cognizant of and concerned about loss of function, etc., I use songs about "being old" sparingly. The ones I do use tend to be about life-long love or humorous "aging" songs like "The Memory Song."

Subject: RE: Songs Approp. 4 Nursing Home...
From: LadyJean
Date: 24 Sep 10 - 12:33 AM

I will always remember my silver haired mum and one of her friends singing, "Violate me in the violet time in the vilest way that you know."

There was also the time she shocked one of my friends when he began, "This is the day they give babies away with a half a pound of tea." and she finished, "If you know any ladies who want any babies just send them along to me!"

Subject: RE: Songs Approp. 4 Nursing Home...
From: GUEST,Ron
Date: 12 Feb 11 - 07:46 PM

I have been playing in nursing homes and assisted living facilities for over 30 years. You will be amazed at the memories music and song will bring back for the residents and the number of folks that will sing along with you.
I do a variety of Hank Williams, Jim Reeves, Elvis, Chuck Berry, Marty Robbins, Jimmie Rogers, some honky-tonk blues and a little gospel.
I always try and give them an opportunity to tell me "who sang that song"?
I have had residents get up and dance, sing along and even have had a couple that had guitars in their rooms and they played with me.
The residents enjoy the memories and I am blessed by being able to make memories for myself!

Subject: RE: Songs Appropriate for Nursing Home...
From: The Minstrel
Date: 19 Jun 11 - 01:09 PM

Surprise, surprise. The top songs (based on resident response) are:
Tennessee Waltz, Danny Boy, The Anniversary Song, Whispering, My Blue Heaven, Stardust, I'll See You In My Dreams, Night and Day, Don't Fence Me In, Alexander's Ragtime Band, The Gambler, Button Up Your Overcoat, It's Been A Long Long Time, It's A Sin To Tell A Lie, September Song, Alabama Jubilee, As Time Goes By, Deep Purple, Deed I Do, If I Had You, Slow Boat To China, South Of The Border, Swingin On A Star, The Unicorn, Darktown Strutter's Ball, Bye Bye Blackbird, Bill Bailey, Pack Up Your Troubles, It's A Long Way To TIpperarry, 4 Leaf Clover, Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah, Moonglow, Dream A Little Dream Of Me, Smile, Up A Lazy River, Birth Of The Blues, Sentimental Journey, Chattanooga Choo-Choo, Heartaches, Heart Of My Heart, Sunny Side Of The Street, Don't Get Around Much Anymore, All Of Me, I Remember You, A White Sportcoat, Singin The Blues, King Of The Road and more.

Subject: RE: Songs Appropriate for Nursing Home...
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Jun 11 - 01:43 PM

I appreciate that this is going off at a tangent but Richard Stilgoe & Peter Skellern made an album called A Quiet Night In and one of the tracks is called The Caithness Self Lift Chair which appeals to my sense of humour, possibly because I work in a care home!!

Subject: RE: Songs Appropriate for Nursing Home...
From: GUEST,Marie Bray
Date: 28 Jan 13 - 04:40 AM

Hello
I've been reading your link and it's fascinating. I play piano for ballet classes and I have just landed myself an audition with an entertainments agency for playing to the over sixties in care homes, sheltered housing and similar. I have a ten minute audition in which I will put together a medley. My ideas for songs in general so far are Winter wonderland
Get me to the church on time
Zipididooda
Itsy bitty tweenies weenie
Thank you for the music
Dream a little dream for me
Don't dilly dally on the way
Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner
Spoonful of sugar
Bipadibobadidoo
New York New York
Strangers in the night
Boogievwoogie
Show me the way to go home
She'll be coming round the mountain
Old MacDonald
Blueberry hill
Stand by me
Whiter shade of pale
Hey Jude
Nights in white satin
Let it be
Get by with a little help from my friends
Daisy daisy
I'm forever blowing bubbles
Over the rainbow
Just a spoonful of sugar
Doe a deer
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
My bonny lies over the ocean
Amazing grace
Memory
Puff the magic dragon
Eidleweiss
I can play all these by ear , but I may do a classical piece at the end from music to show that I can play the serious stuff too.
If you have any suggestions then I would be most grateful. Im also quite funny and didnt know whether it'd be appropriate for a joke or too in the music, I e a quirky unexpected link between songs. Also, do all care homes use agencies or can I contact them directly to set up a monthly singalong?
Many thanks
Marie

Subject: RE: Songs Appropriate for Nursing Home...
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 28 Jan 13 - 05:22 AM

Living in Scotland, we put a lot of Scottish songs into the repertoire, and this last week, of course we have done a couple of gigs on a Burns' theme, one in a day care centre and the other in a head injuries unit. I have compiled the song lyrics for this and other gigs into song sheets, which have changed the whole thing round from singing AT people to singing WITH them. Not all of them still able to read because of visual or cognitive impairment, but the careers can, and those who can join in. It is rewarding to have people who have perhaps been pretty uncommunicative suddenly light up and join in when they recognise a song. We also allow time for folk to tell us of life experiences, the memory of which may have been triggered by the song:many if them have led very interesting lives.

Subject: RE: Songs Appropriate for Nursing Home...
From: GUEST,FloraG
Date: 28 Jan 13 - 07:51 AM

The bigger care homes have events managers - so would be happy with a direct approach.
Do your local football teams have songs?
Grandfathers clock - everyone seems to know.
FloraG

Subject: RE: Songs Appropriate for Nursing Home...
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 28 Jan 13 - 12:28 PM

Hello, Marie. I haven't done nursing homes much, but I do remember a comment that a friend made to me after a show. She said that the director's greatest pleasure came from seeing people who usually sat hunched and silent turning into people who were alert, interested and talking. (These were Alzheimer's patients.)

I think it's important to play well, but it's also important to have a sociable personality which interacts with the patients and brings them out.

Different homes will have different needs of course, so talk to the staff and see where their patients "are at." I think it will help your chances of getting jobs if you show that you are aware of this kind of stuff about nursing-home gigs.

Subject: RE: Songs Appropriate for Nursing Home...
From: Celtic Cat
Date: 17 Jul 14 - 02:05 PM

Playing at nursing homes can be fun, but the song list is important, as many on this thread have noted. Here are some of the songs we play that get a nice reception for most 'older' venues we've tried. We usually end with Goodnight Irene or So Long It's Been Good to Know You.

You Are My Sunshine
Ain't She Sweet
Georgia On My Mind
Home On the Range
My Blue Heaven
Jambalaya
Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out
The Old Gray Mare
Pack Up Your Sorrows
When You're Smiling
On the Sunny Side of the Street
Take It Slow and Easy
Lulu's Back in Town
I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts
Five Foot Two
Ain't We Got Fun
Bill Bailey
The Happy Wanderer
Goodnight Irene
So Long, It's Been Good to Know You

Subject: RE: Songs Appropriate for Nursing Home...
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 18 Jul 14 - 04:36 AM

I have been singing and playing traditional and modern folk, blues, bluegrass and easy listening music for many years. I started entertaining in the Hospice about 3 years ago and have also played in the Marie Curies Hospice. The first time I sang at the Hospice someone burst into tears because of whatever song I was singing. I was mortified but the nursing staff reassured me afterwards that I had helped the patient tremendously.
I sing and play all my usual repertoire.
It can be hard to gauge the response from the residents but recently the manager of the Hospice told me that the patients absolutely love the music, really look forward to it and want to know when I am coming back - no not so they can avoid me !!!!
Anyway, just play your best material whatever it is and be sure to entertain them to the best of your ability.

Subject: RE: Songs Appropriate for Nursing Home...
From: LadyJean
Date: 19 Jul 14 - 12:40 AM

When I went to visit my elderly cousin in a nursing home, they had a duo singing old sixties rock and roll songs. They weren't very good, but the crowd seemed to like them.

Subject: RE: Songs Appropriate for Nursing Home...
From: GUEST,Mr T
Date: 11 Aug 15 - 07:58 PM

I do a somewhat professional show of anything...tin pan alley and bog band to pop oldies from the 50's, 60's and 70's, and some country.
Frankly I need the extra money and always negotiate a price by letting them tell me what they pay on average I am a former band director, play guitar and piano and sing. I get people to sing along, tell corny jokes and stories about my mom and dad and relative and even my kids. i like to have people fell that we're in the living room having and party singing and talking. I use both my own self created back up music and live singing. Often I will use the phrase "you'll never guess what happened to me last week" and tell some silly thing that actually happened, ask if it ever happened to them too? i worked as an activity assistant for 2 ears and I know the drill, and love the people. I hope I leave them laughing every time!