Memory Care Outing

Thanks, Eggs n' Ham! I have a feeling you could absolutely play for others. Consider the retirement home setting-- a neat way to get the hang of performing is to see if a local nursing home would allow you to come in some afternoon and sort of "wander" with your uke. No amp, no mic. If you prepared as few as 3 songs-- songs that you really love-- and strolled from one location to another within the facility, stopping to play a couple of them for residents you encounter along the way, you can reach a lot of people without the perception that you're repeating the songs, because your audience is "rotating", so to speak. That's basically how I started doing it. No concerns about "gear" (as much as I love gear), and no need to worry about remembering a ton of songs, just three "sure-fire" favorites that I knew I could do in my sleep! And before you know it, 45 minutes has gone by, which is just about right for an outing of that sort! You can do it!
I like this idea. Not all the residents want to come out and join groups so even quick stops and plays in the halls would be nice.
 
I like this idea. Not all the residents want to come out and join groups so even quick stops and plays in the halls would be nice.
Definitely, C-J. I remember about 20 years ago, on a Sunday afternoon, I took my acoustic guitar over to a nursing home, sat down in the main lobby, and just started doodling. Over the course of an hour, quite a few residents kind of randomly came by, stopped to listen, maybe chatted a little, and then went on their way. It was a lot of fun. I guess you could say I just acted like I was supposed to be there, and no one on staff raised any question. :D
 
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