The soothing sounds of the violin, cello and piano — performing Broadway, classical, jazz and other musical genres — echo in the hallways of CHAI’s Weinberg Village senior living community in Owings Mills.
These are the sounds of the Iris Music Project Trio, all of whom are graduates of Baltimore’s prestigious Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University. The musicians are participating in a six-month onsite residency in which they perform the works of Irving Berlin, Rodgers and Hammerstein and other composers to engage and entertain the residents. The musicians conduct performances, classes and lessons during the residency.
The program is co-run by Gayle Newman, director of activities at Weinberg Village. She works with Lauren Latessa, founder and artistic director of the Iris Music Project, on creating the program to reimagine engagement and connection among members of the senior living community.
The program is funded by the Iris Music Project’s donor base and a grant from the John J. Leidy Foundation.
After a preview show in 2019, Newman said she noticed the enthusiastic reaction to the musicians and involvement from the seniors and began working on a program.
“We have the musicians go on every floor of every building, one at a time and play… and the residents just come out and listen to them play,” she said.
The trio coordinates classes on jazz, Broadway, classical, Russian music and more, not only to perform but to teach and revitalize a love for music among the community members.
“At first you’d have two people come, but now I’m having 30 people,” Newman said.
Despite the newness of the program, the excitement from residents has been palpable.
“All of us are in our 70s and 80s, and some of us are even in our 90s, and this is just thrilling for us,” said one resident. “Each week, we talk about something different. Our teachers are so generous with their time, and we are absolutely thrilled to have this opportunity.”
For many residents, the program provides an opportunity to rekindle old musical knowledge and skills through the instruction of a professional musician.
“I played piano years and years and years ago,” said resident Sue White, “and now I’m taking lessons and I feel that a lot of things I learned are coming back to me. It’s convenient and it’s right here. We don’t have to go anywhere.”
Added resident Les Poris: “It brings quality music to people who may not have the opportunity to go see it. You have a one-on-one relationship with professional musicians who are personable and extremely talented.”
It’s not just an activity to pass the time, said resident Mike Peisach, but one that can touch someone deeply. An example, he said, is his wife, Barbara.
“We came here and she’d had a hip replacement, melanoma,” he said. “This lady [Newman] took her under her wing and said, ‘We’re going to get you straight.’ We’ve been here two years and this program of music she fell in love with, and she’s a shy lady but she walked over and hugged the musicians and this has changed what she does, her feelings for herself and the village.”
The residency performers — cellist Catherine Mikelson, pianist Ying-Shan Su and violinist Diana Sanchez — say they also gain immensely from the experience.
“The model is so interesting. I find new connections every day in a way that doesn’t usually exist,” Mikelson said. “There’s the connection from me to the resident on a personal level, music to the residents, residents to each other. This is getting them out of their rooms and connecting in a way they might not otherwise during the day”
Mikelson said she has had the opportunity to engage with residents not only during lessons and performances but also in spontaneous ways.
“There’s a Czechoslovakian resident,” she said, “and she comes out of her room and starts singing to me and I say, ‘I know that song,’ and she sings while I play. I don’t need her words to tell me she’s thankful. It’s just that shared moment she’s appreciating me, and I’m appreciating her.”
Besides entertaining the residents, the program provides much needed work for the professional musicians, especially during the pandemic.
“Students are graduating with music skills from everywhere like Peabody, and they’re not finding jobs,” Newman said. “There’s only so many jobs for the symphony or music teachers. This is a whole new world for them.”
Newman, who has worked at CHAI’s Weinberg Villages for 14 years, said she is passionate about finding new ways to engage seniors.
“I don’t do Bingo,” she said. “I want seniors to try new things. They give me the energy to do things for them”
Among the activities she has provided for Weinberg Village seniors in the past are ballet, gardening and the construction of a tile art project created with the collaboration of approximately 100 residents.
“They’re proud and it took two weeks, 15 people at a time to the art room,” Newman said. “This is what I try and do, things that are different, things that they can be proud of doing.”
Nicholas Elliott is a Jmore editorial staff intern.
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