The Mercury (Pottstown, PA)

Panhandler­s

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I was looking for. This should be highly entertaini­ng, I thought. Little did I know where it would go.

Later in the spring of 2019, I held a “Try Something New” event where I introduced lots of new ideas and opportunit­ies and foods to the residents. Many were off the beaten path … far off the beaten path. Steel drums was one of those.

Dave agreed to come and offer a scaled-down beginner’s version of the steel drums to the residents here. He created these pans to suit the specificat­ions of this age group. Before I knew it, I had a waiting list of people interested in learning.

I immediatel­y requested permission to purchase 10 drums made by Dave, and so it began. Dave came weekly to offer instructio­ns, and immediatel­y we knew this would be something special.

This group, aptly named the Brittany Pointe Panhandler­s, came together once a week to rehearse and practiced daily. It would not be surprising at all to walk down a residentia­l hallway and hear the melodic sounds of the drums from behind closed doors. They were determined and diligent.

We were well on our way and excited at the prospect of getting better and better. We set a concert date, and they worked hard. Dave was thrilled and so were we. Then COVID hit. Just like everyone else, we were restricted as to what we could do, with no possibilit­ies of further instructio­n and no hopes of performing in public. But did they let that get them down? No way! This incredible group kept practicing and getting better. I did my best to pinch-hit as instructor, with long-distance support and coaching from Dave.

Our first gig was a virtual one but was a huge success. With our first public appearance came

more residents who wanted to join the Panhandler­s. We are currently a group of 16, with room to grow.

They say that learning a new skill in your later years is a wonderful way to keep your mind sharp and ward off dementia. I recently read an article that stated that individual­s between 60 and 85 who began participat­ing in music lessons had improved memory, quicker processing speed and improvemen­t in other cognitive functions, compared to others in that age group. The data omits one vital fact … it’s fun!

My Panhandler­s have a great time, are anxious to learn new and more complicate­d material, and who knows? We might even graduate to full-size pans one of these days. For now, we jam. If you happen to drive by and hear sounds of the islands, it’s just the Brittany Pointe Panhandler­s banging their drums.

 ?? COURTESY OF BRITTANY POINTE ESTATES ?? Kay Ewer is one of the residents of Brittany Pointe Estates who is learning to play the steel drum.
COURTESY OF BRITTANY POINTE ESTATES Kay Ewer is one of the residents of Brittany Pointe Estates who is learning to play the steel drum.
 ??  ?? Martha Guerra, left, and Maryanna Keller practice on steel drums during a lesson at Brittany Pointe Estates.
Martha Guerra, left, and Maryanna Keller practice on steel drums during a lesson at Brittany Pointe Estates.

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