Grant helps bring music to seniors
The Peterborough New Horizons Band is taking the gift of music to the community once again, thanks to a grant from the Seniors Community Grant Program.
The Ashburnham-based group received $8,000 for a new music program that got underway In September and will run until March.
The program is called Putting Smiles on People’s Faces and is designed to teach seniors to learn to read music and play an instrument.
“These are people who have never read music or picked up an instrument before,” said program coordinator Cathy Brown-Payne.
The idea for the program came out of discussions at PNHB board meetings with input from board members. After the grant was approved, Brown-Payne sourced the equipment and books needed to run the new venture.
The project takes the green band experience to residents at Summit Terrace, with 10 residents enrolled in the weekly sessions.
There is one volunteer and two back-ups for every senior taking part in the program for a total of 30 volunteers from PNHB. The volunteers act as mentors to the residents, having been through the process themselves.
“We also had to ask conductors who would be willing to do this,” said Browne-Payne.
Sal Castiglione is a conductor with the program and is a former green band conductor and the best ambassador for the green band program. With the right mentor and guidance from conductors, the learning process can produce quick results.
By the fourth week, residents are already playing songs, including a Christmas sampler.
“It’s wonderful to see the smiles on their faces,” she said.
The benefits to learning to play an instrument go beyond actual skills. “They get happier with every week.”
It helps with cognitive and memory skills, and there is a social aspect to it as well.
“The residents enjoy getting to know each other,” she said.
Overall, the experience will give the new musicians added musical skills and confidence to try new things.
“Their outlook on life will have changed,” she said.
The season will wind up in March with a concert for families and friends, performed by the newly formed Summit Terrace Band.
The one-time grant is designed to be used for a unique project that helps keep seniors active, healthy and involved in the community.
“I wish we could do more. I don’t know of any program that would do that,” she said.
PNHB encourages anyone interested in learning to play a musical instrument to get involved.
“We would like to meet people from all of the retirement residences,” she said adding many facilities could bus residents to band practices.
In the meantime, Brown-Payne is working on a grant application due this month for a different program that has the potential to bring music to even more people. For PNHB, they are striking the right note.
Interested in knowing more? Contact Lynn Dragomir, green band manager, 705-740-0844 or via email at lynndrags@hotmail.com.