The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
Panhandlers
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.