It is widely known that music brings joy and happiness while improving the quality of life. This applies to listeners as well as to the musicians themselves. Sometimes, giving the gift of music to those who need joy in their lives is such a noteworthy story that it needs to be told. This is one of those stories.
US-based musician Lee Williams is doing precisely that: bringing joy and enrichment to people’s lives – including his own. Lee performs regularly at retirement homes with a classical “a man and his guitar” act.
The idea came to him two years ago when Lee’s mother-in-law was in a retirement facility.
“I was talking with one of the staff and mentioned how much I enjoyed learning guitar and what music had come to mean to me in my old age. So, she simply invited me to play. I accepted, and we scheduled it. I played for about an hour. Needless to say, with my poor skills, I was terrified but realized how much the patients appreciated it”, Lee says.
“It feels great to be appreciated and know that you brought some real value and so much happiness into some lives.”
And indeed, Lee’s musical journey began in his golden years.
“I never touched a guitar until I was 69 years old. I guess one is never too old to learn. I am so grateful I took it up. My progress is slow, but I still love it”, Lee explains.
Lee has learned his guitar skills both independently and with Justin Sandercoe. He has used the JustinGuitar app and also visited Justin’s Guitar camps.
“I have attended Justin’s Guitar camps three times: once in Petite St. Vincent’s, once in Italy, and once in Montreal. The camps have helped me improve as a guitar player in a surprising way: Justin insisted that I learn to sing. The truth is, I’m not that great at either playing guitar or singing, but I love the hell out of both”, Lee says modestly.
“I really recommend the camps! Both the instructions and the class itself are great! It’s nice to be in a supportive group. Justin and his instructor colleagues are nothing less than outstanding”, Lee continues.
Lee wants to emphasize that one shouldn’t miss the chance to perform for others just because one might be worried about one’s skills as a player.
“I Never touched a guitar until I was 69. I guess one is never too old to learn.“
“My advice is, don’t worry how badly you play or sing – just do it”, Lee says.
He enjoys his performances at retirement homes tremendously.
“Seeing the smiles and laughter is what I love the most about it. I also tend to tell a couple of jokes along the way. As poor as an artist as I am, it feels great to be appreciated and know that you brought real value and so much happiness into some lives.”
“I have seen them laugh wildly and also see tears flow down their faces. It’s quite moving. They absolutely love and appreciate it, and you are doing great service,” he continues.
Personally, Lee is most inspired by classic rock bands such as The Allman Brothers, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Chris Stapleton when you cross the bridge from rock to country. He mainly plays old-school rock and new-school country with his guitar.
However, when performing in nursing homes, he always considers what the elderly would appreciate the most.
“Initially, I choose songs from the early to late sixties. At the end of the first session, I ask them to write down what they want to hear and try to study and play those songs when I return. You know they love it when you start getting warm hugs and handshakes at the end of the session. The songs seem to take them back to earlier days”, Lee tells us.
“Artists from Ricky Nelson to Willy Nelson and everything in between are especially loved. Also, each home is a bit different depending on the demographics. My best advice is just to be open and, most importantly, have fun with it!” Lee advises.
“Music allows us to transcend from a simple existence to truly living.”
To other hobby musicians, Lee has a word of encouragement.
“Playing in retirement homes is the definition of a win-win situation. It gives both the artist and the patients tremendous joy and enrichment. It’s also a great way to learn to perform before an audience, and one that you can almost rest assured will greatly appreciate you no matter how little or exceedingly skilled you are. You will find retirement homes very appreciative of your offer to play, and the patients will love the hell out of you for it.
We have now talked a great deal about what music means to his audience, but let’s now focus on Lee. What does music mean to Lee himself?
“It allows us to transcend from a simple existence to truly living”, Lee says philosophically.
Read the previous My Music Journey
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