Maybe someone else has experienced this type of audience reaction,
but this was a first for us today.
On our third visit since last Fall to a neighborhood assisted living
center in Charleston, SC, where we played our Raffin 20/40 organ this
afternoon, we noticed that several of the residents had their heads
down and on their chests, eyes closed when we started playing. After
the second music roll, eyes began to open, heads came up and feet were
tapping. Then we played American Savoy arranged by Melvyn Wright and
several of these ladies began signing along with the music while
clapping to the tempo. Half way through the roll a wheel chair bound
gentleman very shakily stood up and with the help of another lady began
to dance, slowly, but steadily.
At the time we did not think this was unusual, but after the
performance the shift supervisor came over and mentioned that the
ladies had not spoken a word since their arrival and usually just sat
on the sofa with their heads down, dozing all day long. Then she said
the gentleman that stood up from his wheel chair is paralyzed and has
not walked since his stroke several years ago.
The Power of Mechanical Music.
George Campbell
Charleston, SC
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