Simpedia

Jeanne W.

I do an annual sing-along at a local assisted living center. Each student accompanies a couple carols. You can find large collections of free lead sheets for Christmas carols online, and most can be done with simple C-F-G chords. All my students participate, even the youngest who have only studied a few months.

We invite all our friends to come join us for the singing and have 20-30 show up. So it’s a big energetic group. We dress in colorful Christmas colors, bring jingle bells (for the residents too), and we all sing together with enthusiasm while one student accompanies. I introduce each accompanist – the residents love to meet the children – and I lead the singing with a strong voice on the melody. After, we spend time shaking hands, hugging and talking with the residents, and leave them with home-made holiday cards that we’ve all made in advance.

It is my favorite event of the year, and so great for the students to learn that they can facilitate amazing music and fun by easily accompanying a room of 60 people! It’s huge for their confidence and so motivating to keep playing and learning. Students talk about it all year. And it makes the people we sing for so happy. Music – service – joy – and such fun!

Terah W., Kansas

Hi Sandra and Jeanne-

Thanks for the input! I, too, feel that the Christmas season is replete with opportunity to share how music can impact everyday lives. I even have volunteered for a fundraiser that wanted a pianist for a couple of hours. So I am having my students listen to a piece or two I am playing (mostly talking about my arrangements and encouraging same! And it’s working!)

I have also had opportunity to share about my dialog with the gal who was looking for the musician. Before we ‘agreed’ I was what she was looking for I told her (via email), “you need to feed your musician! Especially as it’s a for-free gig!” She quickly assured me that this was always the case and also encouraged me to bring a tip jar. Since it is for the Humane Society, someone suggested 2 tip containers. One to be labeled, “Dog people!” and the other, “Cat people”. While we can’t know from that if one outnumbers the other, at least we’ll know which group is most generous! Lol!

So, outside of the usual questions about Senior Living Facilities can either (or both) of you suggest which person at one of these places is the ‘correct’ person to contact to propose Christmas concerts and sing-a-longs? I have had some experience with Program Directors and Social Directors but sometimes there isn’t anyone with that title. Whom would you suggest after those two that someone would contact?

The Sing-a-long is a wonderful idea as well as the cards!

Maureen K., California

Regarding the correct person to contact: I organize piano student performances at assisted living facilities in summer and at Christmas. Of the four activity directors I have worked with most recently, their titles are:

Activity Programs Coordinator
Engage Life Director
Personal Expression Director

And the other has no email signature.

What I do is call the front desk and tell them I’m a piano teacher and want to explore the possibility of my students performing for their residents, and ask who I should talk to. Then when I get through to the entertainment coordinator (or whoever) I ask if they would be interested, whether they have a piano, when it was last serviced (or try to determine if it is in decent shape), if there is parking for my families, what the space is like, whether there is room for the families to stay and watch the performers/sing along. I always visit a facility before committing, to check out the space and the piano. If you need a sound system, sometimes they have them too.

Cheri S., Utah

Accompaniment is always super fun at Christmas time. I love to use lead sheets that are in the public domain. Elizabeth Gaikwad’s Songs for Christmas also provides wonderful material for beginning through advanced students. This is my third Christmas using her book, and I’d say even my Level 6 students will be using it for a few more years.

Students do love to play Christmas melodies too. I’ve learned great Christmas arrangements from fellow Simply Music teachers. Even if you can’t meet up with other SM teachers, a quick youtube search will show not only songs SM teachers have used, but also lots of other fun student performances of Christmas songs. It’s a great place to glean ideas.

I’ve used playing-based tools from the Foundation and Arrangement programs to design playing-based teaching strategies for several Christmas performance pieces. Developing these projects has really helped strengthen my self-generative skills. Sandra–for your beginners, even the youngest ones can learn the chorus of Jingle Bells. And I’m sure there are many other Christmas tunes with simple chords and melodies that stay within 5 fingers.