Telling our stories: How Music for Seniors came to be

Special feature: How Music for Seniors came to be Telling Our Stories

By Sarah Martin McConnell “Sarah, you have to come get mother” said my sister Priscilla when we finally connected after hours of dead phone lines. Hurricane Katrina had just pummeled the Mississippi Gulf Coast. There was no power, no water, and four families were holed up in the 96-degree heat of the steamy aftermath, all crammed into my mother’s three-bedroom, two-bath house in Moss Point, which, blessedly, had suffered no significant damage. But the entire coast from Mobile to New Orleans resembled a bombed-out war zone. Mom, had been recently diagnosed with mid-stage Alzheimer’s, and was becoming more undone by the minute. The chaos was too much for her. “Who are all these men sleeping on the dining room floor?” she asked over and over, as her agitation mounted. “I can’t just drive into the disaster area,” I told Pris. So we made a plan that we’d meet half way. “I’ll take the last Montgomery exit off I-65 coming south,” I told her. “That’ll be the first exit for you heading north. Turn right and pull into the first gas station you come to. I’ll turn left at the last Montgomery exit heading south, and we’ll meet there, If we both leave at 8 a.m. tomorrow morning we should get there about the same time.”

“Okay,” she said. Then the phone went dead. Driving into Montgomery that next morning, I was hopeful. I exited the freeway at the appointed exit, turned left, and sure enough, there was a gas station right there. That was lucky. I hadn’t really known that there would even be a station at that exit. With towers down and dead batteries, we had had no no cell phone connection since last night. So after 45 minutes of waiting, I really began to worry. I thought this might have been the most hairbrained plan I had ever concocted. So when Priscilla’s car rolled in ten minutes later, I sent a hallelujah heavenward. Following a gleeful reunion Mom and I were soon on the road to Nashville along with Andy-Dandy (her faithful cat) who was very sweet and like my mother Marge, very traumatized. To provide distraction and fun on the way back to Tennessee, I started singing and Mom joined me. Singing together is a Martin family tradition, especially on road trips. First we sang to the radio. Then we sang favorite camp songs and those Mom taught me growing up, like There’s a Hole in the Bottom of the Sea and The Prisoner’s Song (my grandfather’s favorite). We sang every song from every musical I could think of, followed by songs from the 1930s and 40s we had sung together in close harmony when I was a child while she washed and I dried the supper dishes. I exhausted my whole folk song repertoire, which is vast. We sang “It’s a Long Road to Freedom” made popular by The Singing Nuns. I remember a line from that song, “When you walk in love with the wind on your wing and cover the earth with the songs you sing, the miles fly by.” It was especially appropriate that day. Singing together the miles did fly by as we laughed and sang music as bright as the light of that summer afternoon. Our hearts were lifted and we made it home, tired but happy. We all have stories that give our lives shape and meaning. Family stories. Love stories. Stories of struggle and heartbreak. Triumph and tragedy. We never know where our stories will lead us. This is just one of my stories about the transformative power of sharing live music. Just one of the stories that led me, ultimately, to Music for Seniors. Telling my own story often leads to wonderous new stories with so many stories still to tell. I wrote a song titled Stories. One of the lines goes like this “... the falls from grace, the crimes and the glories. We all come face to face telling our stories.”

We never know where our stories will lead us. This is just one of my stories about the transformative power of sharing live music. Just one of the stories that led me, ultimately, to Music for Seniors.

Sarah Martin McConnell (left) dancing with her mother Marge. Sarah Martin McConnell is the founder and executive director of the Nashville-based arts nonprofit organization Music for Seniors launched it in 2007 as an affiliate arts program of FiftyForward. Sarah’s mother Marge lived with Sarah and her husband in Nashville for the rest of her life. During her time in Nashville, she attended FiftyForward’s Adult Day Services where Sarah began sharing sing-alongs and stories with Marge and her friends. Music for Seniors was inspired by the story of those visits.

Catch our latest podcast, Squeeze the Day, featuring an in-depth conversation with Sarah Martin McConnell about how she launched her nonprofit Music for Seniors out of this transformative love of music. She discusses the programs early beginning at FiftyForward into the nonprofit success it is today. Listen to it here: https://fiftyforward.org/podcast/ or on your preferred podcast platform.

FiftyForward off ers a wealth of online programs, videos, and podcasts

While stores, restaurants, fi tness centers, and other businesses are opening up, Fift yForward has conti nued to build out virtual programming for those who might want to engage with us online.

Our membership portal has a growing library of videos on various topics including jewelry making, yoga, meditati on, Tabata strength training, musical performances, and much more. To enjoy the benefi ts of membership join Fift yForward by visiti ng www.Fift yForward.org/join.

Squeeze the Day podcast

Fift yForward launched its fi rst podcast in October 2020 to celebrate and share the inspiring stories of older adults in our community. We have had numerous conversati ons with inspiring older adults who are making the most of their second chapters. Our July podcast features Sarah Marti n McConnell, executi ve director of Music for Seniors, which started as an affi liate program of Fift yForward. Listen to the podcast to hear about the caregiving journey that inspired this incredible music program (see page 8). You can listen to this podcast, as well as past podcasts on our website (htt ps://fi ft yforward. org/podcast/) or on your favorite streaming platf orm.

If you have a smart speaker system (such as Siri, Alexa, or Google Home), ask it to “play the Squeeze the Day podcast.” It’s that easy!

Fift yForward Exchange — a series of video chats with Nashville community leaders — off ers up some in-depth, thought-provoking conversati ons on a variety of topics including mental health, coping in the ti me of COVID-19, systemic racism, ageism, and much more! To watch the videos, visit htt ps://fi ft yforward.org/videos/#exchange.

Social media

Fift yForward enjoys a connecti on to our community through our social media channels including Facebook, Twitt er, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Join us on any of these platf orms to learn more.

Virtual programs

Visit Facebook and catch Zoom presentati ons from the All of Us Research Program, as well as center programs, on a variety of health and wellness topics.

FiftyForward Center News

Fi� yForward introduces the F.A.N. Card

We are excited to introduce the Fift yForward F.A.N. (Fun, Adventures, New Experiences) Card. Fift yForward F.A.N. cards are punch cards that are pre-paid and can be used towards any acti vity, program, or day trip that has a cost. Each “punch” is valued at $5 and cards are available for purchase in amounts of $10, $25, and $50. Cards can be used across any Fift yForward center and are available in the membership portal on our website. Friends and family can purchase them for their loved ones, too. Visit this link to learn more: htt ps://fi ft yforward.org/member-store/#!form/FANcard

Coming in August: A return to normal operati ng hours

Beginning August 2, all Fift yForward lifelong learning centers will resume their normal Monday-Friday business hours. Visit our website for each center’s hours of operati on, htt ps://fi ft yforward.org/locati ons/.

Nati onal Friendship Day

Did you know Sunday, August 1 is Nati onal Friendship Day? We know countless friendships are made at Fift yForward, so for the month of August, we are inviti ng guests to visit and try out a day pass at our centers at no charge. If you have friends, neighbors, family members, or anyone else in your life who has been wanti ng to see Lorett a Wright and Dot Carter of what Fift yForward is all about, we Fift yForward College Grove enjoy a good game of cards.hope you’ll encourage them to stop by our centers so they can see all of the wonderful, varied off erings that are provided. Our $5 guest day pass will return in September. Contact one of our centers for more informati on or visit us online: htt ps://fi ft yforward.org/locati ons/

Friendships are forged through shared interests as these pool players from Fift yForward Marti n Center can att est. Fift yForward friendships: Libby Baughman and Anne McKinney met at Fift yForward Madison Stati on several years ago and became fast friends.