We spent some quality time serenading the seniors of the South Sound this year, and I am convinced it is an important part what TIA is becoming, and what community minded musicians everywhere should be doing.
This season we visited The Colonial Inn, The Olympia Senior Center, and Capital Place to bring the gift of music with our students. I truly believe it was a gift and a blessing to those in the senior homes and communities we have been visiting. And It’s also important for our students. Since many of our students are homeschooled they don’t have the trappings of a school music program like festivals, tours, pep band events, etc.. These just aren’t things many of them are exposed to. So we intend to do our best to pursue meaningful music making opportunities in the community for them. We think this is important on multiple levels:
- Being Tuned In means always remembering that music is more than mere entertainment or amusement, but art, and a gift to be presented.
- And because we value people, we should always consider those in the community that might have needs that we can meet through music. If we can bring peace, joy, celebration, even songs that help people grieve, or loving memories to people through music, then we have a responsibility to do so.
- I also happen to think these kinds of musical missions are especially valuable training for our students since this kind of service to the community is something they can do even as adults. Pep band gigs and football games may be a thing of the past when our students are married with children and careers, but there will still be people in every community who need music, especially live music brought by a warm and friendly neighbor.
From the piano at The Colonial Inn.
We look forward to heading back out to these communities and maybe more in the spring, and we look forward to the day when we can have teams of students serving even more through music, all over the South Puget Sound.