Singing for the Brain

[s-mack]

I went to our first "Singing for the Brain" session here in York - slightly bizarre experience as the church hall we were supposed to be using was locked and there was nobody around to open up.

Fortunately it was sunny, and someone went to the school over the road and organised chairs so we could sing in the garden. A triumph of ingenueity over planning!

The old time songs went down best - e.g. we did a rousing version of "It's a long way to Tipperary", and we belted out "Show me the way to Amarillo"...with me bashing out chords on my guitar and lots of clapping.

I need to learn guitar chords for a load of old songs like "Daisy" and "Bill Bailey" before the next session. Can anyone help provide basic chords for these? Or have experience with "Singing for the Brain" they would like to share?

Susie

 

[ChrisH]

Hi Susie
Re guitar chords, just google 'guitar chords for daisy daisy' (or any other song) and something should come up.

Singing and music does seem to have an effect with my mum. Her long term memory is zero, as is her short term, but she has somehow managed to learn new songs since being in the CH. One of the other residents was a big Daniel O'Donnell fan and they used to play one of his DVDs ad nausium in the lounge. Mum would sit there with the others singing along when I know for a fact she'd never heard of him before going into the home.

She now spends most of her time in her room so I've bought some more of his DVDs for her and they do seem to calm her when she gets agitated. Personally it drives me nuts as it's definitely not my type of music. I wonder if I can get her interested in a bit of Led Zep

Chris

 

[s-mack]

thanks

Thanks for the tip re guitar chords - I made a joke about punk music - but it fell very flat, don't think we will be doing any led zep at these sessions.

When I have to go in a home I hope it wont still be Vera Lynn CD's - I am hoping for rolling stones and frank zappa to be on ad nauseam in the foyer!

 

[cragmaid]

I hope it wont still be Vera Lynn CD's

You know its funny how many people think that the elderly all like Vera Lynn and the songs of the wars esp. WW1. Given that today's 60/70 years old grew up with Bill Haley and the Comets ,Buddy Holley and the Crickets and even Elvis and the like, you'd think that there would be more variety.