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One of our primary goals is to impress upon Activity Directors and Administrators how important a good quality, high-energy live performance can be to your residents and staff. This page presents some of the ideas we have on how to present a good quality show for your residents. After performing over 2000 shows, we've seen many good ideas and many bad concepts. We'd like to share these with the community most directly involved in providing these shows. We offer this information as suggestions, and are in no way trying to tell you how to do your job.  We are aware of the burden that is on you to "please all the people all the time" and we admire the job that you have chosen to do.  Our suggestions come from our observations over the years that, very often, you have no guidance in this area.

Some Tips for Activity Directors

Tools You Can Use

You can have music available all the time by using appropriate recorded music. Using a combination of music videos and CDs, you can have a musical activity available for someone at any time of the day or night. The soothing solo piano music in The Piano Magic and Musical Memories series has been proven to be extremely effective. But any soothing musical version of a residents favorite song will provide a pleasant experience. The  Piano Magic and Musical Memories video is especially useful with Alzheimer's patients.. (See Products)

I’ve often wondered how important it can be to the staff and family when the music program is really enjoyable. Everyone loves this type of music when it is performed well.  I often see the staff dancing and laughing during a show and have thought, "How nice, in a day full of the very difficult tasks they perform, they get to enjoy the show." And how important could that be on a daily basis, to give the staff the pleasure of listening to good music and something enjoyable to anticipate.

It gives the residents something to look forward to.  For one hour they are happy--even the residents who don't seem to respond during the show will often comment afterwards how much they enjoyed the music.

It can show the staff a new side of the resident’s personality: they are having fun. The staff often comments on seeing the residents do things they've never done before. (See Stories, She Can't Speak)

Make the Show a Big Deal. For some of the residents, this is the only event they have to look forward to. Let them know who's performing and remind them about the show's content.  [Please check out our Stories page for an example of what happens when the show is NOT a big deal.]

Try to have the residents in place in the room where the show will be performed.  We know it can be tough just to get everyone where they need to be. But we can tell you it can make a big difference if the residents are in the room and ready for the show and the performer shows up on time and the entire event is treated as a Real Show.

Please inform the staff not to congregate and carry on personal conversations during the show. It's great when the staff comes in to participate by singing or dancing. It's very disrespectful when they congregate and talk to each other.

Hold the refreshments until after the show is complete, if at all possible.  It's quite a distraction to the audience and the performer when drinks and snacks are being distributed, and it takes away from the quality of the experience. If you are pressed for time, it is better to cut the show by 15 minutes and then pass out the snacks while the musician is saying goodbye.  This could lead into the sing-a-long or other musical activity following the show [see below].

Play music before the show to set the mood. It can be music of a similar style or just soothing melodies, but something to prepare the residents for a musical experience. I often come in to do a show and either the TV is blaring some soap opera or talk show, or a radio is playing either rock 'n roll or static. Occasionally I come in and there is a big band CD or a Lawrence Welk video and the feeling is completely different. It's like the opening act at a concert. It prepares the residents for the show.

Don't pay the musician during the show.  Believe me, I wouldn’t say it if it didn’t happen. I would ask you to try to remember the last time that you saw a performer get paid during the show at a club or concert.

Follow the show with a sing-a-long, exercise, or other music activity appreciation program. The residents are often really jazzed after the show and the musical experience can be extended beyond the one-hour time.

Disruptive Residents.  Try to move disruptive residents out of the main area so they don't ruin the show for everyone. However, these residents will often calm down during the show so it is not necessary to remove them completely. Just take them off to the side or to the back of the room. They can often get the most benefit from the music. If someone is particularly disturbing, you can talk to the performer about starting with soft waltzes which often calm down even the most troublesome residents.

A strong sense of rhythm in the music. See if the residents start tappin' their feet or clapping their hands in time to the music. The rhythmic feel is probably the most important aspect of the show.

Appropriate music--20s to 50s mostly. The music needs to swing ... not rock. I often get the comment "You play all their favorite songs." from Activity Directors. The list of Favorite Songs is provided for you and the musicians to use.

If you have entertainers that the residents like, but they're not playing songs from the 20s to 50s, give them the list of the Favorite Songs. Many of these songs were big hits during the 70s, 80s and 90s so they are known by younger musicians. Songs like Just A Gigolo (a big hit for Fats Waller and David Lee Roth), It Had To Be You (Harry Connick, Jr. in the movie, When Harry Met Sally) and others. Fats Domino recorded My Blue Heaven in the 50s, but it was a big hit for Gene Austin in the 20s. Fats Waller's Ain't Misbehavin' was popularized by the show about his music. And there are many other songs that bridge the generation gap.

Professionalism--The musician needs to show up on time, call if they are going to be late, and show consistency in the quality and the enthusiasm of the show. The entertainer needs to show that the performance is important. 

Good Attitude towards the residents.  Friendly. They should greet the residents and engage them in conversation when possible. Some residents feel like the musician is their best friend.

These are just a few of the items that we think may be helpful to you.  Please contact us with your feedback.  Your stories will make this website a place where we can all learn together.

You can have music available all the time by using appropriate recorded music. Using a combinations of music videos and CDs, you can have a musical activity available for someone at any time of the day or night. We are developing a full line of music CDs and videos and already have many available. (See Products)

Basically, a 200 CD changer with about 20 CDs of various categories combined with 10 or 20 musical videos could fill your facility with great music and happier residents and staff.