Shades of age-appropriateness Home page here
Is age appropriateness in the eye of the caree? The performer? The organisers. The helpers? The managing agent?
- Preamble
- The M O
- Shades of appropriateness
- Rounding up
- Relevant pages
1 Preamble
1.1
The context is a group, ideally participating, of mainly-senior adults with congenital ailments.
1.2
"Leading" song/music sessions is rather too heavy. Mostly strong-beat songs (some music - no vocal) are played, generally with very brief individual intro The group members, on average, have virtually zero ability to sing or tap out a rhythm. See No.2 - Relevant pages. However, there have been surprises.
2 The M O
- The group is assembled in a circle with one entry/exit point for organisers
- The members are seated
- Each week, a playlist is used and it includes exercise tunes
- I have supplied a stock of tambourines, jingles and drums - more than one item for each member for variety
- Liaison is carried out with one organiser with whom I discuss the forthcoming sessions and after
- There is usually a helper, often from an agency and with little continuity
- Until the end of June, on even weeks, I played general songs and include some of the more significant songs from the odd weeks themes to maintain continuity
- On odd weeks, I played songs within a theme, wore appropriate costume and made a "Grand Entrance" (GE).
3 Shades of age-appropriateness
3.1 A piper
- A piper performs at a normal party or at an event
- The piper performs for our group and leads WW1 & WW2 songs and tunes
- He plays in WW1 Regimental Highland piper uniform and leads WW1 & WW2 songs and tunes
- He makes a GE in a DIY Army tank and leads .....
3.2 A cowboy
- Someone attends a party in fancy dress
- Sings or plays to the party-goers, perhaps leads a few songs
- For our group, he GEs in cowboy outfit, plays and leads cowboy songs and tunes
- The GE is on a DIY horse to the song "Champion the wonder horse"
- During the session, a large (2ft high) toy animal was caught by lassoo
3.3 Elvis
- Someone attends a party in fancy dress
- Sings or plays to the party-goers, perhaps leads a few songs
- For our group, he GEs, plays and leads Elvis songs and tunes
- The GE is in Elvis costume
- That includes a plastic "wig" with golden shades attached
- It was passed to one of the group (capable of independent travel to the day centre)
3.4 The formula and other themes briefly described
- Numbers 1, 2, 3 set out the procedure - here are some other sessions:
- Noah and his ark - toy animals seen entering the ark - GE tune - "Animals went in two by two"
- It later became a Red Indian canoe. May be used later for songs such as "Messing about on the river".
- A separate Destroyer - for the Navy songs. It or No.3 might become a pirate galleon.
- Engine-driver in his engine
4 Rounding up
- By the time 3.4.1 was due, BT stated that there should be less emphasis on costume. I have the Sitting Bull outfit but went in mufti plus simple feather head-dress.
- To be continued
5 Relevant pages:
- Related issues here - No. 4
- See 3 Beating and tapping - Related issues here
- An example of an A4 sheet used in the development of song/tune lists here left column
- Play-list General 3 here Not within this BILD series - for the general reader.
- Age-appropriate support here Not within this BILD series - for the general reader.
- Tanks for the memory here Not within this BILD series - for the general reader.
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