On Monday afternoon I do a good deed for the week. It’s so much more than that. If you want a term for it it is music therapy but I am not a music therapist, I am just a folksinger/pianist.

At Fraser McDonald on Monday afternoons I sit at there really old, honky-tonk sounding piano and I sing and play folksongs and popular tunes from the 40’s forward. Sometimes I might sing an obscure song from my repertoire but mostly popular songs.

Some of the songs include:

  • Battle Hymn Of The republic
  • Vere jacque
  • So Long It’s Been good to Know you
  • and more….

Last Monday one of the clients who hadn’t sung for six months but had been a music teacher sung SummerTime and everybody liked him He had a beautiful bass voice and it was great to listen to him sing.

Another client knows every word to every song and she is the star of the moment. She is not a trained singer but she gets everybody confident. Everybody sings regardless of ability.

I know there is the spirit of great people around when we sing the old songs together. I have so much fun and they do too.

To talk a little technically: Fraser McDonald Unit is the older persons mental health unit at the local hospital. It caters for those 65 and over with mental health issues.