Rochelle Pines bubbles over
with contagious enthusiasm. I first met her a few years ago when I was teaching
a six week memoir writing series at a sparkling, new recreation center in
Pawleys Island, SC. As we met each week, Rochelle’s stories were particularly
memorable because she has overcome multiple major challenges in life and yet possesses
a positive outlook and burning desire to help others.
Making a connection with a writer
of retiree age in this workshop group, Rochelle was introduced to the
Activities Director at a local Assisted Living facility. She knew that she had
a beneficial gift to offer the residents of the memory care unit and eagerly
agreed to brighten the days of these folks with her own program of music
therapy.
She knew from previous
experience that music transcends all barriers of gender, education level, race
and age. Rochelle explains exactly how she discovered this gift: “It all
started in New York. I had some health
problems. My sister-in-law happened to be the Administrator at an Assisted Living
in the Bronx and suggested that I live there for a while and get the support I
needed at the time. I was in my late fifties
and fully alert, so I was somewhat bored and looking for something to do. I spoke with the Activities Director and
asked her if I could play some CDs for the residents.
What I know now is that there
are thousands of articles out there about the benefits of music on dementia and
Alzheimer’s patients.
This is what happened: I would have a group of forty-five residents
with half of them not even knowing their own names.When we started, they were
all droopy and just sitting there. Once
I started the music, the room would come alive.
I started to collect music they would recognize since it was an older
population – music from the 30s, the 40s, the 50s – Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin,
Broadway show music. By the time the forty-five
minutes had passed and we had to go to lunch, the group was singing and didn’t
even want to go to lunch because they were having such a good time!”
So Rochelle brought this activity
to the memory care unit at Lakes of Litchfield and blessed them with the same
type of program. She describes her “gig” in this manner: “The group and I – now
usually less than ten people – always start off by singing, ‘God Bless America’
acapella. This is funny because I don’t
have a good voice. My friend, who is a musician, has told me that my voice is
only slightly “off” and a few singing lessons would help a lot. The singing lessons are on my wish list.
Then I start to do my “DJ
gig” – Frank Sinatra – I sing and dance to, “That’s Life” (a song about me and
my life). Then I play Dean Martin’s
“Volare” for Anna who is Italian, grew up in Little Italy, and lived on
Mulberry St. I got some background
information from a daughter-in-law who told me that Anna has had a stroke and
has suffered brain damage.
From there I go to Broadway
music.We are having fun – I’m walking about the room, making eye contact with
each resident in attendance, giving them a handshake, a little hug and a, “God
bless you.”
They need the upbeat music,
the smiles, the warmth. I even wear my
upbeat, bright Woodstock t-shirt!
One resident obviously knows
the words to the Broadway music. Her
younger sister visited one day and shared that her sister and her husband
frequently went to Manhattan to the shows.
I added Andrea Boccelli, even
though it wasn’t music that they would recognize. Bonnie cries every week when she hears this
music – it simply touches her soul. I’ve
noticed that this resident is losing her eyesight, so her sense of hearing is
heightened now due to her loss of sight.
As I’m unplugging my CD
player and picking up my bags we sing, ‘God Bless America’ once again. I walk
out reassuring them that, “I’ll return next week, have no doubt. God bless you!”
As I leave I just wonder, who
gets more out of these sessions – the residents or myself? Volunteer, volunteer, volunteer.”
Rochelle exemplifies what
volunteerism is all about. It embodies taking your own life experiences,
passions, skills and time to benefit someone else. Volunteers do not seek
monetary compensation, but ultimately significantly benefit from their “gigs.”
The inherent satisfaction to the soul in helping others is the greatest reward
ever.
Want to feel the exhilaration
that emanates from giving back to the community? Volunteer. The experience will
produce an uncontrollable smile that dominates your face.
I am hoping to be blogging more in the near future. Life has just been wildly hectic and has kept me hopping! See you soon...
Mary Anne Benedetto,
Author/Speaker
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