"The Yay Lady (Born to Run)" from my Care Home Journals

Music heals and strengthens again

THE YAY LADY: I walked off the elevator and into the room where the ladies are waiting. Some are sitting in wheelchairs or have parked themselves with their walkers close by.

Their faces light up with smiles as I greet them and unpack my guitar and warm up my voice for another hour of classic songs. They sing along and laugh at my gags. Another gig, another opportunity for me to make a difference. No two of these assisted living home gigs are alike, and I never know who will be there because, periodically, someone will suddenly move to another home or, worse, up and die.

For legal-privacy reasons, I can’t get too personal with the residents in these assisted living homes I play in, but I do learn first names and random details. I’m often surprised by what I do learn about these folks, once fully functioning people with careers, families to support, and more. Let’s not forget that. They’re still feeling, listening, and seeking connection.

Today I’m reporting about “The Yay Lady.” Her real name is Edith, but we call her “Yay Lady” because she says “Yay” after every song she likes. She can’t applaud or do much else because her body is shrunken and wracked with pain. She’s virtually immobile and can barely make a sentence, but she loves music and is determined to sing along in her scratchy little voice. Some of her favorites songs are “I Can See Clearly Now” and Johnnie Ray’s “Cry.” I recently sang “Cry” and Edith cried, another lady cried, and I cried!

Care home residents get energized and happy when they have visitors. One day Edith’s daughter and son-in-law came by and caught the end of my set. They informed me that Edith’s favorite song is “Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen. Edith is secretly a rocker, liking The Rolling Stones and The Strokes.

I had to laugh as Edith doesn’t appear to fit that demographic, but why not? Most of my set list is pre-1970 but I said I’d see what I could work in.

One day as I was leaving the home, I could hear the “Yay Lady” calling me, saying “I Love You.” I shed tears over that, but the deeper take-away is that a woman can be in so much pain and ill health yet still enjoy music, and with a fighting spirit. So thanks to the “Yay Lady” for sharing her spirit with me (journal entry 1/28/23).

BY WAY OF INTRODUCTION: The “Yay Lady” is one of many stories I’ve collected in my care home journals. I’m grateful for each and every opportunity I’m given to play music for any audience, and it always leads to some kind of elation and spiritual connection with God and with people. Since 2017 I've been performing regularly in assisted living homes, providing musical service to people in various stages of dementia and disability. There is proof-positive that music reaches into more areas of the brain than language, math, and many other forms of communication. The science has been unfolding for some time--read the works of Dr. Oliver Sacks (and his disciple Daniel Levitin) if you want to read the cases. 

I've seen miraculous things happen, just from singing songs to people who are considered to be "disconnected"—suddenly, they're singing, clapping, tapping, dancing...all because of these familiar tunes. Some of the recovery I see takes weeks, other times only minutes. Staff personnel also tell me that the music helps the residents to eat and sleep better. While some of the folks I entertain are deep in "memory care," others have been set back by strokes or other issues. Some of them are in great pain or might be barely cognizant of their surroundings. Some are as young as 40-something. Others are well into their 90s and beyond (including World War II veterans) and are very high-functioning. I've played many homes around the San Francisco Bay Area and southern Oregon, and my set list is mainly from The Great American Songbook, Hollywood cowboy songs from the 1930s-40s-50s, and folk songs like “I’ve Been Workin’ on the Railroad.”

I could use your financial support to keep doing this (I collect a fee, but it doesn't cover all my expenses as a working act). Another option is to download my album of songs I play in the care homes

When you stream or download this album, you have the option of paying any amount you can afford. Another way to support is to become a Patreon patron https://www.patreon.com/johnnyjblair  You can make a monthly commitment for as low as $1 a month. Every dollar counts towards transportation, gear maintenance, and more. All proceeds go toward providing more music for the residents.

Lastly, if you have family or friends who live in these homes, please take time to visit them. It’s life-enriching in more ways than we know. Thank you for reading and for supporting. Music heals!

#johnnyjblair #singeratlarge #entertainer #assistedlivinghomes #carehomes #yay #johnnynash #brucespringsteen #greatamericansongbook #dementia #disability #oliversacks #daniellevitin #cowboysongs #sanfrancisco #ashland