I love when my clients and/or residents surprise me.

At the care center where I work, another music therapist/unit coordinator and myself have been facilitating some choir rehearsals. I have yet another colleague who is active in theatre, and has wanted to introduce acting in skits to our residents. I also lead a tone chimes ensemble, which has performed once since I’ve taken over the position, and plans to perform again in early December.

If only we also had a dance or movement therapist…

The past few instances where the choir has rehearsed, the theatrical colleague, my co-facilitator, and I have arranged to transition from choir to skit reading. This has worked really well. So well, in fact, that our group has been growing steadily, and I am hoping to combine the choir, the theatre, and the tone chimes into one bigger performance in December.

The reason I said that my residents surprise me is because they, all of them, have been singing all of the songs (save a Beatles song — I know, I know) they are given, and they volunteer to read the skits. And most of them read really well. I absolutely love introducing people to one another, and to see them pay each other compliments at the end of our being together.

I love what I get to do.