The other day I was making phone calls and sending emails to various senior facilities to book some shows. I had an interesting experience with one Activities Director in particular–

Merrill Gardens at Mill Creek

She and I were exchanging emails about the Salish Sea Players possibly coming to perform and she wanted a Christmas show with only Christmas Carols and the like. I was trying to explain that yes, we could put some Christmas music in the show but that we would keep the program primarily Baroque music.  She then asked sheepishly—“what is Baroque music?”

What fun!! I told her about the music and sent some links to examples of the music that we would be performing.  She LOVED the music and said her residents would LOVE it too!!  Now, she wanted us to come asap and it didn’t need to be just a “Christmas show” (we are going to include a couple of Carols and some seasonal Baroque music for them.)  This really is an outreach project and I sometimes forget that not everyone knows what Baroque music is. With the Salish Sea Players, we ARE introducing a new audience to early music– and not just the residents of these facilities but the Activities Directors too.

North Creek by Bonaventure

Also fun: Some photos that Olga has taken after a couple of our shows.  One is at Merrill Gardens at Mill Creek where I ran into Dick Skerlong, former principal violist with the Seattle Symphony. The other shot at Northcreek Retirement in Bothell shows Fred and a resident working at the harpsichord. The harpsichord seems to be a favorite wherever we play—it’s like a piano but doesn’t sound like one and someone always wants to touch it. —Linda Melsted

©Linda Melsted salishseaplayers.org  2012