CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) Most school concerts end with applause. At one Chicago senior living community, that's just when the music lesson begins. Students from Hamilton Elementary School are visiting Artis Senior Living of Lakeview, where they perform for residents before handing over their instruments and teaching them how to play. Thursday's visit featured third graders on keyboards, but the program involves several grades, with older students also bringing guitars and ukuleles. "They of course love when people come in and perform, and when kids come in and perform especially, they'll ooh and ah," said Nena Fromm Reich, senior director of life enrichment at Artis. "But when the kids come in and teach, then they get to interact one-on-one." The students sit alongside residents, pointing to notes on music sheets and demonstrating how to play. Some residents join in, while others sing along or simply listen. And for some, the experience offers a chance to revisit a skill they haven't practiced in years. Artis provides assisted living and memory care, including for people living with dementia.
Music can offer another way to connect when conversation or memory becomes difficult, and Fromm Reich said she's seen some surprising reactions. "I've also seen a few people who I wasn't expecting to be so outgoing with the kids be, like, all in and be super engaging with the kids," she said. The interaction is just as important as the music itself. Fromm Reich said staff sometimes prepare children for residents who may have difficulty hearing or communicating. Students can still share the experience by singing, playing or simply spending time together.
Hamilton music teacher Adria Beasley has taught at Hamilton Elementary for 11 years. "I've also brought kids to senior living facilities before and just seen how much this population lights up whenever the kids come in the room," Beasley said. "But then when you add the music into it, it's just so joyful." An earlier visit by the school's middle school choir helped inspire the hands-on approach.
"I had a lot of residents pull me aside and they were like, I used to sing, or I used to play piano," Beasley recalled. "And I just was like, why can't they still participate in music in this way?" Her voice cracked as she described watching the generations make music together.
"It is emotional for me to watch these two groups work together," she said. But Beasley believes the children are learning something beyond music, too. "They have shown so much empathy and patience and kindness," she said. "And that, more than teaching music, is going to go into their every interaction." There's also something empowering about children discovering that adults want to learn from them. "The empowerment that they feel to be able to be like, oh, I have knowledge that adults want to hear," Beasley said. "It's not just adults sending knowledge to the kids."
Thursday marked Hamilton's sixth visit to Artis. Beasley is raising money through DonorsChoose for more portable instruments, hoping to expand the program. And the connections are already extending beyond the visits. Fromm Reich said some children have gone home talking about the residents they've met, remembering them by name. "The kids are going home and telling their parents about the residents by name," she said. Both women hope the partnership continues, potentially bringing students back for future school performances. For Fromm Reich, the appeal is watching two generations find common ground. "It's really cool to see the bookends of life interacting with each other," she said.
