The Everyday Musician

For an intimate glimpse into the power that music has in binding people together, you should see the recently released documentary film Young @ Heart. The documentary follows a singing group of about twenty seniors, ranging from 72 to 93 years old. They sing rock classics.

This is real. The Young at Heart Chorus started in 1982 in a senior center in Massachusetts. The surprisingly tough chorus director, Bob Climan, explained that they first started with traditional songs, but found a spark of energy when one of the members interrupted with an improvisation of a rock tune. That event ultimately shifted the group’s focus to rock music, which many of the members admitted was not their original preference. The unlikely formula of seniors and rock music created an incredible fountain of youth for the seniors, and for their audiences. They tour internationally.

These senior chorus members were driven with an incredible team attitude to succeed at tackling challenging music. They naturally became highly bonded with each other, with music being the glue.

If it weren’t for some sadness, the whole story would have felt too good to be true. The story really is true, however, and is one that can serve as a beautiful example of how we can find fulfillment in music, not just as a private endeavor, but as one that we engage in with others.

My amateur, first movie review almost forgot to mention that the Young @ Heart is quite funny.