Dedicated Board Member – Carla Chamberlain
“It makes me so proud to be on the Board, seeing how we are able to share who we are and the joy our Musician Partners bring to all the program participants.”
– Carla Chamberlain – Board Member
Music for Seniors’ fabulous Board of Directors is critical to our ability to reach as many older adults as we do. They provide guidance, professional expertise, financial support and serve as ambassadors for the organization. One such Board member is Carla Chamberlain, who was originally introduced to our mission in 2017 when she attended our holiday Lighting Up Lives! Concert.
“I was struck by the love in the room,” Carla recalls. She said she was also drawn in by the energy and personality of our founder, Sarah Martin McConnell. After the concert, Carla signed up as a volunteer to help with administrative needs. Two months later, Carla became the full-time caregiver for her mother Nancy, who has Alzheimer’s, and began bringing Nancy to our free daytime community concerts on a frequent basis: “It was heartwarming to see the busloads of seniors from retirement communities come out – especially the regulars who would come to every one.”
When Sarah asked Carla if she would join the Board of Directors, she was delighted, because she appreciated how the live music programs reached Nancy and “brought her alive.”
Carla and Nancy continue to regularly attend the FREE Daytime Concert Series concerts and enjoy that they are always held at interesting locations like Cheekwood, The Frist Art Museum and Plaza Mariachi. They also attend the Sunny Day Club daytime programs on an ongoing basis. “My mom is delighted every time she goes.” Even during the height of the COVID pandemic when they were homebound, Carla and Nancy tuned to see our weekly programs which we shared on YouTube: “It was the highlight of our week!”
Carla also appreciates that Music for Seniors takes care to cultivate and curate a network of Musician Partners across Middle and East Tennessee, who bring a variety of musical styles and their unique personalities to the programs they facilitate. “It makes me so proud to be on the Board, seeing how we are able to share who we are and the joy our Musician Partners bring to all the program participants.”
To support the important work that Music for Seniors does, please consider making a donation today. The good news is we have a generous match, $1 for $1 up to $25,000 through the end of the year.
