The Music for Seniors FREE Daytime Concert Series
Early in our organization’s history, we were having great success with our Outreach programs in recreational and care locations, but “I realized that was only a slice of our senior population,” says founder, Sarah Martin McConnell. “We needed additional programming to engage more seniors, including our area’s independent older adults, many living at home. These folks are active. They go out with friends and are always looking for engaging cultural opportunities. And this is Music City USA. We needed concerts!” In order to host concerts, we needed three crucial partners:
Concert Community Partners
Our Concert Community Partners provide us with accessible and exciting locations, and many offer our audience members additional perks like free refreshments or lunch and free admission after the show. Some of them, such as the Nashville and Knoxville Operas, also provide our Concert Artists.
We’ve been fortunate enough to work with many wonderful community partners in Middle Tennessee including: Cheekwood, the Frist Art Museum, Delmas Long Community Center and Williamson County Performing Arts. Our partners in East Tennessee include the Everett Senior Center in Maryville, Farragut Community Center, and Knox County Senior Centers. These vital relationships amplify the cultural enrichment opportunities for our audience members, while also cultivating each partner organization’s connections with seniors.
Monthly Performances Featuring Local Artists of Distinction
One of our Nashville Musician Partners, Alison Brazil performs energetic Latin-meets-Cajun shows for us with her band, The Roots of Rhythm at Plaza Mariachi, a popular venue and dedicated Community Partner. She also participates in our Outreach programs as a soloist. Here’s what Alison has to say about our partnership:
“I love being a part of the FREE Daytime Concert Series. It is always so much fun and such a privilege. After each Music for Seniors program, I leave with a big smile on my face and a grateful heart. My incredibly talented band and singers bring their best for the senior community and we pack the concert with a punch!
“I’m also thankful that I am able to pay my band for their expertise. As a member of the Nashville Musicians Association, I’m especially grateful for the partnership Music for Seniors has with AFM 257 and the Music Performance Trust Fund. Working together they support local members (like me) by offering union scale for playing these community concerts.”
Victoria Flowers is a dynamic newcomer to our Knoxville Concert Series. She and her band, The Vertical Birds brought down the house at Karns Senior Center in November. The audience was on their feet and dancin’ to the beat of pop and blues favorites. Victoria’s participation was particularly meaningful for her that day. She wrote this to us after the band’s life-affirming, joyful performance:
“Thank you soooo much!!! I didn’t tell you, but my mother has been in a nursing home in Charlotte, NC. She went into the hospital with pneumonia and is in the ICU. My brother called today to let me know that she is now at death’s door, so I NEEDED this today myself!”
UnitedHealthcare: Our Presenting Sponsor
We are grateful to all who participate with us to offer these Concerts, especially UnitedHealthcare for their generous support which makes them possible!
Their enthusiasm for our mission is fittingly expressed by the UnitedHealthcare Government Program’s Tennessee Market Sales Managers:
“We are so pleased with UnitedHealthcare’s Tennessee statewide sponsorship of Music for Seniors FREE Daytime Concert Series. Seniors and their friends enjoy concerts by talented musicians, and they can learn about Medicare plan options at these fun events.”
We’d love to see YOU at our Concert Season Finale!
Frist Art Museum
919 Broadway
Nashville, TN 37202
10:30 AM to 11:30 AM
Monday, December 19, 2022
Reserve your FREE ticket(s) here.
More about the design and curation of our FREE Daytime Concert Series
When McConnell designed our Concert Series, which she continues to produce in Nashville and in Knoxville, it was intentionally curated to appeal to – and to meet the needs of – older adults in these ways:
- One hour: a reasonable length, so no one’s endurance is tested.
- March through December: to reduce risks of dangerous wintry weather.
- Weekdays: because driving at night is often a barrier for older adults, and weekends are “family time” for individuals residing in group settings.
- Rotating venues: no matter where you live there will be a concert coming to your
- Featuring a wide range of genres and a diverse roster of local artists for appealing to a variety of musical tastes.
- Featuring children and youth: bolstering, our “Music Connecting Generations” initiative.
- Open to the public and everyone is welcomed: fosters more connections and more intergenerational activity. Grown children come with their elderly parents. Grandparents bring grandchildren. Groups of friends carpool. Residential communities’ vans bring residents.
- Free admission: affordable for all.
- Artists’ honorariums support local musicians.
- Ongoing programming: each year brings a new series of monthly events.
