Music for the Wise brings live music to living facilities
<p>Donna Rae Sweeney knew all the words to the songs Ronnee McGee sang at Brookdale Coeur d’Alene Tuesday. “There isn’t anything better than music,” she said.</p>
<p>Ronnee McGee sings for the residents at the Brookdale Coeur d’Alene assisted living home as part of the 8th year of Music for the Wise. The program brings music into assisted living facilities so residents can enjoy live music.</p>
COEUR d'ALENE — A bouquet of colorful balloons cheerfully paired with Ronnee McGee's sweet singing voice as she serenaded a crowd in Brookdale Coeur d'Alene on Tuesday.
She smiled as she crooned songs like "Ain't Misbehavin'," "All of Me," "Almost Like Being in Love" and other musical reminiscences that made toes tap and lovers swing when the world was at war.
"The music's a little older than me, but I recognize it," said Brookdale resident Ron Edgell, who enjoyed the performance with his service dog, Joey. "My dad used to sing it to us all the time. Some of it I remember from the movies, like Frank Sinatra. It’s good."
McGee sang for residents of the independent/assisted living facility as part of Music for the Wise, a program that brings live music to those who otherwise may not have the opportunity to enjoy live performances.
"It’s important because it gets them out of their rooms," said Robbie Gray, Brookdale's life enrichment director. "It gets them out to socialize and to listen and be with other people, not in their room watching TV."
Music for the Wise, in its eighth year, is orchestrated by the Coeur d'Alene Arts and Culture Alliance. Two of the founding members, Virginia Johnson and Bill Butland, were present Tuesday to enjoy McGee's performance with the residents.
Johnson said the program began "with the idea that we would showcase local musicians and bring them to people who might not be able to go out for live music."
"Like Al, my friend here," she said, gesturing to a gentleman seated in the crowd. "He says, 'We’re stuck here.'"
Music for the Wise is a win-win for artists and audiences alike. Butland said all of the singers who perform at various facilities are paid for their talent.
"One of the things that we do is pay all of our artists, it’s not volunteer," he said. "We pay them as part of this. We want to stimulate the artists themselves and also bring it to the community. It’s a mixture of the two."
"We made that decision early on that we wouldn’t ask for volunteer artists," Johnson added. "They’re professionals and they need to be paid."
And, Johnson said, the performances are always free to the attendees.
"The artists get paid, but we don’t have to charge because that gives everybody an opportunity to enjoy it," she said.
McGee's heartwarming smile was reflected on the faces of many of the residents, some who clapped or sang along with the Bing Crosby, Sinatra and Louis Armstrong tunes.
"That’s one thing everybody relates to," Gray said. "We all like music, whether it’s older or younger, that’s something we all have in common. We all like to listen to music."
The Sweet Adelines will perform during the next Music for the Wise event on April 6 at 2 p.m. at The Courtyard at Coeur d'Alene.
For information about the Coeur d'Alene Arts and Culture Alliance or the Music for the Wise program, visit www.artsandculturecda.org/music-for-the-wise. To perform or book a performance, email Ali Shute at ali@artsincda.org.