Hitting the right notes
by KinCare — 16 December 2019
A chance meeting at a social club has given Victorian KinCare customer, Beryl, a chance to reconnect with a hobby she loves – singing. We chatted to her recently to find out how it happened.
“A few years ago some friends suggested I join a social club near my home,” the 87-year-old recalls. “I hadn’t been there very long when someone came up to me and said, ‘can you sing?’ I replied, ‘of course I can, anyone can sing,’ and that was how I joined my singing group.”
While she has a strong belief that everyone has the ability to sing, Beryl admits she may have had more experience of it than some others.
“When I lived in England as a young woman, I was a dancer and singing was just part of my job. I did a few pantomimes and things like that, but it wasn’t easy making money in that profession, so I also trained as a hairdresser to make ends meet. When I moved to Australia with my husband shortly after we got married, I gave up dancing completely.”
Beryl’s KinCare carer, Carol, takes her to her singing group every Thursday at the local community centre and brings her home at the end. Beryl says being part of the group has given her a great opportunity to interact with others and have a bit of fun. In particular she likes the fact that everyone is welcome to join the group, regardless of their experience or ability.
“I didn’t have to audition to join. So long as you love to sing, you’re welcome. It works as we just keep growing. There’s now 17 of us, all senior citizens, and in the last few weeks we’ve even had some men join.”
Need a helping hand?
With a little help form KinCare, Beryl is able to travel to and from her social group, bringing her joy and happiness every week. If you could use a little help to get to important appointments and events, our In-Home Care services could be right for you.
Every year around Christmas the group performs a concert at the local hall, where they typically perform about 20 songs. Beryl says she wasn’t nervous the first time she performed because, “I’d been on stage in front of an audience before.”
The 2019 concert took place in the first week of December and had a French theme. Beryl sang a solo Comme Ci, Comme Ca. While the song is mostly in English, she says memorising the French parts was a challenge for her.
“I had a fall a little while back and it’s made things a bit harder to remember, but I’ll get there.”
Having the accident made Beryl appreciate the fact she had decided to start singing rather than choosing a hobby that required her to be more active.
“My balance can sometimes be a bit off, but even when I’m not feeling great singing is something I can still do and I’m thankful for that.
“Singing just makes you feel wonderful. I really love it and it’s something everyone can have a go at, especially at a club like ours where you don’t have to audition or anything. You just get up and sing.”
How KinCare can help you
We believe that being connected to your family, friends and community is one of the things that makes life worthwhile. That’s why, as part of our In-Home Care services, we offer our Customers support with getting to and from appointments and events, so they can continue to do the things they love.