hile living in a senior home has its benefits, the day-to-day routine can leave elderly residents anxious for something different and entertaining.
So when Herndon musicians Matt and Jasmine Commerce performed on a recent Friday at the Herndon Harbor House, Evelyn Chakalos, 87, was ecstatic.
“A brother and a sister act!” she said as the duo finished a folky rendition of Elvis Presley’s "Blue Suede Shoes." “It’s just wonderful. I simply love their music.”
Chakalos’ affection for the young musicians is shared by activity directors working at senior centers across Northern Virginia and Maryland, all of whom are perpetually on the lookout for entertaining ways to break up the monotony of senior living.
The siblings’ nostalgic covers of folk and blues tunes are proving to popular with the residents because they enjoy the melodies and memories stirred up by long-forgotten songs, said Ann Pilarte, activity director at Morningside House in Leesburg.
“They play songs that residents know. They’ll sing along. They’ll get up and dance,” Pilarte said. “Sometimes they’ll get emotional, but not in a bad way. These songs really touch them.”
Matt and Jasmine Commerce, both graduates of Herndon High School, are one of a small handful of acts touring the regional senior center circuit.
The idea to perform music for senior citizens struck Jasmine Commerce in February 2003 after her friend’s social worker mother asked her to play guitar and violin for local seniors on Valentine’s Day.
Initially hesitant, she taught herself a couple old time songs and found that she was surprisingly well received.
An aspiring professional musician, she decided to play more shows at senior centers and within three months was earning a living.
“It just kept blossoming from there,” she said.
She quickly realized that she needed accompaniment, however, because she was having to play her violin and guitar and sing solo in almost every song. So she convinced her younger brother, Matt, who had just graduated from William and Mary College to be the second half of a duo.
Now, the Commerce siblings are playing an average of 10 shows a week at senior centers, often performing as much as three times a day. This week is particularly busy because it is National Nursing Home Week and activity directors are clamoring to book acts to mark the occasion.
BOTH MATT AND JASMINE perform with other bands at local bars and write their own music. By touring senior centers, Jasmine Commerce said, not only are they able to play music for a living, but also bring some joy into the lives of senior citizens.
“This provides us not only with an opportunity to make money, but it’s so fulfilling,” she said. “It just fills up my heart to hang out with and perform for these people.”
The frequent performances have also given the Commerce siblings an opportunity to fine tune their talents. And their repertoire is growing daily because they try to teach themselves at least one new song out of an old song book they checked out from the library.
“It allows us to practice every day, to sing every day,” said Jasmine Commerce. “We don’t have to go to a nine-to-five job.”
Matt Commerce said the job has also instilled in him a new-found respect for senior citizens.
“Now I relate to old people like I relate to people my own age,” he said. “They don’t have barriers up like young people. It’s amazing how quickly the open up. They just tell you who they are and what there story is. And they all have some great stories.”
Anyone interested in seeing the Commerce siblings perform outside of a senior center can catch their act at the Herndon Festival early next month.