More Than Music: What I Learned From Playing for the Elders

After I finished playing the last song, I slowly lifted my fingers off the keys and looked around the room. For a few seconds, nobody said anything. I didn't really know what to expect, but then one of the elders looked at me and said, "You played very well (หนูเล่นเพราะมากๆ เลยคะ)". Another one said, "Thank you so much for sacrificing your time to play for us today (ขอบคุณมากเลยนะที่ยอมเสียสละเวลาจองตัวเองมาเล่นให้เรา)." I didn't really know what to say at first, especially because I didn't expect that type of feedback, so I just smiled and said, "It's no problem at all." I wasn't expecting anyone to say something like that, and it honestly caught me off guard. In a good way. It made me feel like what I did actually mattered to them.

In that moment, I realized that sometimes, the smallest things, a few songs, a short visit, can reach people in unexpected ways. Even though I didn't know them personally, and to them, I was just a random kid playing the keyboard, I could still make them feel seen, if only for just a small moment.

While I was carrying the keyboard and on my way to the car, one of the nurses asked if I had time to play in the other room. She was sure that they'd really appreciate my music playing since they had elders who liked to sing. I hadn't planned to, but I said yes anyway. I moved the keyboard over, set it up again, and played two songs. It was a different room, but the feeling was still really calm. I'm glad I went.

After that, I wrapped up for the day. I stood by the door for a bit before heading out, just kind of thinking about everything. It was quite a short visit, but nonetheless, something about it stuck with me.

That night, I kept thinking back to the moment when I imagined my great-grandmother while I was playing. That really changed how I approached playing the music for others. I stopped worrying about how it sounded and just tried to focus on what I wanted to give.

Looking back, I think that mindset made the biggest difference.

I used to pay a lot of attention to playing perfectly. Whenever I made a mistake, I would stop and start the song all over again. But that day, I realized that maybe it's not about playing perfectly; maybe it's just about being there, doing your best, and offering something heartfelt.

I'm definitely planning to play for the bedridden elders again, but in a different environment. The elders I played for this time occasionally have visits from friends or family members, which is really nice to see. But next, I'm planning to play for elders who don't get any visitors, those who are lonely and desperately need a little love and attention. I'll be going to a government-run "บ้านพักคนชรา" (Elderly Home) to spend time with the elders and share some music.

I'm also thinking about interviewing some of them and sharing their story on this page. Even if it's just for a moment, I hope that they feel seen, remembered, and loved.

Thanks for following along. I'll keep sharing as I go.

Stay tuned.

-Team