Senior Outreach

Objective: To generate arts enrichment experiences for senior citizens

Total Fundraised: $90,500

Notable Achievement: Founded a new initiative to support people with dementia and their caregivers

The benefits of arts outreach should be accessible to all age groups. CaringKind is New York City’s leading resource on Alzheimer’s and dementia caregiving. When The New York Pops received generous funding from private donors to create a partnership with CaringKind in 2018, I developed a brand new-initiative: CaringKind guests are now invited to join exclusive musical demonstrations with leading performers, and then attend private rehearsals featuring the performers and The New York Pops. Recent participants in this project include Tony DeSare, Capathia Jenkins, and Judith Clurman’s choir Essential Voices USA.

In 2019, The New York Pops received generous funding from New York City Council Member Karen Koslowitz to present free concerts in Queens, NY. After scouting several locations, I identified Rego Park Senior’s Club as the ideal venue. I produced two performances: a matinee that coincided with the club’s regular daycare hours, and an evening performance that was open to the general public. Since the majority of the club’s patrons were Russian immigrants, I asked the musicians to put together a program featuring Slavic composers. Upon hearing the familiar strains during the matinee performance, the club’s senior patrons literally waltzed through the aisles (see video above).