Charged Particles
Concerts for Seniors
"Everyone loved the performance and
are asking when Charged Particles will return."
Whitney B. Glandon, Director of Resident Programs,
Brookdale Battery Park, New York, New York
"Charged Particles simply lit up our community with
their infectious rhythms. Resident after resident
has approached me raving about the performance.
Vi at Grayhawk was very fortunate to
have Charged Particles in our community, and we
look forward to the next time they visit Arizona."
René Bracamonte, Lifestyle Director,
Vi at Grayhawk, Scottsdale, Arizona
"A great concert!"
Onnolee Trapp,
The Sequoias, Portola Valley, California
"Charged Particles' performance was a refreshing
change from the standard playlist of jazz favorites.
The combination of stories paired with how jazz is
interpreted, improvised, and presented gave me
new insight into the art form. We, at Vi at Silverstone
welcome Charged Particles back at any time."
Curtis Rick, Lifestyle Director,
Vi at Silverstone, Scottsdale, Arizona
"Charged Particles was a hit for our senior residents.
The repertoire was a great blend of old and new, and
so tastefully performed. The smiling faces and feet
tapping to the beat by our residents was a joy to
witness. We want to have them back!"
Charlie Loshbough,
Shepherd’s Care Foundation, Kensington Village, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
"What a treat to listen to Charged Particles play
traditional jazz in such a creative way!
We're so happy they are preserving it!"
Betty and Steve Zimmerman, Residents,
Vi at Silverstone, Scottsdale, Arizona
"Everyone loved the show!"
Colleen McCutchan
Atria Las Posas
"A huge thank you for a brilliant performance! We've
been receiving non-stop compliments about the
performance - not only from the residents, but from
the staff as well!"
Rhoda Goldman Plaza, San Francisco, California
Program Description
For older adults, Charged Particles offers an especially engaging workshop to bring traditional jazz to life and to demonstrate how the art form has matured over the years. Older audiences are very familiar with many of the core "standards" of jazz, such as "Autumn Leaves", "Body and Soul", "The Girl From Ipanema", "Take Five", and many more. Each of these songs is, of course, in a particular style: a romantic ballad, a swing tune, and a bossa nova, for example. During their performance for seniors, Charged Particles plays an array of these familiar songs in their traditional styles, talking a lot between songs about how each song is structured, and giving listeners a "road map" to understand each section of each song. Then, each song is followed by a performance of a more contemporary rendering in a similar style. For example, "The Girl from Ipanema" might be followed by bassist Aaron Germain's new composition "Opening", which is a Brazilian samba. The final performance of the set is akin to the jazz classic "Sing, Sing, Sing", a huge hit decades ago that is familiar to most seniors, and that features the same sort of extended drum solo.