GREAT FALLS — In the Golden Eagle Room of Eagles Manor, violinist Jack Glatzer performed for the residents.
The performance at Eagles Manor was part of a 20 stop concert tour around the state of Montana. Glatzer loves performing at assisted living communities because of the effect music can have on the residents.
“There’s something very gratifying for me, and it’s particularly when I play for people who have memory or cognitive problems,” Glatzer said, “How they transform with music, because music does go to everyone’s brain if they let it and transforms them in a very special way.”
The positive effects of the live music can be seen outwardly among the residents as well, helping them form new relationships with each other.
“They draw people out of their apartments, especially the people that are new,” Nadine Poupa, the assistant administrator at Eagles Manor said, “It's sometimes hard for them to come down and join in where it's a little more established group doing an activity. But music's open to everybody and often the residents will sit around afterwards and talk and visit. So, it's a wonderful opportunity for them to get to know one another, and it’s a wonderful opportunity for them to interact with someone out of the community, too.”
Typically, Eagles Manor has musicians come around once a month to celebrate everyone who had a birthday that month. During September, they have had three different performances. The residents look forward to events like this to break up their days and lift their spirits.
“Well, it just makes me happy, and it breaks up our day, otherwise we sit in our rooms,” Blanche Pentland, Eagles Manor resident said.
Glatzer’s performance included classical songs and compositions, mixed in with spoken word dialogue about love, life, and the power of a violin. Although unable to join today, Glatzer’s wife usually participates with Glatzer, reading her own original poetry.
“it’s a really nice experience of combining music and poetry,” Glatzer said.
Glatzer has been playing violin for more than 78 years. He was born in Dallas, where he studied under the concern master of the Dallas symphony. After winning a national competition and scholarship, he studied at Yale before earning another scholarship to Oxford in England. He went on to study in Germany, Switzerland, and Portugal. As of today, Glatzer has visited 50 countries through his performances, and resides outside Seattle, Washington with his wife.
To hear Glatzer play or learn more about him, you can head to his website at http://www.jackglatzer.com or find videos of him performing by searching his name on YouTube.
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