Bread & Roses Show at SF General Hospital
A friend and fellow musician booked me for a performance earlier today at San Francisco General Hospital as part of an on going performance series that the non profit Bread & Roses puts on throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. I had no idea what to expect and, to be honest, it was one of the more rewarding experiences I have had to date as a musician. In a nutshell, Bread & Roses is dedicated to “uplifting the human spirit by providing free, live, quality shows to people that live in institutions or are otherwise isolated from society”. The organization books performances everywhere from drug rehabilitation centers to senior citizens’ homes to mental health institutions and more.
Today, I played in one of the mental health wards at San Francisco General Hospital for a little over an hour or so. Honestly, I was pretty excited about it, but I wasn’t sure how my music would be received. I was really hoping that the patients would get a kick out of it and that it would bring some joy to their day. When the men and women who live there walked into the performance area, most of them were nearly catatonic. It just didn’t seem like there were too many lights on upstairs. As soon as I started playing, though, many of the patients’ faces lit up, some started humming and singing along, and others started banging on their chairs, clapping, and stomping in time with big smiles on their faces. It was really very cool to see it happening from behind the mic and watch the immediate effect that some music and a few smiles had on their day. I got more than a few laughs out of the experience, as well.
If you have a few minutes, check out the Bread & Roses website, read a little bit about the organization, donate if you can or, better yet, if you’re a musician, contact them about scheduling a performance. In all the hustle and bustle of trying to make a buck, book shows, and promote yourself, it’s a nice break from your every day routine and a great way to give back and share some of your talent with those that really need some positive energy and stimulation from time to time.