InConcert Sierra Brings Professional Musicians to Local Senior Facilities

Emerald Duo at Sierra View Senior Living

Every quarter for the past seven years, minus the pandemic shutdown, InConcert Sierra (ICS) presents “Music on Wheels,” a free, in-person concert experience featuring professional musicians, for residents of local senior homes in our Nevada County community. 

"These musical programs bring joy to our community’s seniors, as many residents are no longer able to go out to concerts to enjoy the benefits of live performance. “The transformative power of music should be accessible to all, regardless of age, ability, or circumstance. ICS proudly provides that experience through Music on Wheels and our other educational programs," said ICS Executive Director Julie Hardin.

Past concerts have presented string quartets, piano trios, vocalists, solo harp, and other instrumentations performing everything from traditional classical chamber music to Broadway and popular tunes. The senior audiences are very appreciative and applaud enthusiastically after each musical number. At one concert of classical music, a man began to cry. After the concert, he said he had never heard such beautiful music

ICS collaborates with Foothills Compassionate Care to bring this program to our senior residences and, last month, presented the “Emerald Duo,” with violinist Susan Doering and cellist Dieter Wulfhorst, at six local facilities--Atria, Brunswick Village, Cascades, Hilltop Commons, Sierra View Senior Living and Eskaton Village. 

The Emerald Duo’s program was a journey through a century of music. At the end of their program, violinist Doering said, "We're now up to 1995, and it's time to say goodbye.” One attendee, who had been sweetly humming along to almost every piece said, “Oh no, why?” She didn’t want the music to end. 

Music has been studied for its benefits for elder care and for its positive influence on our aging and memory care populations. In 2023, The Fischer Center for Alzheimer’s Research released a report noting that, “Music may help to ease the stress of living with advanced Alzheimer’s disease. Nursing home residents with dementia who listened to enjoyable music showed fewer signs of agitation, aggression and other behavioral issues than residents who didn’t get the music intervention.” Music soothes the soul and brings joy throughout every stage of life.

At a performance at Atria, a resident with dementia who had not spoken for several months listened intently for some time, then suddenly started singing. The music had obviously resonated with her so as to temporarily release her from her silence.

Lisa Vixie Winget, the owner of Sierra View Senior Living, said, “It is prohibitive for a senior facility to offer this caliber of experience to residents without ICS and Foothills Compassionate Care providing the musicians.” Vixie Winget also stated, “It is so spectacular that ICS and Foothills Compassionate Care can collaborate on a program that is so helpful to our residents. The energy level and the connectedness between residents increases after every performance.” In fact, Vixie Winget said that, after the last concert, two residents with dementia who never really interact with others played a table game together.

“Foothills Compassionate Care is proud to support InConcert Sierra’s Music on Wheels program, bringing high-quality live performances to members of our community,” emphasizes Foothills Compassionate Care Community Relations Manager Elizabeth Dreher. “Through programs like this, music becomes a gift of comfort, connection, and shared humanity.”

ICS is a Nevada County nonprofit classical music organization presenting exceptional classical and choral performances that have inspired and enhanced our region’s cultural life since 1946 and offers a Third Sunday Concert Series from September through May each year. We are also building the Crown Point Venues in Grass Valley, which features an acoustic concert hall, a black box theater and a conference center.

For more information, please visit ICS’s website at https://www.inconcertsierra.org/