Low Fell Ukes visits the care homes of Gateshead to play songs which both entertain the residents and also bring back memories of times past.
Older folk find music to be more than a source of entertainment. A recent report found that 98% of older people felt they got a health benefit from music, the most common being stress relief and relaxation.
Other reported benefits include pain relief and improvement in mood and mental health. What’s more, just over a quarter of older adults say music connects them to others — a key finding, given the toll that loneliness and isolation can take on one’s health.
Three quarters of the people in the study saw music as creating joy. One such person is 86-year-old Kathleen Tweedie who has always found Low Fell Ukes visits to Rosewood House Care Home full of happiness and joy. Kathleen has always sung along with the ukulele group and has always made suggestions for songs she would like to hear.
Always wanting to play the tunes remembered by residents in care, I asked Kathleen to work with me in creating a songbook for Low Fell Ukes to play from. Kathleen was very eager to make suggestions of singers and songs which meant something to her.
There is one suggestion “Tie a Yellow Ribbon” which comes from a resident who lives at Armstrong House Care Home.
I think that Kathleen has created a great set of songs which I am sure will be enjoyed by both listeners and players alike.

“Kathleen’s Choice” can be downloaded from the Library Page