When Dennis Blanchard, Recreation Coordinator at Cerenity Marian plugged in his keyboard and microphone Tuesday afternoon, he had a crowd of residents waiting to hear him play. Even staff members and visitors stopped to tap their toes and jive along to the beat.

Elizabeth Emery, a resident at Marian, brought her son and daughter-in-law to the dining hall for the show. “I just love the music,” says Elizabeth. She sat front row, applauding after every song ended. “That’s the best part of my job,” says Dennis, “seeing the enjoyment on their faces when they come to see me.” He not only sings to the audience, but engages them as well by accepting recommendations. “I get asked to play You are my Sunshine and Let me call you Sweetheart, a lot,” says Dennis, “it’s very reminiscent for them, the music takes them back to a fun time in their life.”

It’s not only dining hall entertainment that Dennis coordinates for residents. He also incorporates sing-a-longs, one-on-one piano lessons and music therapy to engage them. He goes from floor to floor and runs between 2-3 programs a day. “The benefits are great,” says Dennis. Music can create enjoyment, stimulate memory and depending on melody calm people down. “Residents really seem to enjoy it and that’s what matters the most,” says Dennis.

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