Barbara hits the right notes playing piano for seniors groups
Barbara Smith was semi-retired when she noticed an advertisement calling for a volunteer to play the piano for a group of singers at the Manly Club for Seniors. Barbara, who had played since the age of eight, answered the call and has now been volunteering her time at the centre for 18 years.
“I’ve always loved music. It was only when I started (at Manly Club for Seniors) in 2008 that I really started practicing again and putting my all into it,” she says.
“It’s community singing,” Barbara says of the Happy Wanderers group, who gather every Monday to sing for a couple of hours. “It’s simply singing for the joy of it.”
A former teacher from Narrabeen, Barbara has put together a series of songbooks during her time playing piano for the Happy Wanderers singers, with the hits now numbering 1,009. She has a spreadsheet with all the songs listed, and they are an eclectic mix, including 1950s numbers, hits from musicals, older songs like The
Tennessee Waltz and even some modern tunes.
The number of participants can range up to 25 at times, and Barbara says people who come in feeling a little down or lonely can walk out in a different frame of mind after more than two hours of music. “That’s a lot of singing – your spirits are pretty lifted by then!” she explains.
Barbara on piano, with vocalist Peggy Arnold and drummer David Costa
Barbara (right) keeps the music going at The Friday dance
Barbara picked up another volunteering gig in 2017, playing piano for The Friday Dance, which is run by the Narrabeen Seniors Citizens Club. At the time of print, the group was moving from the Cromer Community Centre to the new Warriewood Community Centre.
Barbara is joined by a bass player, drummer and vocalist every second week, providing music for dancers who swap from the tango to the foxtrot, the quick step and jive. “I have to really be on top of that music because you’ve got to be on time,” she says, adding that while she sight-reads some of the pieces, she has to practice the music too. “It’s been terrific for me and has really expanded my music knowledge.”
“In the dancing group we do have a few people who are aged in their 90s and they’re really inspiring people because they just keep doing things and getting out there and enjoying their lives,” Barbara says. “It’s brought me a lot of joy.”
Barbara is looking for a pianist to help her out with her volunteering. Contact Barbara on narrabarb@bigpond.com