An insatiable hunger for music
Updated: Mar 5, 2021
Musician: Thom Rowlands (guitar)
The third floor of Bridgeside Lodge had been in isolation for the past 10 days following a couple of positive tests. Thankfully no-one got ill but of course you can't be too careful, especially with elderly and already vulnerable adults. Because of this, it had not been possible to visit JC, our resident guitarist for a while. Now that their isolation period was over, it was great to be able to hang out with him again.
JC is one of the most lucid residents of BSL and as such is more able to easily communicate his thoughts - on music, on polictics and on any other topic one cares to mention!
"When's this bloody lockdown going to end!?"
- Resident J.C, BSL
We played some old blues and some jazz. Jimmy Cox's Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out and Fats Waller's Ain't Misbehavin. J.C wanted to know all about it. He has an insatiable hunger for music which is so refreshing.
Thom also played for resident G in his room. We first met G in the early summer of 2020. Today G was very quiet and Thom said it seemed like he was fading. Some more gentle music felt appropriate here. Thom played A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square.
"When I finished playing and was considering what to play next, I could hear G very quietly humming/singing the melody. I joined in with him, and we starting trading phrases."
- Thom, musician and Spitz staff
It's hard to tell if these moments are entirely deliberate (on the part of the resident). Some of these beautiful old songs seems to exist in the subconscious of the generation who grew up with them, they transcend conscious thought. It's a privilege to be a small part of moments like this.