Over the years, we have built up a steady and reliable cohort of highly talented musicians, many of whom played at The Spitz venue in the early days. An unexpected implication of these long-lasting relationships we’ve built is that we are now able to support and work in partnership with many of the children of our much-loved musicians. The Spitz family is truly intergenerational, and we caught up with dad-and-daughter duo Marcus and Isabella Bonfanti recently to pick their brains on the experience of sharing sessions together and the legacy of music.
Marcus and Isabella are both guitarists and singers, and play together at home, on stage and for the bedside ‘Reaching Out’ sessions at Bridgeside Lodge – bespoke sessions tailored to the needs of the most vulnerable residents. Marcus has been playing with The Spitz since 2019, and 14-year-old Isabella was first introduced to us through her Dad when she was only 11 years old.
Isabella’s first performance at Bridgeside Lodge, September 2022
Speaking about her first impressions of this work, Isabella says ‘When I started I was pretty young. You kind of get a different view on people and what they’re going through, because you never know’. Isabella agrees with her father that the work can feel intimidating at first, but asserts that this is only because it is different, and that once she got to know the residents personally all feelings of trepidation and intimidation melted away. Thinking about the lessons gleaned through playing at Bridgeside and other similar venues, Isabella continues ‘And people are so quick to judge. You just need to give people some time, and it’s just such a nice thing to know at such a young age, and take it into school and stuff’.
On the subject of how playing with The Spitz has changed and influenced her, Isabella continues ‘It’s something that people really need to think about, people are so quick to judge others, especially in certain environments, and you never stop to think, like, ‘what’s that person been through?’. Here, you always think ‘Oh that’s really sad, I wonder what happened, or I wonder what they’re going through right now. You’ll just never know, and so you have to always be alert in that sense. It’s a really good thing to know.’
Marcus & Isabella performing at Bridgeside Lodge, April 2024
Marcus, a highly acclaimed, internationally-touring musician and long-time Spitz regular, was visibly bursting with pride as he listened to his daughter describe the impact this type of work has had on her so far. Responding to her descriptions, he commented ‘It was really instant with you, and even the way you’ve just spoken about it, the lessons you’ve learned from it, and it’s all just incredible, incredible stuff’. He goes on to describe the impact as he sees it; ‘Sometimes you lose faith in people. And then you go to a place like here, and you laugh. And it just resets you a little bit, and you think ‘humanity’s not doomed’. And there are brilliant people, you know, doing brilliant things.‘
This sense of awe in the impact of using music to support people with additional or complex needs in a caring and therapeutic way is something undoubtedly shared between father and daughter. Isabella described this as she spoke about her developing relationship with resident Judith; ‘I remember one of the first times I saw her, and she just spoke with her eyes and stuff, and I didn’t really know how as I didn’t know her. But recently, she’s been nodding her head and things, and I thought ‘Is that what music’s done for her?’ If so, that would be really cool.’. Indeed, this elusive quality that music has to bring people together across generations is abundant not only in the paternal relationship between Marcus and Isabella, but is also mirrored in the atmosphere and community of the care home at large. At Bridgeside Lodge and especially through the music sessions, the lines between young and old begin to blur. Young carers dance with elderly residents, residents form friendships that span a wide range of ages, and families of four generations are all able to share a moment together in the music. Hearing Marcus and Isabella laugh about how favourite songs were used to bribe a very young Isabella to brush her hair each night, I was struck by the very organic and authentic way that music accompanies everyday life, and can become the thread weaving through the passing years and even eras. Music holds memories, as we witness every time a resident’s eyes light up upon hearing the opening refrain of a much-loved song from their youth.
Jamming with saxophonist Pete Wareham, August 2023
Clearly, the power of music to accompany and enhance meaningful moments is not lost on Isabella, who spoke about her future career options with excitement and enthusiasm. When asked specifically if she would consider pursuing community music or music in healthcare as career paths, Isabella stated ‘There’s so many jobs in music you could do. Like, I was always so sure that I wanted to be a singer. And then, like, there’s so much else that I could do that could really help people. And I think it would be really good to just continue this forever. Just for as long as I can.’
It was wonderful to witness first-hand and intimately what music means to the Bonfanti family, and how they have managed to share their love of music not only with each other but also in their interactions, career choices and societal output. In becoming part of The Spitz family, Marcus and Isabella are now extending the impact of our work to future generations, offering possibilities to grow, to learn from each other and to share the potential impact of participatory music in healthcare settings. This advocacy is perhaps best epitomised in an extract from a speech that Isabella recently wrote as part of her GCSE coursework, articulating the power of music in care homes:
She recognises me.
She recognises me from my voice.
She recognises me from the way I play guitar.
Now this might seem like a silly thing to care about but it is important. You see, this brilliant lady had a stroke just under 10 years ago. She didn’t like me at first. Shouted at me when I sang. Tried to shut me up and honestly I don’t blame her. Imagine losing all ability to talk and not being able to express how you really feel. You’d get frustrated wouldn’t you? It is something you hope to never happen to you or anyone else you know but sadly 100,000 people have strokes every year in the UK. This is equivalent to about 1 stroke every 5 minutes.
She recognises me.
I know she recognises me.
I can tell from her eyes even if she can’t say the words.
Performing at Elgin Close Care Scheme, September 2024
Marcus and Isabella Bonfanti,
interviewed by Martha Nicholls.
Speech extract by Isabella Bonfanti.
