Halifax duo entertains seniors with street concert outside retirement home

Halifax duo entertains seniors with street concert Catherine Little and Brad Reid held a street concert to entertain seniors outside a Halifax retirement home.

HALIFAX — Catherine Little and Brad Reid know just the right notes to hit to bring a smile.

Over the weekend, the duo performed for the residents at the Parkland at the Gardens, a retirement living home in downtown Halifax.

“I feel like this is an especially important time to spread joy,” said Little, a cellist from Dartmouth.

“Anything that you can do to just bring a smile to someone’s day is really good because I think sometimes all the negative stuff can really pull us down and this does a great job to counteract that.”

The whole idea stemmed from a video that Little posted on YouTube, where she held a one-woman parade, playing different instruments in her neighbourhood.

“It was just a fun idea I had I wanted to do a one-woman parade on my street, since the rules nowadays dictate a one-woman parade versus many more,” said Little.

When Parkland at the Gardens saw the video, they invited the musicians to perform for their residents, but it wasn’t your typical performance.

Due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic and rules around physically distancing, most of the seniors watched the performance from their windows inside the building, some waving their hands in enjoyment.

“The seniors here are used to hearing lots of concerts and all of a sudden, there’s nowhere to go and family can’t visit and life has changed very drastically,” said Little. “So, it’s really exciting to think that we can lift their morale with some music.”

“It’s kind of an interesting idea, coming out and playing to the people looking out their window,” said Reid. “People are used to hearing music here and now it’s had to stop. It’s nice to be able to be able to provide that.”

Both musicians say this is one way they can make a difference during such a difficult time.

“All of us musicians in the city, from everyone I’ve spoken to, we feel really strongly that it’s important to share our art and that our art really matters, and I think it’s at times like these that it becomes even more apparent how important music is,” said Little.

“It’s part of what we do as musicians and it feels good and it can be uplifting to us and also just to the people that are hearing it, it’s a source of positivity,” added Reid.

Shannex, which operates the Parkland at the Gardens, says they plan to have more concerts for their residents next weekend.