For all the efforts to find activities for the residents, some sometimes seem to be sleepwalking. Living in an institution, however loving and caring, is not the same as living in the room.

Some of the residents find ways to keep themselves busy and stimulated, others sometimes drift into a fog. One of the reasons I was do drawn to setting up a Karaoke Machine was that it is interactive.

Usually, musicians come into the Mansion and sing to the residents, who are passive, they hear and see the music, but they can’t participate. With Karaoke, they are the music, they come alive and laugh and smile and clap.

I can see how good this is for them. They so often feel left behind by the world.

“You were right,” one of the aides told me when the music was over, “this is going to be great for them.” I think so. Come and  listen, an see for yourself. I saw a lot of smiles today on faces where I had not seen too many smiles before.

This was a good day at the Mansion. Thanks for your support of the Karaoke Project. If you wish to help expand and improve this program, you can send a contribution to me, Jon Katz. P.O. Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816, or via Paypal, [email protected]. Or you can just hit the “Army Of Good” donate button down below. Thanks.