University of Delaware Office of Public Relations The Messenger Vol. 5, No. 2/1996 Senior sounds It's every music teacher's dream: Jessica Davidson, Delaware '72, never has to remind the singers and musicians in her ensembles to practice. They happily devote hours to learning their parts. But, that comes with the territory, she says, when your youngest player is just shy of 60 and your oldest is 96. "It's very gratifying," says the former band and chorus teacher who now directs the non-profit Davidson Senior Music Program of Central Kentucky. "Older adults are more precise. They want to make sure everything is just right. They will work their heads off to do that in a rehearsal. They will practice and practice and practice." Davidson, who now leads nearly 65 older musicians in four different ensembles, has gleaned these insights from her many years of professional experience and from personal experience: She is herself a senior citizen. "What it says to all of us is that you have a long life to live and you have a lot to look forward to," says Davidson. "I was older at the time I started in on this, but there were still a lot of things I had misconceptions about, thinking that older people couldn't do many things. As I got older myself, I found out differently. In many cases, you could do better because you had more time and greater experience." Time is something Davidson devotes generously to the program, which features the ever-popular Young-At-Heart Jazz Ensemble with its 96-year-old saxophonist, as well as an orchestra, chorus and folk ensemble. Each ensemble rehearses at least once a week, with additional practices in the weeks leading to a major performance. Davidson not only conducts each group and accompanies them on piano, but also books their engagements and coordinates their travel arrangements. Many of her performers enjoyed successful careers as professional musicians or were themselves music educators. Davidson's main soloist in the chorus, for example, is Othello Pumphrey, a tenor known as "Mr. Music," who sang professionally for many years in New York and for the U.S. Navy. Davidson's groups have become a popular staple at community events, veterans' hospitals and nursing homes. Each spring, they also take a road trip to a music educators' conference, senior citizens' seminar or other special event. This year, they expect to head to Memphis in early May for Expo '96, a senior event. Past destinations have included Chicago, New Orleans, Montreal, Orlando and St. Louis. The trips are a high point for Davidson and company. "We performed at Loyola University in New Orleans about five years ago," she recalls, "and, afterwards, at 11 o'clock at night, we were all walking up and down Bourbon Street, having the best time." Music has been a positive force for Davidson throughout her life. When she was 4, she began taking piano lessons from her mother, who had studied piano at a music conservatory. In high school, she studied piano, organ, music theory and violin. She first attended the State University of New York at Potsdam before earning her bachelor's degree in music education from the University of Delaware. She lived in Newark, Del., for many years, raising two daughters and working as a music teacher and band and chorus leader. She earned a master's degree in music education from West Chester University and a doctorate in the same field from the University of Maryland. Davidson first applied to the University of Kentucky Council of Aging for a job to start her music program, and it has since evolved into an independent organization. Members pay $50 in annual dues to cover the cost of music and other expenses. Two large garage sales help offset travel costs. "Being older myself, I can relate to them and I enjoy all of it so much," she says. "It's a wonderful thing to have a non- commercial program. The singers and musicians are doing this because they want to do it. They enjoy being together, having that relationship. We have a wonderful time, and I wouldn't trade jobs with anybody." -Robert DiGiacomo, Delaware '88