I reached out to I-Vol during the summer of 2022 and by October had found my own perfect opportunity to use my creative skills: I now play guitar for, and sing with, a local choir of people with Parkinson’s. The feedback from the organiser, Dara, and the members has been great. They appreciate hearing live music, instead of a backing track, and I’m also another voice in the mix.
It is now an extra little branch of my social life. I get to meet some fabulous people and hear their stories. It feels so good to help out, even with just pouring the tea, and passing around the cake after the session.
It’s a different aspect of my own musical life: new songs to learn, classic songs to revisit. And a lot more joy and laughter.
I would definitely recommend volunteering: it is incredibly rewarding and puts you into a new and interesting aspect of life you might otherwise never encounter. The people you are helping are always appreciative and kind, so I continue to find it a very uplifting experience.