OUR MISSION

Few of us would own up to not loving - and needing - music in our lives.

Yet visit any retirement village or nursing home and you may see people who can’t get out and about as well as they used to. Much of the entertainment which we take for granted – especially live music – is much more difficult for them to get to - if they can "get out" at all.

Yet music, and especially live music - when they are able to hear it - greatly enhances their lives and brings a joy that almost nothing else can provide – especially when they can join in with a chorus of their favourite song, or a tap of the foot, or maybe a swirl around with a partner.

To those of us not quite that far down life's path, the image of retirement villages and nursing homes is probably pushed out of day-to-day thoughts, and old age is rarely thought of at all .

Some of us are indeed faced with the reality of the aging process by, proxy through contact with a dear old parent - and you will know first hand what we are talking about. 

 Jukebox Joy is an embryo organisation of musicians based in Byron Bay, Australia, whose mission is to bring joy to the lives of senior citizens  - our "tribal elders" - by visiting them in nursing homes and retirement villages to put on a live show for about an hour once a month. Jukebox Joy  play many of the old songs they love -- from Mack the Knife and Don’t Fence Me In to Fly Me to the Moon and Somebody Stole My Gal.

The emphasis is on fun with music. The audience often sings along and sometimes they will get up and dance. It brings energy and interaction, smiles and conversation - just a little more life into their routine.

The two organisers, Peter McKaskill and Stephen Calder, donate their time and talent free-of-charge for their monthly visits to these facilities and have arrangements to play at seven venues in the Northern Rivers (NSW)  district  every month. These venues are listed here on the Jukebox Joy website, and include five in Byron Shire and three in Ballina.

The welcome reception they receive is as much a joy to them as the music is, evidently, to the audiences. The duo use acoustic guitars or semi-acoustics with very little amplification and sing solo and with harmony in their show. 

Jukebox Joy would like to thank the Lions Club for a recent donation acknowledging the value of our work.

They are also very grateful for two grants from Byron Shire Council, in 2007 and 2008.