The Benton Boomers

ALIVE with MUSIC!
Columbia County, PA Senior Music for Wellness Program

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DRUMMING CAN'T BE BEAT
November 22, 2018
Press Enterprise, Bloomsburg

Benton Senior Center's Benton Boomers visited Catawissa Senior Center for a morning of drumming, part of a grant, "Music for Wellness", mentored by Carl Chimi and Mary Knysh, in front. Sitting in second row, from left, are Liz Broda, Barbara McCaffery, Fern Armstrong, Doris Smith, Reuben Herman, Geraldine Laubach; third row: Martin Stahley, Sylvia Kraslowski, Barb Spisszak, Tom Roberts, Melanie Anderson, Monica Randell, Martha Thomas and Carolyn Beach; and back row: Margo Valenick, Cindy Opdyke, Mike Karns and Henry Spisszak.
PRESS ENTERPRISE, Bloomsburg, PA - 22 Nov 2018

BENTON BOOMERS GOING TO BARBADOS
March 27, 2019
WNEP-TV

Click on the picture to link to the WNEP video clip

• BENTON, Pa. -- If you spend any amount of time at the Benton Senior Center in Columbia County, prepare to be serenaded by a group of seniors and their musical instruments.
• The seniors are involved in a program started by Carl Chimi and Mary Knysh called "Music for Wellness."
• Carl and Mary work with seniors to bring out the music inside of them.
• "We believe that that's a factor in people's wellness," Chimi said.
• The music program came to the Benton Senior Center last summer. Center manager Jinny Keifer says the seniors did not want to do it at first.
• "No, they were ready to fire me. But they got into it and we've come a long way," Keifer said.
• Now, the "Benton Boomers" travel to other senior centers and nursing homes. They teach other seniors how to make drums and how to play the instruments. Participants say it's therapeutic.
• "I'm kind of introverted and I think it really helps people communicate with each other. It's really social," Barb Spisszak said.
• "They're actually leading the performance and eager to lead the performance. That is a lot of fun to watch," Chimi said.
• In a little over a month, the group is taking its talents to Barbados. And group members are raising money to be able to do that.
• Five members of the group are going with their instructor to Barbados. They will go into senior centers there and teach seniors how to play instruments and make drums.
• "I never thought at my age I would be doing something like this and going to Barbados with a group," Spisszak said.

PREPARING THE TUBANO TUBES
March 30-31, 2019
Gezellig Factory / Halfway Acres 

My heartfelt appreciation and gratitude go to to my dear friends and partners in Rhythmic Connections, William Jay and Robyn Madara Jay - their expertise, wisdom and wonderful workshop has helped to fuel and inspire these glorious drum making projects!!! You two are the best!!

DRUM MAKING DAY
April 1, 2019
Benton - Bloomsburg - Danville

Alive with Music!! Today our Benton Boomers led a one hour drumming/music session with two other senior centers (Bloomsburg and Danville) and the collective communities made 12 beautiful Tubano drums together that will remain in the two centers. Wahoo!! The beat goes on!
Tomorrow we go on to do the same thing in Catawissa!!

SENIORS DON'T MISS A BEAT
April 2, 2019
​Press Enterprise, Bloomsburg

Alive with Music!! Our Benton Boomer senior group was featured in the newspaper today, they are so amazing and this article captures them beautifully! I am so proud of them all!

DRUMMING IT UP IN BERWICK
May 1-2, 2019
Berwick, PA

Alive with Music! Senior drum making project! Our amazing team of seniors hosted an engaging day of drum making for the Berwick senior center! Spreading the joy of music!!

Alive with Music! The Benton Boomers facilitated a lively and FUN drumming and music making session at The Berwick senior center! Way to go!!! Next stop for the Benton Boomers - Barbados!!! Wahoo

BARBADOS or BUST!
​May 6, 2019
Bloomsburg to Barbados

​Barbados Bound! Our Benton Boomers Alive with Music! project is offering our first international out reach - we are in Barbados this week making drums with the seniors here and offering interactive drumming sessions and trainings for the senior facilities here on the island!

Making Music in Barbados
May 9-10, 2019
​Barbados

Barbados Alive with Music! Senior project! The Benton Boomers plus Myself, Carl Chimi and Irene Feher have begun our drum making project in Barbados- what a truly beautiful culture here- we are loving this community exchange!