During Christmas time 2018, I started tagging along with two sweet sisters, probably in their upper 60s, who regularly go to an old folks’ home to host a sing-along for residents. I thoroughly enjoyed singing along to classic Christmas carols that I know and love for those couple weeks leading up to Christmas. Then, January came around, and, as I’d been informed, we started singing out of a new sing-along book with old songs. A strange thought hit me as I watched and listened to these precious gems sing out Pennies From Heaven, A Bushel and a Peck, Hello Dolly, Sentimental Journey and Amazing Grace … What on earth will my generation sing along to as old people in assisted living homes?
What will my generation be like as old people?
The question really hit me and baffled me, too. I later imagined a gathering of 80-somethings complaining about the food between song breaks (a habit that crosses generations), snapping selfies to post on Instagram (what will those feeds look like?!) and attempting to sing along with a piano playing songs from Justin Timberlake, Katy Perry, Rhianna and Ariana Grande. Yikes! Let me tell you, a fast-paced, set of verses in something as simple as Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer will likely leave us breathless, so I don’t know that we’ll be busting out Fergalicious. Plus, let’s be real, I don’t know how many millennials will actually be “up in the gym working on [their] fitness” at 85.
That said, I’m sure all the indie-alternative, Coldplay, Feist, A Fine Frenzy, music fans like myself, and the country-loving folks are thinking, “we have a lot of great songs to sing to!” And, to be fair, I do believe a crew of old millennials could really get after Hello by Adele or Perfect by Ed Sheeran. I suppose the question is more: how will we agree on anything? We have so many options today, including oldies. I’d like to think some Frank Sinatra songs and maybe a little Nat King Cole will grace our gatherings.
“… I do believe a crew of old millennials could really get after Hello by Adele or Perfect by Ed Sheeran.”
On another note, there will be plenty of great Christian music to sing to, but will the majority of millennials actually sing hymns or Christian-related music? The Baby Boomers singing at the old folks’ home that I visit seem happy to sing songs about Jesus and His love for them. I hope my generation will feel the same.
Ultimately, this is really a question for the youngsters a couple generations down the road who will be deciding what to put in our sing-along books. All I can think is, best of luck!
