CARMEL — At 91 years old Lou Newman uses the power of music to bring her community together and take her neighbors back to decades old memories.
Inside Woodland Terrace in Carmel the sound of the grand piano fills the halls as Newman plays for her neighbors.
“It's a lot of fun playing here because one lady came up to me and said ‘your music blesses my soul,’ how could you not play,” Newman said.
Whether playing alone or for a crowd, Newman can be found at the grand piano several times a day.
“I don't play bridge, I don't play mahjong, I can't play chess," Newman said. "But I can play the piano so that's what I do."
Newman and her husband spent years traveling to retirement homes and memory care centers playing their duet.
Their music helping to ignite a memory in those who didn’t have much to hold on to.
“When I played ‘Bicycle Built for Two’ and ‘School Days’ you could see them singing every word,” Newman said.
Newman says she and her husband had quite the repertoire, with hundreds of songs they could perform as a team.
“My husband and I had just list, after list, after list," Newman said. "We figured we had about 250 songs that we could come up with."
"Unfortunately, my husband died four years ago but he was 91 he had a good run,” Newman said.
Now a soloist she continues their tradition by playing for her friends and neighbors at Woodland Terrace.
Although these days, she just wings it. Taking requests and playing from the heart.
“I'm too lazy to read music,” Newman said.
But she's not too lazy to keep playing. Lou says her music will continue to fill hearts and halls of Woodland Terrace for as long as she can.
If you know someone making an impact in your community let us know, email us at news@wrtv.com.
