Members Out in the World: Mel Terry
In 2009 after singing with OGMC for 2 years, I thought it would be good to get an upgrade on my performance skills. I signed up for a musical theater class at Stagebridge in Oakland, the nation’s oldest and most renowned performing arts organization for older adults.
It was love at first sight. The classes were great, the people were very friendly and welcoming. I felt right at home. I was thrilled to be cast in the play Counter Attack which had 30 performances at the Ashby Stage in Berkeley. The romance continued and eventually I was enticed to join the board of directors; I consummated and currently am the board secretary.
When OGMC went into performance hiatus last March, and performance opportunities were few and far between, I started taking memoir and storytelling classes at Stagebridge via Zoom. Storytelling has been a splendid opportunity to meet new people and develop deeper ongoing relationships. While weaving stories from the fabric of our lives we get to revisit the past and try to make sense of sometimes confusing and hurtful experiences from a more informed perspective. It can be very therapeutic! At the end of each class series, we have a showcase so we can share our performance with family and friends. Here’s my most recent.
Storytelling skills and singing complement each other and this has been a way for me to keep up my voice training and expression during these soon-to-end trying times. On-line learning has been a godsend AND I am so looking forward to singing and storytelling in person again.
