The Prickly Pears musical duo performs weekly at Day Break-Adult Day Services, a program of Active Generations in Sioux Falls.
Graduates of the University of Sioux Falls Accelerated Nursing Program Anders Larson '13 (Stillwater, Minnesota) and Jackson Magyar '13 (Fort Collins, CO) created the musical duo The Prickly Pears as a way to perform public health outreach. They play weekly at Day Break-Adult Day Services, a program of Active Generations in Sioux Falls.
While both sing, Anders plays the guitar and Jackson plays mandolin, banjo, and harmonica. "Performing traditional American music is a way of celebrating the roots of our culture," says Jackson, who worked in Colorado as a whitewater expedition guide and there learned to love American folk music. "My friends at Day Break represent a generation I adore, and it's a privilege to connect with them through conversation and music."
The Prickly Pears compose their set list based on their audience and requests. A typical Day Break performance contains a lot of classic country, folk, and bluegrass. In researching music therapy, Anders and Jackson discovered that people with dementia and depression immensely benefit from hearing and participating with familiar songs.
"We have seen firsthand how powerful this can be," explains Anders, whose family taught him the value of service through volunteering in his hometown church. "Individuals who struggle to remember their pasts have shed tears and shared memories that were brought back by singing the chorus to Goodnight Irene. We have seen people with poor motor control, who suffer from confusion, perk up and start clapping and singing to You Are my Sunshine."
What started as a public health assignment for a nursing course has turned into a weekly music session that stimulates the minds and bodies of the people at Day Break.
"One day we brought a bag of kazoos to encourage participation, and we were surprised to see some of the most unlikely people - those who were usually least engaged, who we assumed were unaware or unpleased by the music - reach out their hands and grab one," Jackson says. "It is obvious that the music we play brightens the mood, increases social behaviors, brings back memories, and provides needed stimulation to the minds and bodies of our friends at Day Break."
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