- Albert Schweitzer
As we already have the cats, the fabulous Bebe Wonderpants and incomparable Sir Sarcasmo, we work to fit music into Mom's life as often as possible, because we're pretty sure Albert Schweitzer, with his Nobel Peace Prize (show-off), is smarter than us so we might as well heed his wisdom. That being said (and I'm not all that sure it needed to be, but I stand behind all my run-on sentences),
All Classical Portland not only has my go-to events calendar to consult when I'm in need of something interesting and engaging to do with Mom, but also offers a terrific in-house event at the station: Thursdays @ Three.
Thursdays @ Three is a meaningful and fun way to fill an afternoon - each week they host a live broadcast concert showcasing local musicians and visiting artists in front of an audience of about 50 guests.
It is a FREE TICKET to attend these live broadcasts, making it that much more enjoyable for those on tight budgets.
The music is captivating (this from a girl who's "meh" about classical), it's a treat to get to see the artist perform and engage with the audience, the host seamlessly includes the audience in the process while showcasing the musician's personality and talents, and the pre-concert studio tour is interesting and enlightening. The logistics of the radio station also makes it a breeze to attend: ADA accessible to second floor venue, bathrooms close to the performances, and an intimate performance space with small audience numbers (a plus for care partners who experience heightened anxiety at larger, crowded events). And once the concert ends (they're approximately 45-minutes long, another plus for short attention spans!), you can enjoy the sights of the Willamette river along the Eastbank Esplanade adjacent to the station.
A couple of things to keep in mind; this is not a spur of the moment activity (email your request for tickets in advance), parking isn't super plentiful in that area, but they are right on the MAX tracks (in the Portland Opera building in SE), and this is not an activity if you have an overly verbal care partner - this is a live broadcast so they ask that the audience be silent for the listening pleasure of both those at the concert and the radio audience.
Mom satisfaction: a definite 10 music outing! Her satisfaction with the cats? Only about a 3. What else you got, Albert Schweitzer?