Piano Man

Eddie Shobe tickles the ivories like a pro.

Eddie Shobe at the keyboard.

Most days after lunch at the Full Life Care’s Adult Day Health Center in Everett, Eddie sits down at the keyboard and bedazzles his fellow clients with a few tunes. Hear him for yourself here.

His honky-tonk style sounds like a little bit walking blues and a little bit gospel. Or maybe what you’d hear in an old-time Western movie with cowboys playing poker in a saloon.

“I don’t read music,” Eddie says. “Just play by ear. But I got a pretty good ear.

“I play accordion, too. Yep! I just figured out one day, I can play a keyboard. What if I just turned it on its side, and woah, I can play accordion!”

Eddie says he loves coming to the day health center. The activities stimulate his mind, and when he plays, his fans cheer.

“I have lots of friends here. And it’s good for me to get out, socialize.”

Eddie is just the latest musical discovery we’ve found in recent weeks. You’ll recall last month we introduced you to pianist Pat Ayars (playing here) and songstress Daphne White-Tassin (playing here) and talked about the therapeutic powers to be found in music. Numerous studies point to the positive impacts that music can have in improving physical and cognitive skills – either through simply listening to music or performing.

We’ll be on the lookout for more artists among our Full Life Care family. If you know of a client who creates any kind of art – music, painting, sculpting, photography, creative writing – send a note to communications specialist Larry Campbell.

Who knows? Maybe in a few months we’ll have a band put together.