Rock music, not rocking chairs, for "The Hearts"

Internationally acclaimed chorus delights audiences with new interpretations of rock'n'roll classics By Mike Briotta, PRIME Editor In a poignant moment of the documentary film about Northampton's Young At Heart chorus, called "You're Never Too Old To Rock," a man who cannot walk-or even stand on his own-sings a solo in the spotlight before a sold-out audience. He's continually fed oxygen in short, dramatic bursts. A small white box hisses and pops, pushing air through a plastic tube into his nostrils. As he takes center stage at Northampton's Academy of Music to perform his solo, many in the audience don't realize something significant-that this song should have been a duet. The tune, originally performed by the modern pop group Coldplay, has lyrics about "losing something you cannot replace" and promises "the lights will guide you home." The soloist carries on, and the tiny explosions of forced air provide a stunning rhythmic counterpoint to his song. When it's all over, the audience takes to its feet, wildly cheering a man who must remain seated, possibly for the rest of his life. Young at Heart has wowed audiences ranging from prison inmates to European royalty, but sometimes just getting onstage can be its own reward. Any slogans they once heard about "sex, drugs and rock'n'roll" have long since given way to deeper motivations of the soul. Age Against the Machine There are certain stars of rock music that are remembered for establishing their own unique styles. The Rolling Stones; The Beatles; The Who; Led Zeppelin. And then there's Young at Heart. They may be the biggest rock stars you didn't know about, and certainly they are the unlikeliest. The chorus, headquartered in Western Mass., travels the world singing revamped covers of rock classics, plus some hip-hop and rhythm & blues. The catch is, most of these singers didn't pay much attention to rock music during its heyday. If you've ever thought about trying something new and said to yourself "I'm too old for this," their inspirational chorus will make you think again. Bob Cilman is their wire-haired sparkplug; their catalyst. He can alternately be soothing and be the man that one singer said "chews nails and spits rust." Cilman helped organize Young at Heart (YAH) in 1982 in Northampton. That original group had its first stage production in 1983, with the help of Roy Faudree who is now the group's stage director. According to Cilman, the current roster of singers keeps alive the spirit of those early pioneers, and continues to push the group into glorious new directions. "We create theatrical productions with unsuspecting collaborators," Cilman said. The group is most famous internationally for being stars of the documentary film, which currently ranks #25 in global box office receipts for documentaries. The film, now owned by Fox Searchlight Pictures, premiered in theatres in 2008. The chorus would have been happy with some local television exposure, but the film's success eventually outshone all expectations. "We thought that was the end of it, but it went on to play at the Los Angeles Film Festival and Fox Searchlight purchased the rights," said Cilman. "They brought it to Sundance and the other festivals." The film has been airing on the PBS series "Independent Lens" this winter. The documentary is set to air again in March, combined with local pledge drives from area PBS stations. The film has grossed close to $4 million. Asked if the film's success has provided them with a financial cushion, Cilman replied, "It allowed us to perform our concert all over America. For many years, we only performed it abroad." They have since performed all over the United States, and are poised to sing in Japan this spring, for two weeks starting in March. Cilman said the current performers in Young at Heart range in age from 73 to 89. There are some with prior professional theater or music experience, others who have performed extensively on the amateur level, and some who never stepped onto a stage before turning 80. The group promotes itself with taglines like "Finding the 'Zen' in Senior Citizen" and "Age Against the Machine." Their backing band, composed of about five or six musicians, all of whom are younger than the chorus, ranges in from age 30-something through 68. The choral director, Cilman, is 56. He said it would be impossible to choose any of the singers' life stories over any others'. "A lot of people turn out to be interesting, even if you didn't expect it," he said. "I'd be hard-pressed to tell you who isn't interesting among this group." Queen of Hearts Jeanne Hatch, age 83, lives in Chicopee. She's been belting out the hits, and touring internationally with the chorus, for a dozen years. "I started with the group in 1998," she said. "I was teaching full-time and [stage director] Roy Faudree said, 'We're going to Europe on spring break.' Well, when he said that about going to Europe on spring break, that was it. I've been overseas with 'The Hearts' 22 times." She added, "The last time was to Melbourne, Australia. We stopped in Hawaii twice on that trip - once on the way there and once on the way back. I'm really looking forward to Japan in March. I flirt with being five feet tall, and I'm finally going where people are more my height." Hatch said that the perks of traveling with "The Hearts" far outweigh any inconveniences of hitting the road. A French chef was appointed to be the group's personal cook during a European stint. "Actually, it's not that bad," she said of the extensive touring. "We have sense enough to get up and walk around. We drink a lot of water. Everyone has been just lovely to us. We just don't have any conflicts." Hatch feels that the group can teach younger generations that it's okay to act your age. "Don't be afraid to get old," she advised. "People are really nice to you." Although they hail from a supposedly more conservative time, YAH singers aren't bothered too much by risqu lyrics. "I've got a new number," said Hatch. "'Take back the weed, take back the coke, 'cause I can get off on you.'" She guessed it might be a Bob Dylan song, but wasn't sure. The group often covers songs popularized by Jimi Hendrix and Outkast. She said that, for someone who's been a lifelong devotee of Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington, it's all unfamiliar terrain. She enjoys drawing new fans, as well as challenging herself to learn difficult songs. "People who haven't seen us before are always surprised," Hatch said. "They expect to grow too old to dream; that just isn't what we do. We move, we dance, and we carry on." The outpouring of support after the airing of the documentary has been impressive. "Golly, we got hundreds of responses since the showing on PBS," she said. "I'm also very surprised when people want our autographs. I say we're about rock stars, not rocking chairs. And we've got a wonderful band. It's a pleasure to sing with them." The group typically practices twice a week in the Northampton area. While on the road, all airfare, hotels, and meals are taken care of by the group. YAH also receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the Korein Foundation and the City of Northampton. "People come in with a pretty open mind," Cilman said about performers and audiences alike. One theme of the performances is to challenge younger audiences' preconceptions about older people. "I love the fact that younger audiences love them," he said. "You rarely get younger people who will sit and watch older people perform, and that's exactly what happens here. It's a great dynamic." They don't just cover classic rock, although that genre does seem to form the core of the group's hits. Other songs covered by Young at Heart include the modern rap-pop tune "Hey Ya" by Andre 3,000, "Fake Plastic Trees" by Radiohead, and "One" by U2. Modern musicians including David Byrne, formerly of The Talking Heads, sometimes join Young at Heart onstage for one-time performances. Although the group originally conducted tryouts for somewhat younger singers in their 60s, the minimum age to participate was raised to 73 many years ago. "The people who were much younger than that didn't look as interesting," said Cilman. "We don't hide the fact that this is a senior performance. Back when we started this thing, 65 didn't look as young as it does today." Long Live Rock Northampton resident Helen Boston, who recently turned 80, was a singer at church who never thought she would be covering rock'n'roll hits. She took up driving a school bus in her retirement years, until one day she attended a YAH rehearsal. "The rehearsal was so, so wonderful, I knew God had sent me here," she recalled. "It's another whole part of my life that I needed." That fateful day was in 2002. She's stuck with the group since, and also became swept up in the whirlwind touring schedule. "I was only with them for a month and we went to Switzerland," she said. "I had never really been out of the country before." She continued, "It's a wonderful trip that I've been having." The transition from gospel and some Nat King Cole songs to singing the hits of today was relatively smooth for Boston, as her children have helped her learn the more modern songs. "My kids know all of the songs; they used to listen to them on the radio. Rod Stewart, and other music like that," she said. "Now that I'm singing those songs, my kids are helping me. I guess rock'n'roll never goes out; never dies. The audiences seem so interested. Some of these people are happy because it's like they are looking at their grandparents." Boston never thought she would be interpreting Bob Dylan or The Beatles songs, and she said she's glad that her versions of these hit songs are pleasing a wide variety of fans. "My kids listened to The Beatles, my kids used to buy their records," she said. "Even if you don't like it at first, you start performing with it and find things to enjoy about this music. I think it brings back good memories for the audience, and they think, 'My goodness, I don't have to act old.'" When asked about the benefits of membership in "The Hearts," she replied, "It's great for us. They are giving us something we didn't know we had. We're on the move, keeping our joints limber. The audiences are packed. It's taught me be to be thankful for what you are; what you're doing. Always keep moving with your life." Cilman said he sees little downside to working with a group of older singers. In fact, he views the age range as a tremendously positive aspect. None of his singers, for example, are looking to jump ship to another musical group or try out for the TV show "American Idol" in hopes of scoring their first hit song. "That's the cool thing about older people," Cilman said, "They're not waiting for their big break. It's very healthy, not being in that mindset. It's liberating in a lot of ways." He added, "They create a community. I'd love to know that, in my later years, I could be part of this kind of community. For too many people, getting older is about losing things. It's wonderful to know that getting older can also be about finding things." The frequent rehearsals are as therapeutic for the singers as for they are for the choral director. "We get together and pass the time in an intriguing way," Cilman said. "It's the best two hours in my life, and the same is true for the people who perform. If all the touring ended, and interest from the rest of the world stopped, we would go on. We would still do this, and we would always enjoy the time we spend together every week." Stairway to Heaven The chorus performs classic rock hits and modern pop numbers that often sparked cultural dissonance when the songs were new. Young at Heart covers once-controversial tunes from the early days of rock, and they don't shy away from some of those songs' countercultural messages. Said Cilman, "The performers don't make any concessions of trying to make the music 'nice' but rather they try to stay true to the spirit of the song. It's not 'cutesifying' of these songs. It succeeds because it's not that." "There's something very revolutionary about what they're doing. The [drug-induced] song 'White Rabbit' by Jefferson Airplane does not lose its significance. The meaning of the song is still present. We're not trying to dumb the song down; they are sung with the spirit originally intended." The Led Zeppelin hit "Stairway to Heaven" takes on new meaning when performed by Young at Heart. "I Wanna Be Sedated" actually translates very much the same as the original. Another punk rock standard, "Should I Stay or Should I Go," becomes tinged with a sense of a final parting of ways. A theme of facing the Grim Reaper - and living well in the face of that reality - are ever-present in their stage shows. It's driven home when the group performs songs dripping with obvious double-meanings, like "Every Breath You Take" by The Police. "By default, this thing keeps re-inventing itself because we keep losing people," said Cilman of the changing roster of singers. Young At Heart has lost approximately 70 of its members over the years, which is a staggering number for a group that usually totals about 25-35 performers at any given time. You could say they're facing their own mortality-while knocking audiences dead. Cilman accepts the reality of losing singers to "The Great Gig in The Sky," but he also sees Young At Heart as a way for many members to leave a great legacy behind. "People leave and they expect this thing to continue, not end with their death," he said. "They are passing this group on to others, and leaving this place in a good way." Upcoming gigs for the stage production of YAH, called "End of the Road" are currently scheduled at St. Ann's Warehouse in Brooklyn, New York from April 21 - May 2 and at the UCLA Live series in Los Angeles from December 2-5. The Young At Heart choral group is also set to tour Japan from March 13-29.