Meals on Wheels provides food for homebound seniors in Nevada County and elsewhere. And now a new local program has been launched called Music on Wheels. Small groups of musicians from InConcert Sierra are performing classical concerts at four local senior living facilities. And artistic director Ken Hardin says they’ve been very well received…

The program was inspired, in part, by increasing scientific evidence demonstrating how music, especially classical music, keeps older people’s spirits up and minds sharp. It can also reduce heart rates, blood pressure, and anxiety. Hardin says it also helps that many classical songs have timeless memories, improving moods. Lori Woodhall’s recently attended a performance with her 91-year-old mother, who lives at the Cascades facility in Grass Valley…

Hardin says they hope to perform several times a year at Cascades, Atria, Hilltop Commons, and Sierra View Manor, although funding is somewhat of a question mark. A demonstration performance is being planned for the Nevada Theatre, with proceeds designed to keep the program going. He says if all goes well performances may eventually expand to other facilities.