Recently, I had the absolute pleasure of personally delivering a box of our Green Large Print Song Books to a residential aged care facility in Doncaster East — a visit that turned out to be both meaningful and memorable.

This delivery had a special backstory. Five years ago, I received an email from John, a remarkable gentleman in his 90s who discovered our Green Large Print Song Books online. Web-savvy and full of initiative, John eventually persuaded the aged care facility he lives in to purchase a full box of our Green Large Print Song Books along with the matching Sheet Music Books. Their goal? To form a singing group that could enjoy age-appropriate music relevant to the current generation of residents.

When I arrived at the facility to hand-deliver the order, I was warmly welcomed by John and the lovely Lifestyle Coordinator, Melika. I captured a truly touching moment in a photo: Melika, standing beside John and peering over his shoulder as he gazed in absolute awe at the sheet music book. He was astonished at the size and quality of the notation. It was a deeply rewarding moment that affirmed everything I’ve worked so hard to create.

Their singing group had been relying on the old red and blue songbooks — well-loved collections that have served facilities for decades. However, much of the music in those books dated back to the 1930s through the post-war era. As John rightly pointed out, many of today’s aged care residents are Baby Boomers who grew up with the music of the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. That’s where our Green Large Print Song Book Collection came in — filling a gap in the industry that had long been overlooked.

This personal visit also reconnected me with the very reason I started this work.

After retiring from a 40-year career in commercial aviation, I found myself increasingly drawn to aged care — especially around the importance of music and memory. Working alongside Activity Directors, Lifestyle Coordinators, Diversional Therapists and Managers, I learned first-hand how vital music is to wellbeing, engagement, and joy.

What began as a passion project led to the creation of the Green Book CD Collection — 10 CDs featuring 200 beloved songs from artists like The Beatles, ABBA, The Seekers, and Elvis. I was a teenager when many of these artists rose to fame, so I could deeply relate to the music myself. The industry loved the CD collection, but soon asked: “Can we have a lyrics book to go with this?”

Initially, I approached the publisher behind the popular red and blue large print books, suggesting a new edition to serve Baby Boomers. Unfortunately, they weren’t interested — so I took the leap and decided to create the Green Large Print Song Book myself, bringing together a small but talented team. Today, this collection is being embraced not just in residential aged care, but also by retirement villages, choirs, libraries, U3A groups, and senior singing groups across the country.

My recent visit to Doncaster East reminded me how much I value real-life connection. Prior to COVID, I spent years on the road, cold-calling aged care homes and learning directly from the people working and living in them. The pandemic upended all of that — and in rebuilding the business over the past year, most orders came in by phone or online. While efficient, I missed the personal interaction that made this work so meaningful.

Delivering John’s order myself was the best decision I’ve made in a long while. Spending time with him and Melika left me feeling energised, inspired, and even more committed to supporting the aged care industry with relevant, high-quality music resources.

For any future orders in my local area, I’ll absolutely be delivering them in person whenever possible. Nothing compares to seeing firsthand the joy and connection music brings.

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We thank John and Melika for allowing us to share this story and photo, and we respect their wishes not to publish full names or the facility name. This special visit took place in Doncaster East, just an hour from home.