What an Off-the-Cuff Father’s Day Performance Taught Me About Joy, Creativity, and Connection
The spontaneous power of doing what you love… for someone else
Father’s Day didn’t go how I expected.
It went better.
But to explain why, I need to back up a bit.
A while back, we started volunteering at a local retirement home—something my older daughter got us into. The plan was simple: come in, help make bracelets, call it a day.
But one visit, I noticed a piano in the corner… so I started playing. Some Beatles, Billy Joel, a little Simon & Garfunkel—the classics. Even snuck in a few originals. It was a lot of fun.
After we told our awesome neighbors Jenny and Eric about it, they wanted to volunteer with their daughters too. So they started going. But we’d never all gone together. On Father’s Day, they were already signed up—so we figured, why not all go?
(I mean, other than my desire to be lazy, watch basketball, and drink beer.)
I showed up a little late and was surprised to see we were set up in the main dining hall. Usually, we’re in a smaller room with just a handful of residents.
This was the big leagues!
Eric was already up on stage playing piano, with his daughters up there too. I joined them and noticed a mic was set up—for some kind of show later that afternoon.
I tried to get Eric’s daughters to sing. They refused unless it was to “Let It Go.” Which Eric and I refused. That’s when they turned the pressure on me—so I eventually gave in and took the mic.
One small problem—Eric and I had never performed together and had zero idea what to sing. He shrugged and said, “How about My Way?” So… we went for it.
Eric hit the keys, and suddenly I’m crooning, “And now the end is near…” Only later did it hit me—maybe not the most sensitive song choice for a retirement home.
But the crowd seemed into it, so we kept going. Next up: “House of the Rising Sun.” After we finished, one of the visitors leaned over and said, “You know that song’s about a whorehouse, right?” Huh. Yet another questionable song choice.
Still, something magical happened. Nobody cared. They were clapping and smiling. For a moment, the dining hall felt like a real concert.
And that’s what stuck with me.
You don’t always need a plan. Or a polished performance. Sometimes it’s enough to take what you love—music, dance, writing, whatever—and share it with the world, just as it is.
Didn’t know the lyrics, so I had to read off my phone. Total amateur hour.
The Science-y Part
Turns out, this kind of off-the-cuff creativity is good for you and everyone around you.
Psychologists call it “helper’s high”—a boost in happiness and meaning when you use your strengths to serve others. Even informally. Even on stage in a dining hall you didn’t plan to be in.
Music, in particular, activates more parts of the brain than almost anything else.
It quiets the overthinking prefrontal cortex, lights up the mirror neuron system that fuels connection and empathy, and boosts improvisational flow. That’s why unplanned moments like this often feel more alive—and more creative—than anything rehearsed.
They hit all the right notes.
Legendary Artists Love a Helper’s High
✅ Paul McCartney has popped up in pubs, schools, and tiny theaters to play unannounced shows—just to make people’s day. No press tour. Just joy.
✅ Yo-Yo Ma brought his cello to a COVID vaccination clinic—and while sitting in the observation area, gave a surprise concert to calm nerves and lift spirits.
✅ Lin-Manuel Miranda used to do freestyle workshops for school kids—long before Hamilton—because he believed creativity shared early and often creates lifelong ripple effects.
Whether it’s a pub, a clinic, or a kindergarten, the idea’s the same:
Take what you love—and give it away.
HomePlay
Take something you love to do creatively—music, writing, kite surfing, or hot glue gun sculptures no one asked for—and look for a new way to share it with others this week. Not to impress. Just to connect.
✅ Leave a creative surprise somewhere. A doodle on a Post-it in someone’s lunch. A sticky note poem on a stranger’s windshield. A chalk haiku on your sidewalk.
✅ Offer your creative skills for someone else’s thing. Help a friend punch up a toast, make a playlist for your kid’s birthday, or write custom limericks for your niece’s talent show. Doesn’t have to be perfect—just personal.
✅ Play something live—even badly. Dust off that keyboard, guitar, or ukulele and play a song for your family, your neighbors, or your dog. Bonus points if you don’t totally know the lyrics.
And if you accidentally sing about death or whorehouses in the process…
Well, welcome to the club.
Cheers to your creativity,
Gil
P.S. Wanna connect about a TV project?
Need a speaker for your next big event?
Looking for someone to sing inappropriate songs at a retirement home?
Hit me up at gil@gilrief.com or visit my site.
P.P.S. If I’m already booked that day, here’s a link to someone else you can hire to perform at your retirement home.