Bassist Dean Mueller and his partner, vocalist Julie Amici, enjoy performing live jazz, blues, and country music dating from the 1940s to 1960s for seniors at retirement communities, assisted living centers, and memory care facilities. Their music delivers nostalgia for their appreciative audiences, resulting in smiles and tears of joy. Mueller and Amici have seen residents who haven’t spoken for a year or two singing along to a favorite melody and rise from a wheelchair and dance.

Most of Mueller and Amici’s shows for seniors were for holidays or Valentine’s Day, but they wanted to do more. So, in 2018, they founded Fly Me To The Moon, a non-profit association that focuses on bringing high-quality music directly to seniors who may not be able to get around easily. They’ve expanded their appearances and host shows featuring other talented musicians from the Portland metro area. And they’ve partnered with the Oregon Music Hall of Fame, whose mission is to preserve the state’s music heritage.

Since Fly Me To The Moon was founded, the association has hosted concerts once or twice a month. It has also held several benefit concerts to raise money to provide more shows for seniors.

The next benefit concert is on Sunday, May 19, at 6:30 p.m. at the Alberta Abbey. It features performances by Amici, modern chamber music from 3 Leg Torso, Aaron Meyer with his rock violin, and blues from Duffy Bishop.

Tickets are $35 per person for VIP seats and $25 for general admission. Buy tickets at squareup.com.

The Alberta Abbey is located at 126 NE Alberta Street #205 in Portland.

Find more information about Fly Me To The Moon and its events schedule on its Facebook page.