Teen With Musical Passion Makes His Rounds Performing For Senior Centers

Born in 2002, one Upper Makefield teen may have missed some of the greatest generations of music, but that hasn’t stop him from sharing his love of music with the older generation.

While most teens spend their time playing video games or spending time with friends, 13-year-old Danny Proulx has made friends of a different kind, members of area senior centers whom he enjoys singing and playing piano for.

“Danny brings such vibrancy to the senior centers where he performs, showing extraordinary poise and grace behind the piano. The fact that he has a beautiful singing voice at such a young age further adds to his appeal,” said Natalie Kaye, founder and president of On Demand! Programs and Events, which books Proulx’s performances. “My clients tell me that their residents just love him, and they keep asking for him back.”

Proulx, an eighth grader at Newtown Middle School, is one busy teenager – playing piano in the school’s jazz band, singing in the select choir, and also playing saxophone, ukele and drums. He’s even starring as the Artful Dodger in the Downtown Performing Arts Center production of Oliver!, which is playing in the Washington Crossing Open Air Theatre in Titusville, New Jersey. Proulx, who enjoys performing jazz standards and singing modern tunes, has even auditioned for several Broadway shows – making it to final call backs for four of them. This Sunday, Proulx will be appearing at the Yardley Peace Festival.

“I like introducing my audience to contemporary songs. I think some of them might not think much of today’s music, so I try to show them that not all new stuff is bad,” said Proulx. He said that one resident was so touched by his version of Ed Sheeran’s hit song “Thinking Out Loud,” a song about growing older with a true love, that tears came to her eyes. “I heard that her husband of 62 years had just passed away. It made me realize that I can move people through music, and they move me.”

While music may be his passion – Proulx said he enjoys his audience most. He encourages the members of the senior center to sing along with him while he performs, even handing out the lyrics to the songs he’s performing to encourage the sing along. Favorites of the seniors include Till There Was You, Blue Moon, Silhouettes, All of Me, Fly Me to the Moon, Under the Boardwalk, and Rockin’ Robin. A couple of residents have even requested songs, which Proulx says he’s working on for his next tour.

“He’s basically an old soul with a 13-year-old’s charm, and a gift for music, and I suspected he would connect with senior audiences. Turns out, I was right,” said Kaye.

Long-term, Proulx hopes to one day perform both cover songs as well as originals.