|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Player piano got music ball rollin'
Most everyone I knew was touched by my family's expertise
He was the choirmaster of the church where my paternal grandfather was the minister. They had been longtime friends even before their kids (my mother and father) married each other. So there was lots of religion from both sides of my family, and lots of musical talent for my parents, too. (And, no, please don't point out that it somehow skipped me entirely.) Now their church was a 'plain' church — they did not believe in a musical accompaniment to the hymns — no instruments, just voices. But we had music in the home, and I loved the player piano, since it made all voices, even mine, sound so much better. Even my grandfather's outstanding deep bass voice was improved with the piano accompaniment as far as I was concerned. And it was so much fun feeling all those beautiful sounds coming from in front of me, as if from my own fingers, yet without all the hard work of practicing. I was hell on wheels at the player piano! You did have to know something to work it correctly. You had to pump the pedals and run the speed switch to the right tempo to keep things going smoothly and sounding right. I loved watching the perforated music rolls going past, and I sang along with the words that were printed on them so that they would go past at the right time for you to sing them. But it was my father who actually learned to play the piano and organ for real, and who played the organ at the silent movie theatre at age 15, accompanying full-length features. Even in retirement, he played his piano every day at the retirement village in Pennsylvania. He acquired a large following of fans that enjoyed his playing before dinner hour in the common room, and he played until his very last day. Hey dad, you know your youngest grandson is a real composer. Does that count as my musical contribution?
Across the nation, 11 million elderly people suffered injuries in just one year alone. Among that number, a full 20 percent of those who sustained hip fractures died within a year of their injury. With these figures before us, we should be aware that failing eyesight is a major contributor to fall-related injuries among seniors. Failure of eyesight is often so gradual that we do not notice it. Take time to have your eyesight checked once a year to make sure you keep it at the optimum for your age.
Come and learn about the Leisure Learning Society from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12, at the Bayview Senior Center, 20th and Lloyd Streets in Pensacola. This special program of the University of West Florida provides opportunities for lifelong learning for those over 55. You'll learn about the many topics included at this open-house event, and meet the faculty and others who are interested in becoming members. You can also register for the classes, which begin in early September and continue into November. Details: 474-3491, or logon to http.//uwf.edu, go to "Continuing Education," then click on "Leisure Learning."
The Wisdom of Women: Both of the following are just for the girls: From Bette Davis: "If you want something done well, get a couple of old broads to do it." And, from Ingrid Bergman: "Happiness is good health and a bad memory." See you next week! |
      |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
