One of the reasons I'll play the good old good 'uns that almost everybody remembers from childhood is the response we get from doing so in the retirement homes.

The staffers pretty much constantly report that someone suffering from Alzheimer's or other dementia, surprised even the staffers who thought they knew them well by suddenly perking up and singing right along with an old favorite.

I don't think they'd be able to do that with more complex tunes or tunes that perhaps were not embedded at an early age.

And, something else learned from having to do that is the fact that musicianship must improve when attempting to present those rather simple songs in a strong performance but still singalong fashion.

One of the most memorable compliments on my playing that I've ever received came from an old gent in a wheelchair, sporting a hearing aid in each ear. As we were leaving, and shaking hands with folks, talking a bit to each, this old fellow who had sat there silently, not singing, not speaking, looked up at me and smiled, said, "You sure can tickle those ivories!" Man, did I thank him for that. Then I asked him if he'd served in one of our armed forces and the old guy lit up and wouldn't stop talking about it.

Yessir, he'd served in the Navy, "back in the big one" over in the Pacific dontcha know...

A Dauntless Dive Bomber Pilot.

For once, the wife was the one waiting for me to stop talking with someone...


--Mac

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