Impromptu concert at the Mayo Clinic

This clip is priceless! This lovely couple, married for 62 years, are playing on a beautiful grand piano in the lobby of the Mayo Clinic...a wonderful example of the healing power of music. I'd love to hear your comments!

Julie Andrews celebrates her Golden Years!

I'm a huge fan of Julie Andrews, always have been!  Some of  you may know by now, lost that magnificent voice of her ' s some years back (1997) because of a throat operation -  she had been promised it would not affect her singing ability ... but it did!  really really sad.  she sued the medical people involved but of course, the damage was done .... no amount of compensation can make up for such an incredible loss!  in recent years she appeared in a TV show, the Princess Diaries, in which she sang for the very first time (after ' 97) but in a very low octave (note), it seems the TV crew all had tears in their eyes ....

NOW CURRENTLY............

This must be a little old as she was born October 1, 1935

BJ(TYM)

It wouldn't be funny if it weren't so true...

Julie Andrews turned 69 and to commemorate her 69th birthday on

October 1, actress/vocalist, Julie Andrews made a special appearance at

Manhattan 's Radio City Music Hall for the benefit of the AARP.

One of the musical numbers she performed was

"My Favorite Things" from the legendary movie "Sound Of Music."

Here are the actual lyrics she used:

Maalox and nose drops and needles for knitting,

Walkers and handrails and new dental fittings,

Bundles of magazines tied up in string,

These are a few of my favorite things.

Cadillac's and cataracts, and hearing aids and glasses,

Polident and Fixodent and false teeth in glasses,

Pacemakers, golf carts and porches with swings,

These are a few of my favorite things.

When the pipes leak, When the bones creak,

When the knees go bad,

I simply remember my favorite things,

And then I don't feel so bad.

Hot tea and crumpets and corn pads for bunions,

No spicy hot food or food cooked with onions,

Bathrobes and heating pads and hot meals they bring,

These are a few of my favorite things.

Back pains, confused brains, and no need for sinnin',

Thin bones and fractures and hair that is thinnin',

And we won't mention our short, shrunken frames,

When we remember our favorite things.

When the joints ache, When the hips break,

When the eyes grow dim,

Then I remember the great life I've had,

And then I don't feel so bad.

Ms. Andrews received a standing ovation from the crowd that lasted

over four minutes and repeated encores. 

Please share Ms. Andrews' clever wit  and humor with others who would appreciate it. 

How many of you were singing it in your head? I know I was.....  

Music in Paris: lots for us golden folks!

Today is my final day in Paris and I don't have much time, but just wanted to post some of my pix from yesterday for all my friends to see. Today is Good Friday and I'm hoping to find a concert for tonight. If you have questions about any of these pix, I'll answer them when I return! Au Revoir! This magnificent harpsichord is in the apartment of my friend Skip Sempe! Isn't it gorgeous?

Can at woman play drums at age 91? See for yourself!

A friend sent me this link and I thought it was pretty awesome and impressive! See what you think! I don't know about you, but this really inspires me!!

Tumpy in the news again!

I got a call from my sister on Monday morning that my mother (Tumpy) was on the front page of the Spartanburg newspaper. I was shocked, not expecting her to be in the news again. I asked if there were an online version and she didn't know so I did a search and came up with this: http://www.goupstate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090124/MULTIMEDIA03/901240289&template=slideshows. If you paste it in your brower it will come right up! (Or just click on the title of this post and it will come up! )Enjoy! Alice

Music for Emergencies

Well, my mother has done it again! She loves to help other people (being a good preacher's wife!) and even though she is well into her 80's and legally blind from macular degeneration, these things don't slow her down too much! The other day at Eden Terrace, her assisted living community, she said that in a 24-hour period, they had 3 or 4 fire drills; this was when the weather was sub-freezing and windy as well. On about the 4th fire drill, the residents knew that it was probably a false alarm and so the staff said they could do into the dining room to wait instead of waiting outside. Mama said that people were tired and cold and grumbling quite a bit so she suggested some favorite songs that her choir had sung in previous programs. To that they added some patriotic favorites, some old hymns, and and college songs. After about 15-20 minutes, people were in a much better mood and not so concerned about the inconvenience that the day had brought them. Maybe YOU can do this for your friends sometime?

6 Easy Steps for Incorporating Healing Music into Your Life

Step 1 Keep a collection of a variety genres of music and classify each selection according to the mood, memory and emotion they draw out from you. If you are feeling blue, upbeat rock and roll may help. If you're feeling a bit sorry for yourself, try one of those sillier golden oldies. If you are having problems sleeping, mellow Baroque music should help you drift away. Step 2 Spend a few minutes at the end of every day tuning into your emotions by playing one of your favorite instrumentals, preferably classical or acoustic guitar. Minimize outside distractions and let yourself be carried away with the melody. Close your eyes and imagine being in a place you've always wanted to visit, or a place you once visited where you'd like to return, and feel your stress dissolve. Step 3 Banish mild depression with nature sounds, the natural music of life. The soft chirping of birds, the rippling of a stream, the swoosh of the waves splashing on to the shore can help our more positive energies start flowing within us. Step 4 Stop thinking when feelings of irritation surface and start singing. There are rules to this: the song must be cheerful; the singer can be off key; and the singer can be loud. Performed with energy and passion, the singing becomes a mild physical and emotional exertion and a great way to blow off some steam. Step 5 Reduce pain after surgery, during a dental procedure, while in labor or when a headache pops into your day - all with music. There is some evidence that when used with conventional medical treatment, music therapy can also relieve nausea and vomiting induced by chemotherapy. Step 6 Start teaching music appreciation to children early. Research has proven infants react most to music and their mother's voice. A lullaby, sung by mom or just played from a CD, can help premature or low-weight babies thrive. Older children with autism, attention deficit disorder or various learning disorders can also be helped with music therapy activities.

article found on http://www.e-how.com/