MathOfInsects Posted July 4, 2019 Share Posted July 4, 2019 One of my Monday students is a retired teacher who, like many of my adult students, decidedly underreported her piano abilities when she called me for lessons. She most certainly could have made a career of it, and in her retirement seems to be regretting not having done so. So part of my lessons involve traditional teaching, and the other part is usually me finding her chances to play either in public or with others. She's well up in her 70's and such opportunities aren't that easy to come by. This past Monday she met me at the gate and walked me in as usual. When we got to her elevator, a kind of schlubby older couple was there also waiting for the elevator. They greeted her and talked about old-retired-people stuff of fixing the air conditioning and the like. When the elevator came, they pressed her same floor, and she commented on it. "I guess we should introduce ourselves then," my student said. The couple was Steve and Lani. They asked her, "Are you the piano player?" She was happy about that and said she was. Lani said, "I used to sing a bit and Steve played guitar." That's everyone's story in SoCal, land of the aging hippies, so I said, "Well, you guys should all get together some time." The couple seemed OK with that idea and followed my student into her condo to exchange contact information. We all get to talking. The couple moved to SoCal from NY, as I did, so we start to chat a bit. It turns out they actually played music professionally in New York. "What kind of stuff did you do?" I ask. "Well," Steve says, "Lani sang with Stevie Wonder. In fact that's her at the beginning of 'You Are the Sunshine of My Life.'" "Lani" was Lani Groves. I found it almost confusing to be talking with someone who was so literally part of the soundtrack of my life. "Steve" was Steve Love of Stories. The schlubby "we used to play music too" couple who was trying to get their touchy air conditioning working right, was straight up music royalty. Crazy little moment. Just thought I'd share. Quote Now out! "Mind the Gap," a 24-song album of new material. www.joshweinstein.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAJUSCULE Posted July 4, 2019 Share Posted July 4, 2019 Ah yes, regular people who've done amazing things. Allows us to dream. Quote Eric Website Gear page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksoper Posted July 4, 2019 Share Posted July 4, 2019 Awesome story. Quote 9 Moog things, 3 Roland things, 2 Hammond things and a computer with stuff on it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill W Posted July 4, 2019 Share Posted July 4, 2019 Cool story - thanks for sharing that! Quote Korg Kronos 61 (2); Kurzweil PC4, Roland Fantom-06, Casio PX-350M; 2015 Macbook Pro and 2012 Mac Mini (Logic Pro X and Mainstage), GigPerformer 4. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nursers Posted July 4, 2019 Share Posted July 4, 2019 Brilliant story Quote The Keyboard Chronicles Podcast Check out your fellow forumites in an Apple Music playlist Check out your fellow forumites in a Spotify playlist My Music: Stainless Fields Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RudyS Posted July 4, 2019 Share Posted July 4, 2019 Nice story! Thanks for sharing this. Quote Rudy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PianoMan51 Posted July 4, 2019 Share Posted July 4, 2019 This reminds me to always be sure to treat people with respect. And I continually fail to my shame. These are two people who would only be recognized for important achievement by musicians of a certain age. Us. Ten years ago I was playing in a Dixieland band at a regular bar gig. One of our regulars was a kind of creepy guy in his 80s who would make the rounds getting pretty women to dance with him. Shuffling, a little too close. One night I finally talk to him. Hes got a weird business card about electro-mechanics. WTF? In passing he mentions that he worked for Thiokol in the 50s. Developing the engine for the X1. This creepy old guy is an effing rocket scientist! Respect must be paid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adan Posted July 4, 2019 Share Posted July 4, 2019 Great story, but I call your bluff on San Diego being the land of aging hippies. I grew up in San Diego and now live in Marin County. San Diego has the perfect weather but lacks the liberal culture hippies need in order to age gently. Around here in Marin you can't swing a hookah pipe without hitting an aging hippy. That is, by the way, a favorite pastime of mine. Quote Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro Home: Vintage Vibe 64 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stillearning Posted July 4, 2019 Share Posted July 4, 2019 Brother, easy on the negative vibes about aging hippies. Quote I would like to apologize to anyone I have not yet offended. Please be patient and I will get to you shortly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adan Posted July 4, 2019 Share Posted July 4, 2019 Brother, easy on the negative vibes about aging hippies. All in good fun. There's about 10 of them amongst the three groups I've been playing with. Wonderful musicians . . . Quote Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro Home: Vintage Vibe 64 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MathOfInsects Posted July 4, 2019 Author Share Posted July 4, 2019 We are going to get to put that comparison to the test: my Elvis Costello group is playing the Marin County Fair and Expo at 3:00 today. Come and say hello if you are around. Careful with the pipe though. Quote Now out! "Mind the Gap," a 24-song album of new material. www.joshweinstein.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adan Posted July 4, 2019 Share Posted July 4, 2019 We are going to get to put that comparison to the test: my Elvis Costello group is playing the Marin County Fair and Expo at 3:00 today. Come and say hello if you are around. Careful with the pipe though. Oh damn, I'm actually in Buffalo staying with my in-laws. Heading to NYC in a couple days, hoping to hook up with Jim Kost there. Let me know next time you're in my neck of the woods. I'll leave the metaphorical pipe at home. Quote Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro Home: Vintage Vibe 64 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightbg Posted July 4, 2019 Share Posted July 4, 2019 You never know.......... I had 12 weeks of physical/ cardio therapy after my procedure last July. About 3 weeks into it I was finishing my session on one of 7 air resistance bikes. There was a grey longhair dude next to me starting at the same time. My therapist came over and asked what my plans were for the weekend. I told him I was playing my first gig since my operation. The grey hair asks Are you a musician? I replied yes, keys and bass. My names Jake K.. Gene Cornish. Wait........what? The Rascals Gene Cornish? The Rascals I used to see in the Choo Choo Club in Garfield, NJ? Yup. It turns out he collapsed on stage in Minnesota last September, and had a pacemaker installed. That explained the therapy. Got his life straightened out and takes great care of himself. Seriously nice guy. Really, you never know...... Jake Quote 1967 B-3 w/(2) 122's, Nord C1w/Leslie 2101 top, Nord PedalKeys 27, Nord Electro 4D, IK B3X, QSC K12.2, Yamaha reface YC+CS+CP "It needs a Hammond" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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