Insights and information
about music, brain health, aging, and much more.
Song Spotlight: Joyous & uplifting: “Hine Ma Tov”
This is a great tune with a lovely sentiment, in a terrific choral arrangement by a really nice guy. In other words, what’s not to like? This song will be familiar to those of you who sang with us during the Fall 2021 session—that crazy time of lockdown, during which...
“African Noel”—A Catchy Tune with Mysterious Origins
Now this is a fun tune! Give "African Noel" a listen, and you can hear why Linda and I wanted to program it—the piece is catchy and has great momentum. Its arranger, Victor Johnson, is one of the most prolific and accomplished arrangers working today. He lives in the...
Guess Who’s Singing Beside You? Ron Hadsall
Ron Hadsall: Pop culture guru, historian and music collector If all you know about Ron Hadsall is that he sings bass-baritone with the Sounds Good Choir in Arlington Heights and the Skokie Community Choir, you don’t know the half of it. This former math teacher is a...
The Value of Forgiveness, Any Day of the Year
Although there’s no confusion, in my mind at least, about the importance of forgiveness, there seems to be quite a bit of confusion about the national acknowledgement of that. My internet search found a “National Forgiveness Week” in June, a “National Forgiveness Day”...
Great Questions
Can you guess which animal was overjoyed when zoos opened back up after the pandemic?Ferrets, meerkats, or monkeys? Before I share the correct answer, let me explain why it’s a great question. Options. If I just asked for the name of the animal that was delighted when...
Song Spotlight: “From A Far-Off Land” (“De Tierra Lejana Venimos”)
In Spain and Latin America, Christmas is not nearly as important as Epiphany, or Los Tres Reyes, the holiday of Three Kings Day. Los Tres Reyes falls on January 6 and is the big day of gifts for children in Hispanic cultures. If you count the twelve days of Christmas,...