A, D sharp and F as a Mazurka, please!

These two people are the reason I came to Philadelphia: Italo and Jean.

Italo was my mom's music teacher in high school. This was in Detroit in the 60s. Mom ended up singing professionally for 20 years in Germany; Italo to this day talks about her outstanding voice when she was 16 and singing solos with the Cass Tech choir which he conducted. In fact, Italo listens to old recordings from that time on a daily basis now. Music is what keeps him alive as his memory is fading and his mind frequently slips into obscurity.

Jean retired last year from being a school librarian at the tender age of 86. She plans to live to be no less than 100, like her mother. Jean introduced me to MANNA, an organization that provides meals for people living with HIV/AIDS. The two of us volunteered there togerther for several years. Now she helps stock a local food pantry and takes care of her hubby. When I asked her yesterday what her days look like now, she said each days starts with them looking for Italo's glasses. This, apparently, takes a good chunk o' time.

I got a taste of what else keeps Italo happy and occupied: You name three notes on the musical scale plus a rhythm pattern (see title of this posting) and he'll compose an impromptu piece for you on the piano (see picture below); or he starts off singing part of a melody and you go around the lunch table taking turns completing the melody however you like, regardless of how much food you currently have in your mouth. "Come on, just be creative!!" That's his favorite line these days.

This can go on for hours.

Jean and Italo live in the Philly suburbs, and their son went to Haverford. So I went to Haverford and, thus, landed in Philly. And now they have 7 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren, plus me.