July 10, 2022
From Session Leader Maggie Elizabeth May: We were back at Inspir Carnegie Hill Senior Living on this gorgeous Sunday in New York. Our seniors’ faces lit up when we entered the room. Hanley, who recently played Maria Von Trapp, started us out with a gorgeous “The Sound of Music.” She shared a personal family story that is quite similar to the show: her husband’s grandmother became a nanny for a widower and they fell in love. She was Ukrainian, and during WWII, she and her husband were forced to go to a German work camp. Hanley reminded us what this show and song are about, love and facing challenges together.
Susan followed with a lovely “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” She told us this was the first song she ever sang in public in the first grade. Morgan followed with “Cockeyed Optimist.” When she asked our seniors if they also were fans of Roger’s & Hammerstein, the crowd eagerly hoot and hollered; this was the music of their time!
I also want to mention the wonderful Mason on keys. He makes the music come alive, and he is sight reading the music live. I’m always blown away by his incredible talent. We can’t wait to be back at Inspir next month!
Accompanied by: Mason Griffin