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Archive for July, 2018

Trumpet Show at Vineyard Park at Bothell Landing

Posted by glennled on July 16, 2018

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Thanks to the Activities Director, Katie Matthews, I had the privilege on 5 July of presenting my one-hour trumpet show, “Showtune Favorites: Hit Songs from Musicals and Movies,” to about 30 residents of the lovely retirement community, Vineyard Park at Bothell Landing (VPBL). Judging by the audience response during the performance and the many cordial compliments I received afterwards, it was a success!

According to its website, VPBL offers senior living services for independent and assisted living in 87 private studio, one bedroom, and two bedroom apartment suites, ranging in layout and size up to 949 square feet, complete with kitchenettes and private baths. These services and amenities are included:

High speed internet connection
Cable TV
Weekly housekeeping and daily trash removal
Weekly personal laundry and linens
Utilities

It was voted Best of Northshore for 2014. The renowned, dynamic Northshore Senior Center is located a short walk away. With more than 10,000 members, this center is one of the largest on the West Coast. VPBL residents receive a complimentary membership to the Northshore Senior Center, with it large curriculum of activities and functions. Please see http://www.northshoreseniorcenter.org/.

VPBL is part of Care Partners Management Group, LLC (see http://www.carepartnersliving.com/ and http://www.carepartnersliving.com/vineyard-park-bothell-retirement-community/senior-living/). Photo is courtesy of VPBL.

Posted in Shows at Retirement Homes | Tagged: movies, musicals, Northshore Senior Center, showtune, songs, trumpet, Vineyard Park at Bothell Landing | Leave a Comment »

Edmonds 4th of July Parade

Posted by glennled on July 15, 2018

Color Guard, VFW Post 8870, Edmonds, 4th of July Parade, 2018. Photo by Nancy MacDonald.

2018, another year, another 4th of July Parade in Edmonds where I live. Each year I’m honored to march with other veterans near the front of the parade, carrying my bugle as VFW Post 1040 Bugler. This year, I got to carry the U.S. Navy flag, too, right behind the Color Guard from VFW Post 8870. As Michael Medved, radio talk show host says, the USA is “the greatest country on God’s green earth!” How lucky we are to live here in this, the best era in human history!

Please click on any photo to enlarge it.

: Flags, five USA military branches, Coast Guard, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Army (L to R). Photo by K.J. Squires.

: Glenn Ledbetter, VFW Post 1040 Bugler, carries U.S. Navy flag in Edmonds 4th of July Parade, 2018. Photo by K.J. Squires.

Posted in Ceremonies & Celebrations | Tagged: bugle, bugler, Michael Medved, VFW Post 1040, VFW Post 8870 | Leave a Comment »

My 43rd Trumpet Student—5th Grader at Northwood Elementary School, Mercer Island

Posted by glennled on July 14, 2018

My newest trumpet student—No. 43—will enter fifth grade this fall at Northwood Elementary School on Mercer Island, where I lived for 30 years before moving to Edmonds. He plans to join the beginning band, and to get a jump start, we began lessons on 16 June. I now have two M.I. students (please see my blog posts of 18 November 2017 and 21 May 2018).

How and why did he choose trumpet? He heard his cousin play trumpet, and he liked the sound of it. (That cousin has since moved from M.I. to California.) It was that simple and easy. His two older brothers play piano, and he also started piano lessons earlier this year.

What’s the M.I. 5th grade band program like? According to the Northwood website, Carol Krell is the Director, and the band is supported by the Mercer Island Schools Band Boosters (please see http://www.mercerislandschools.org/site/Default.aspx?PageID=5624 and http://www.misbb.wordpress.com). The first school band lesson will be on the evening of 12 September. Band classes begin on 17 September, meeting twice per week from 8:15 – 9 a.m. Each student has one class with a specialist on their instrument, and one full band class. The instruction book will be Essential Elements 2000, Book 1.

Where is my student eventually headed? To the Mercer Island High School Band! And then he’ll get to do some very cool things like this: on New Year’s Day 2019, the MIHS Band will march in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, CA prior to the Rose Bowl Football Game. I did that as a member of the Varsity Marching Band playing cornet, University of Washington, 1 January 1961, when the UW Huskies beat the top-ranked University of Minnesota Golden Gophers, 17-7. May my newest trumpet student have as much fun in band as I did!

Posted in New Students - Intro Posts | Tagged: band, Carol Krell, cornet, lesson, Mercer Island, piano, Schools Band Boosters, trumpet | Leave a Comment »

Flag-Changing Ceremony on Flag Day at Cristwood Park Retirement Community in Shoreline

Posted by glennled on July 11, 2018

U.S. Joint Volunteer Service Command Color Guard from Shoreline prepares to hoist the new flag

With love and respect, Elizabeth Hudson takes good care of the flag that flies on the grounds of Cristwood Park Retirement Community in Shoreline, where she is the Life Enrichment Coordinator (please see https://cristaseniorliving.org/explore-retirement-lifestyles/communities/). Three years ago on 12 June 2014, Ms. Hudson hosted a similar flag-changing ceremony at which I sounded two bugle calls, and this year on 14 June, she did it again. Both times it was on our national Flag Day. (Please see my blog post of 28 June 2014.)

For me, however, there was a big difference in the two ceremonies—this year, starting about 30 minutes before the ceremony, Ms. Hudson let me play patriotic songs as the crowd of about 25 residents slowly gathered. Then during the ceremony, I first sounded “Retreat” as the U.S. Joint Volunteer Service Command Color Guard from Shoreline lowered and removed the old, worn flag, followed by “To the Color,” as they hoisted the new flag to full mast on the flagpole. Afterwards, she invited me to play several more songs as the crowd dispersed.

Nice weather, nice day, nice music, nice ceremony, nice flags. It’s nice to be the VFW Post 1040 (Lynnwood) Bugler. You get to do nice things like this for nice people.

Photos are courtesy of Cristwood Park Retirement Community. Please click on any photo to enlarge it.

Star-Spangled Banner

National Anthem

Bugle call, “Retreat,” as the old flag is lowered.

Preparing to retire the color

Flag folding

Posted in Ceremonies & Celebrations | Tagged: bugle, bugler, Cristwood Park, patriotic songs, Retreat, To the Color, U, VFW Post 1040 | Leave a Comment »

9th Annual Trumpet Recital in My Edmonds Home

Posted by glennled on July 9, 2018

How can you stretch out one annual recital and make it last for three weeks? Easy—you split it into two segments. That’s what I had to do this year—the first group of trumpet students came to our home in Edmonds on 26 May and the second group came three weeks later on 16 June. It’s the first time in my 9 annual home recitals that I’ve had to do it. Every other time, we’ve had a morning session and an afternoon session on the same day. This year, some of my students had some conflicting commitments that were unchangeable, so we had to adjust. “All’s well that ends well.”

Even so, we had to make one other adjustment: one student couldn’t make it—he’s 77 years old and had just had hip replacement surgery. He’s a veteran and captain of the Honor Guard of VFW Post 3063 in Ballard. He’s learning to sound bugle calls (see my blog post of 17 November 2017) and was scheduled to play “Assembly” and “Taps.” So I was his surrogate and did it for him. I played fine, and so did all the students in both the May and June sessions. Good job, everyone! “Life goes on.”

This year’s recital was indeed unusual. But every recital is unique. In the May session, one student has been taking lessons with me less than one month; another, 3 years and 9 months; and another, 2 years and three months. In the June session, one student has been taking lessons with me 7 months and the other, three months. To read about and see photos of previous recitals, simply click on the link, “Recitals,” in the footnote below this post.

Please click on any photo to enlarge it.

26 May Session