Third Performance at Merrill Gardens at Renton Centre
Posted by glennled on April 6, 2026
On 6 March, I returned to Merrill Gardens at Renton Centre (MGRC) for the third time to perform my new one-hour trumpet show, “Happy Songs Only!” It is comprised of 26 songs, and the two which I usually cite as samples are “Keep on the Sunny Side of Life” (1899, written during the recession) and “Cheek to Cheek” (1935, written during the Great Depression). This show calls for four instruments—cornet, flugelhorn, pocket trumpet, and trumpet. I vary the sounds my using various mouthpieces and mutes.
MGRC advertises “A beautifully balanced lifestyle…Our residents love it here.” It’s quite large with 208 apartments, “like a hotel,” said a staff member. It offers studio, 1- & 2-bedroom apartments for independent living, assisted living, memory care, and transitional care. Learn more at https://www.merrillgardens.com/senior-living/wa/renton/merrill-gardens-at-renton-centre/.
There are 12 Merrill Gardens communities in Washington state, and I have performed at four of them multiple times. Merrill Gardens, the parent company, has communities in 16 states. Learn more at https://www.merrillgardens.com.
Photos are courtesy of MGRC. Please click on any photo to enlarge it.


















Laurence S said
That’s where my mom was for the last three months. It’s a wonderful place. She passed away two weeks ago. Laurence