It’s always nice to be invited back, especially when you get to perform a different show (I have six). Seven months ago, I played “I Stand for the Flag,” a patriotic show, here at Cogir of Kirkland Senior Living (https://glennstrumpetnotes.com/?s=cogir). This time, on 13 March, it was a personal history show, “Where Were You, Back Then?” Here’s how it goes.

I’ve chosen 18 years between 1947 and 2008. Then I tell some significant events and situations that happened in each of those years. They remember those things, and I ask them to remember also what was going on in their own lives during that year. Sometimes, I sprinkle in some tales of my own, like when in 1967, I was single and an officer in the Navy, stationed near San Francisco, and I bought my yellow Camaro convertible–oh, boy! I hope these things trigger memories in their minds, too.

Next, I’ve chosen a song that was popular that year—perhaps from a musical or a movie or a hit that won a Grammy Award or Academy Award Oscar. I invite them to sing or hum along with me, as I play one of four horns: Getzen trumpet, Super Olds Cornet, ACB (Austin Custom Brass) flugelhorn, and Jupiter pocket trumpet. Sometimes, I use one of my mutes. For example, I especially enjoyed playing “That’s Amore” (1953) on my trumpet, “Dream a Little Dream of Me” (1968) on my cornet, “Some Days Are Diamonds” (1981) on my flugelhorn, and “Money, Money, Money” (2008) on my pocket trumpet.

As often happens, we started out with a crowd of size “X,” and as I played, more people came, and we ended up with all the chairs filled, including one up in the balcony! I recognized several people from my first performance there last August. And now I’m ready anytime to return for a third show!