Hey, I’ve been here before—my fourth appearance—but 2 March was the first time I’ve ever performed “Happy Songs Only!” for the residents here. I love coming back to Edmonds where I lived for 21 years.

The staff set me up in the dining room with the audience’s chairs arranged in theater style. And then the clock rolls around, the seats fill up, and off we go with 26 spirit-lifting songs. I use four horns—my trumpet, pocket trumpet, cornet, and flugelhorn—and the people sing along or hum the tunes.

Of those 26 songs, the two samples I usually cite are “Keep on the Sunny Side of Life” (1899, written during the recession) and “Cheek to Cheek” (1935, written during the Great Depression).

And then there’s “Make Someone Happy,” sung by Jimmy Durante as the credits roll at the close of the movie, “Sleepless in Seattle” (1993). The ending lyric is “Make someone happy and you will be happy, too.” There’s a formula for ya. Sounds good…but it’s idealistic. The x-factor in the equation is that other person, right? And sometimes, the x-factor can turn negative. So, I agree with those who say that in the end, each of us is responsible for our own feelings, are we not? Still, it’s a great song, like “When I Fall In Love,” and I won’t eliminate either of these idealistic gems from my repertoire. We ought to fall in love, and we ought to contribute to another person’s happiness. Right?

Photos are courtesy of Edmonds Landing by Cogir. Please click on any photo to enlarge it.