Glenn Ledbetter with four horns for “In Retrospect” trumpet show at 2:30 p.m., 10 July 2025. Photo by David G. Ledbetter
This was a very special day, 10 July 2025, because I got to return to Mountlake Terrace Plaza and perform another one of my six trumpet shows for the residents. In August 2021, I performed “Showtune Favorites,” and this time, I presented “In Retrospect,” where we look back, through great songs from the residents’ era, at common experiences that we all share in living life.
It was extra special, also, because my son and his family were visiting from New Zealand, and this is the first time they ever attended one of my shows. My two grandchildren helped me by distributing a handout to the residents. It contained 25 jokes, so that they could have some fun and laughs with their friends and relatives. And afterwards, the whole family helped me load my gear into the car.
Moreover, energetic, friendly Anne Paine, Director of Wellness Programming, also made it special. She printed and displayed a brief bio of me (see photo). That was a first, too—that’s never happened at any other of the 35 retirement communities in the Greater Seattle area where I have performed since 2017. In other ways, too, her support was exceptional. Mountlake Terrace Plaza offers assisted living and is a member of MBK Senior Living Company.
“In Retrospect” is comprised of two dozen hit songs during the 84-period, 1892-1976. The oldest is “Bicycle Built for Two,” and the most recent is “Money, Money, Money,” by ABBA. All these songs stir deep memories, and people sing along or hum. Each song has a unique message, so I choose the horn with the most appropriate sound—trumpet, cornet, flugelhorn, or pocket trumpet.
L to R: Bugle, Pocket Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Trumpet, and Cornet
On this Independence Day, I finally got to perform one of my six trumpet shows at La Conner Retirement Inn. In 2022, I was scheduled to perform “I Stand for the Flag,” on Flag Day in June, but Covid struck in March, and we cancelled that show. Then the Activities Director, Allie Kester, booked me for a Christmas show, and we had to cancel that one, too. This year, we hit paydirt. On 4 July, I performed “I Stand for the Flag” for the residents during their Friday afternoon Happy Hour.
The Inn offers both Independent and Assisted Living accommodations and services. Allie proudly told me that they have three residents who are 100 or more years. The oldest one to attend my show is 98, and I dedicated “You’re a Grand Old Flag” to her. She and others liked to sing along to some of my patriotic songs and marches. The audience voluntarily stood while they sang “God Bless America,” and stayed standing while we said the “Pledge of Allegiance” and closed with “The Star-Spangled Banner.” It was an extra-special performance for me because my youngest son from Las Vegas happened to be visiting in nearby Oak Harbor and came to hear me play for the first time. He helped with the handouts and reloading my car. We shared dinner afterwards.
I used all five instruments and used my flugelhorn mute once. The bugle and trumpet are Getzens, the pocket trumpet is a Jupiter, the flugelhorn is by ACB (Austin Custom Brass), and the cornet is a Super Olds, given to me by my parents when I became a freshman in high school in 1954. This show features about two dozen patriotic marches, songs, and bugle calls.
After sounding bugle calls in the morning at the Memorial Day ceremony, 26 May 2025, at Veterans Park in Lynnwood, I drove to (formerly) Edmonds Landing Retirement Community in Edmonds in the afternoon to perform my one-hour trumpet show, “I Stand for the Flag.” It consists of about two dozen patriotic marches, songs, and bugle calls. The residents sing along with me.
I have six one-hour trumpet shows. During this one, I use all five of my horns: Getzen trumpet and bugle, Jupiter pocket trumpet, ACB (Austin Custom Brass) flugelhorn, and Olds Super cornet (71 years old, given to me by my parents when I became a freshman in high school).
Photos courtesy of Edmonds Landing by Cogir. Please click on any photo to enlarge it.
On Saturday, 24 May 2025, I traveled to Renton to perform my one-hour trumpet show, “I Stand for the Flag,” for the first time at Solstice Senior Living (please see https://solsticeseniorlivingrenton.com/). It is a Provincial Senior Living Community, headquartered in Arlington, Texas. They operate about 70 retirement communities across the country. Others in Washington state include Bellingham, Normandy Park, Point Defiance (Tacoma), and Kennewick. At Renton, Independent Living is offered, with the support of health care professionals, when needed.
I entertained the residents with about a dozen patriotic marches, songs, and bugle calls. They sang along with me and laughed at my jokes. I used all five of my horns: trumpet, pocket trumpet, cornet, bugle, and flugelhorn.
For awhile now, I’ve been wanting to perform one of my six trumpet shows at Mirabella, Seattle. My chance came this spring, thanks to Diana Rawls, Activities Director. On 11 April, I performed “Showtune Favorites”–about two dozen songs from popular musicals and movies familiar to the residents.
Why did I especially want to play there? Because it’s operated by a non-profit organization, occupies a whole city block in downtown Seattle, and is still quite new, opening for business only 15 years ago. I’m impressed!
I used four of my five horns–Getzen trumpet, Super Olds cornet, ACB flugelhorn, and Jupiter pocket trumpet (but not my Getzen bugle). I’ve owned the flugelhorn for only two and a half years, but the cornet for 71 years—Holy Cow! My parents gave it to me when I was a freshman in high school, and it took me to the Texas All-State Band when I was a senior. Love that horn! (Thanks again, Mother and Daddy, may they rest in peace.)
Besides At-Home Care, Mirabella, Seattle offers Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care, and Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation. Residents from all levels came to my performance. One couple among the audience has lived there since it originally opened!
Photos are courtesy of Mirabella, Seattle. Please click on any photo to enlarge it.
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!
I’ve performed at 32 different retirement communities in the Greater Seattle area, and Quail Park is unique in a good way. Of course, every community is unique, but I’m thinking of Quail Park’s private, hilltop location and its eight different floor plans:
2 bedroom/2 bath cottage with garage (1,616 s.f.)
2 bedroom/2 bath apartment (787-1,072 s.f.)
1 bedroom/1 bath apartment (592-794 s.f.)
Studio bed/1 bath apartment (411-603 s.f.)
Private Studio Suite – Studio bed/1 bath (377-399 s.f.)
Tribute Studio Suite – Studio bed/1 bath (374-469 s.f.)
Tribute Adjoining Studios – Studio bed /1bath (374 s.f.)
Adjoining Studios-Lynnwood – Studio bed/1 bath (352-420 s.f.)
For diagrams of the different layouts and to match each floor plan with the four lifestyles (assisted living, enhanced assisted living, independent living, and memory care), please see the website, http://www.livingcarelifestyles.com/quail-park-lynnwood.
So, it was a privilege to perform for the residents in their beautiful auditorium on 12 November, one day after Veterans Day. In my VFW uniform, I performed my one-hour trumpet show, “I Stand for the Flag.” As usual, I used my five horns to play about two dozen patriotic marches, songs, and bugle calls. I love to match each instrument—trumpet, cornet, flugelhorn, bugle, and pocket trumpet—to the character and mood of each different piece.
This is my second performance at Quail Park. The first was on 22 December 2019, before the Covid pandemic. I presented my Christmas show, entitled “Things Remembered.” In addition to these two, I have four other different shows. I look forward to returning in 2025, God willing. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Veterans Day, 11 November 2024, found me in Bellevue for my third performance at The Gardens at Town Square retirement community. That afternoon, I presented my one-hour trumpet show, “I Stand for the Flag” to a large, generous audience.
Actually, I have two versions of this show. In 2021, after the Covid Pandemic peaked, I performed the “talk version.” In this show, I not only play patriotic marches, songs, and bugle calls, but also, I talk about veterans’ current well-being, concerns, and activities. But this year, I performed the “standard version”–about two dozen pieces of music with a bit of talk to introduce each piece. The audience sings along as I play my five horns: Getzen Eterna Severinsen trumpet, Super Olds cornet, Austin Custom Brass (ACB) flugelhorn, Getzen bugle, and Jupiter pocket trumpet.
We had such a great time that I look forward to returning sometime in 2025, God willing. I have six different trumpet shows, so there’s plenty to choose from. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
The national tradition is to conduct the Veterans Day ceremony at 11 a.m. local time, worldwide, on the 11th day of the 11th month—formerly known as Armistice Day, WWI. Never forget, as succeeding generations were charged by Canadian Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae in his elegant poem, “In Flanders Field.” And so this is done annually at Veterans Park in downtown Lynnwood.
This is the second time that I’ve sat in my walker at this location for sounding the two bugle calls, ‘”Assembly” and “Echo Taps.” My lower back hurts, and when I stand to play, I’m a bit shaky. Also, I am challenged by the aligners that are in my mouth to straighten my teeth. (They should be removed by next Memorial Day.) Old age does its thing. So, when I sit, it sounds better. Judah Deuman sounded the “echo” part. He graduated from Lynnwood High School last spring. I used my Getzen field trumpet, and he used his trumpet.
Please click on any photo to enlarge it.
Photos by Julia Wiese, Lynnwood Today:
Boy Scouts Troop 49Glenn Ledbetter, VFW 1040 BuglerVFW Post 1040 Honor Guard (L) and Legion of Honor, Nile Shrine Center (R)
Lobby, courtesy of Fairwinds, Brighton Court, Lynnwood
Veterans Day generated three gigs for me, and the first one was at Fairwinds, Brighton Court in Lynnwood on Saturday, 9 November 2024—two days before the actual Veterans Day (11 November). The other two performances will be covered in forthcoming blog posts.
I’ve now performed at 32 retirement communities, including many repeat appearances, throughout the Greater Seattle area. Fairwinds, Brighton Court is now the leader with six performances. My first trumpet show there was in 2018.
On this occasion, I appeared in my VFW uniform and presented my one-hour show, “I Stand for the Flag.” The audience was large and quite responsive. I used five horns: trumpet, cornet, flugelhorn, bugle, and pocket trumpet. The show consists of about two dozen patriotic marches, songs, and bugle calls. The audience sings along.
I look forward to returning for a seventh time in 2025, God willing. I offer six different shows, so next time could be entirely a different experience for the residents. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Glenn's Trumpet Notes 