Music Night - An Intro

As I've followed the marathon broadcasts of Olympic events the last week or so (something we retirees can do with ease), I've been taking note of the Olympian events in my own life. None of them involve sports, of course.

Let me clarify. I'm not referring to the competitive and superlative dimensions of the Olympics. Those are fun but fleeting, and most participants lose. So there has to be more.

Rather, I'm referring to the sense of constancy and perspective the Olympics can provide. At least in my lifetime, the regular occurrence of the Summer and Winter Olympics has signaled normalcy, a chance to reboot on basic values, and a sense that the ups and downs of recent history are less important in the long run than they may seem today. In short, I just feel good when I'm watching them. I feel the same way on Music Night.

So what is Music Night?  A little background. In June of 1991 a small group of friends gathered at our house to share music. We had pre-identified the theme of Teamwork for that first gathering. The idea was that we would all bring and share music we liked that was related to that theme. The start was just that simple. What we discovered was not only were our musical horizons broadened, it felt good.

My own experience has been that musical preferences are very personal. Note the percentage of music in today's world that is listened to through earphones. Our little group's sharing of musical preferences - and general acceptance and appreciation of the preferences of others - brought us together in a way I never expected. The proof of that is in the numbers.

This past weekend we held our 97th such get-together. Yes, 97 from June of 1991 to now - that's 4.6 times a year. I still have a hard time getting my head around the fact that the same group of individuals could entertain each other so well so frequently and for such a long time - now over 20 years. And based on last Saturday's conviviality (the theme was Gratitude), there appears to be no end in sight.

The membership has evolved over time, from an original six to an average of 20 per night in recent years. There have been nearly 70 people in all who have attended at least once. We're multi-generational, too. Parents of the adult members have made numerous appearances with several offspring joining the fray as their interests in music have taken root. As a result, it has not been uncommon to hear the strains of John Lennon, Frank Sinatra, Weezer and Lady Gaga within the span of time it takes to down a stiff Manhattan (the official cocktail of Music Night).

I think it's a rare thing for a gaggle of teenagers and twenty-somethings to willingly join in with the baby-boomer crowd (and the occasional grandparent) on anything, let alone an evening of eclectic music.  It's one of the things about Music Night that I (and I'm sure others) appreciate the most as we all search for ways to stay connected to the generation that will eventually determine the nature and quality of our long-term care facilities.

There is of course much more to say about this phenomenon. There's the long and interesting list of topics that have served as themes (everything from Paradise to Hard Times); the evolution from vinyl to tape to digital media (a couple of songs were actually pulled out of the "cloud" during a recent get together); the phantom infrastructure that keeps the pilot light lit (arranging venues, keeping track of past themes, pre-mixing the Manhattans, that sort of thing); and of course the food (never underestimate the power of food to assemble a crowd) to name a few. But these are perhaps fodder for later commentary. My main thought today is the value of recurring activities and how they help us keep our centers and bring a little harmony to the adventure that is everyday life.

Like watching the Olympics, the frequent opportunity to spend time with a group of friends that know my musical tastes, and are willing to forgive them and share their own, just makes me feel good.