The following was written by my late wife Elaine. She wrote a long book, a diary really, from which this is one passage:
Kurzweil Keyboard
Dave gave me an unexpected present for my birthday in 1998. I use its organ or piano sounds, and often illustrate a teaching point with the Kurzweil, which is placed near the Steinway, and it’s useful sometimes to play along with a student. Thanks, Dave. (Carolyn owns the same model of Kurzweil keyboard, and has taken it to her church in Salisbury, Maryland, where she plays for services).
In February 2001 Carolyn sent us a copy of a CD she recorded in Maryland. Doug Smith, who has impressive musical credentials, plays the flute, and Carolyn accompanies, beautifully. He has been Director of Music at Bethesda United Methodist Church in Salisbury for 25 years. On the CD they play a list of 23 arrangements of hymns and sacred songs, including some of my favorites: “It is Well with My Soul,” “His Eye is on the Sparrow,” and many others. I love it. Thanks, Carolyn!
Yamaha Keyboard
Dave also gave me a Yamaha keyboard, which has functions not on the Kurzweil which I get into every couple years or so, which are the many different sounds and accompaniments with drums and other instruments, built into the keyboard. It’s been to the retired teachers’ monthly dinner meetings twice, and the audience seemed to enjoy the variety of sounds I used. Thank you, Dave, for your always willing and patient help with moving it to and from.
The Yamaha has earphones, and often, during my full schedule piano teaching days, my students could spend the half hour they waited for their sibling’s lesson to be over for practicing their own lesson, using the earphones. They always seemed to enjoy that.
A man named D#
Dave hires help occasionally with bush hogging, and hires a man whose given name is D and his last name is Sharp. No matter how he spells it, I think of it as “D#”.
To be continued…
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About the Author: RD Blakeslee (1931 – 2024) built his net worth by only investing in that which can be enjoyed during acquisition and throughout life, as opposed to papers in a drawer, like stocks and bonds. You can read more about him here.
Photos: Courtesy of the Blakeslee Family
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