It all started while I was listening to CBC radio a few weeks ago. Eleanor Wachtel was interviewing author Sherman Alexie. I had never heard of him, but I listened and immediately I found myself drawn in. Mr. Alexie spoke with a particularly native voice, but also with a spirit and optimism and enthusiasm that [...]

This is Maddy – a long time ago. Her song is Lullabye by Billy Joel. Leigh-Anne picked this song for Maddy many years ago and it could not be a better choice. It never fails to make us cry when we listen to it. I used this song in her Bat Mitzvah slide show, but [...]

This is Ella. She was the most beautiful girl in the kindergarden, inside and out. Hayalda Hachi Yafa Bagan. Now she is in grade 1 – but the song will be hers forever. This song brings back many memories. While living in Israel in 1984, long before I had children, I fell in love with [...]

This is Ben. To me, he just sounded like the song Rhode Island is Famous for You, performed, in this case, by Blossom Dearie. The song is cheeky and clever and sweet – all wrapped into one. Kinda like Ben. (By the way, there is nothing about our lives that relates to Rhode Island. We’ve [...]

I am an avid music person. As long as I can remember, music informed my memories of my childhood. Whether it be the AM radio pop music of the early 70s or my parents’ love of jazz and classical music, I associate sounds with people and events. My memories are awakened by hearing those sounds [...]