by Helen Gagel | Oct 21, 2025 | Singer Profile
As I reviewed the transcript of my conversation with John Mueller, I kept hearing Frank Sinatra singing “That’s Life,” his 1966 hit about life’s ups and downsThe song features this refrain: “I’ve been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, a poet, a pawn and a king.” John...
by Helen Gagel | Sep 16, 2025 | Singer Profile
George brings his beautiful bass to every choir he sings with! As Sounds Good Choir added more choirs in different communities throughout Chicagoland, a new type of singer was born—the choir hopper. Choir hoppers are those singers who can’t get enough of Sounds Good...
by Helen Gagel | Aug 18, 2025 | Singer Profile
Jason Allen’s singing career began at the tender age of two while riding in the back seat of his Aunt Bet’s car. “We were headed down south for a funeral, and my aunt started singing. I kept saying, ‘Sing, Aunt Bet, sing’ and soon I began to sing along.” Jason went on...
by Helen Gagel | Jul 14, 2025 | Singer Profile
Judy Peres is writing a memoir that promises to be what booksellers call ‘a good read.’ “Old Growth: A Memoir of Love, Lumber, and Late-Life Exuberance” relates Judy’s adventures after age 60, when many of us are easing into retirement. Not Judy! She took a buyout...
by Helen Gagel | Jul 7, 2025 | Musings
My friends and I often despair about the “stuff” that crowds our closets, bookcases, file cabinets and storage units. We dread the thought of going through it, making decisions about what to keep and what to toss. But occasionally we come across a forgotten gem that...
