This is a request that I decided to record and post this week. Shortly before his death in 1980, Lennon commented that "Although the lyrics don't resolve into any sense, they're good lines. They certainly work ... but if you read the whole song, it doesn't say anything" and added the song was "beautiful – and I never wished I'd written it". Still it has remained the fourth most successful song of all time in terms of royalties paid. I hope you enjoy it.

Adelaide Addison Pollard was known as a remarkable, saintly woman but one who lived the life of a mystic. She was born on November 27, 1862, at Bloomfield, Iowa. She was named, Sarah, by her parents, but because of her later dislike for this name, she adopted the name, Adelaide. After an early training in elocution and physical culture, she moved to Chicago, Illinois, during the 1880’s and taught in several girls’ schools. During this time, she became rather well-known as an itinerant Bible teacher. Later, she became involved in the evangelistic ministry of Alexander Dowie, assisting him in his healing services. She, herself, claimed to have been healed of diabetes in this manner. Still later, she became involved in the ministry of another evangelist named Sanford, who was emphasizing the imminent return of Christ. Miss Pollard desired to travel and minister in Africa, but when these plans failed to materialize, she spent several years teaching at the Missionary Training School at Nyack-on-the-Hudson. She finally got to Africa for a short time, just prior to World War I and then spent most of the war years in Scotland. Following the war, she returned to America and continued to minister throughout New England, even though by now she was very frail and in poor health. Miss Pollard wrote a number of other hymn texts throughout her life, although no one knows exactly how many, since she never wanted any recognition for her accomplishments. Most of her writings were signed simply AAP. “Have Thine Own Way, Lord!” is her only hymn still in use today.

This is a request that I get frequently. Irving Gordon was born in Brooklyn, New York, to a Jewish family, and later lived on Coney Island. He was named Israel Goldener but later changed his name to Irving Gordon. As a child, he studied violin. This is his most famous song.

Frederick Atkinson (1841-1897) wrote the Victorian tune Morecambe, named after a town in England’s Midland district. The composer’s intent was to provide a musical setting for Henry Francis Lyte’s famous hymn, “Abide with me, fast falls the eventide” (The UM Hymnal, No. 700). Indeed the rhythm is identical between Eventide, the tune associated with “Abide with me,” and Morecambe. Morecambe is well suited for “Spirit of God” as well. In the first stanza, a descending melody accompanies the words, “descend upon my heart.” Tedd Smith, who arranged this, was the pianist for Billy Graham for years and years. It's my favorite arrangement and I'm so grateful for him.

Every week our pastor has me play an introit on the organ or piano as part of the opening of the service. This week we have a former pastor preaching who now has an important position in the Methodist Church. And I know that our congregation is happy to see and hear her again. And I chose that introit as a reminder of our gratitude for her.

And since I hadn't put that on the website, and I know that there are so many of us who are praying for others that we don't see very often. I do want others to know how grateful I am for so many, even though I don't have the opportunity to see them.

This is a piece that I've been playing for years, at Nordstrom and now at Mayo Hospital. It's a wonderful reminder that we have SO MUCH to be thankful for.

Many people have requested me to play this, and it's still in my book, so I play it as I go through the book alphabetically, both at Mayo Hospital and at church in Fellowship Hall. It's from the well known play, "Cats". When it comes to memories, they sure do seem to fade away as we get older. The reason that I chose it is because the meds that I had been taking for brain memory gave me stomach issues and haven't helped me a lot. Eventually I was told not to take some them, so I've stopped my former memory meds and am on a new one that really seems to be helping me. Solutions to this problem of fading memories are few and far in between, with very low chance of success, but maybe this song will help bring back some of those memories you may have of loved ones or a good experience you've had.

A woman came up to me last Tuesday and asked if I had any music from Phantom of the Opera, so I turned to this under the letter "P", where I keep things in my music book alphabetically. I was really glad to find it for her, and she was happy about it. I hope you enjoy it as well.

This hymn is based on 2 Chronicles 7:14. It is enjoyed by many, so I thought I'd share this arrangement.

The sheet music for this piece also says Extrait de "Suite Bergamasque", which means it is taken from a suite of pieces, this one being the third or slow piece. Debussy actually wrote three ‘Clair De Lunes’. The idea is from a poem by Paul Verlaine in his collection entitled Fêtes Galantes, themselves inspired by the paintings of Jean-Antoine Watteau (1684-1721). Debussy set six of these poems to music, including this one, first in 1882, then again in 1891. The piano piece dates originally from 1890 and was revised in 1905. Originally the piece had a completely different title, which was ‘Promenade Sentimentale’, but eventually Debussy decided to switch to the more descriptive and precise ‘Clair De Lune’.

This is a request of a song that was initially written from the perspective of a woman as "Can't Help Falling in Love with Him". The melody is based on "Plaisir d'amour", a popular French love song composed in 1784 by Jean-Paul-Égide Martini. It is a popular choice for couples as the song for the first dance at their wedding, and was a top of the charts song recorded by Elvis Presley. I hope you enjoy it.

This is a request that I am playing. Simon wrote it as "a little hymn." Garfunkel and producer Roy Halee thought it was more epic, and convinced him to write a third verse. His "little hymn" thus got a grand production, and after hearing it, he thought it was too long, too slow and too orchestral to be a hit single. However, Clive Davis at Columbia Records heard the commercial appeal of the song, and insisted they put a lot of marketing budget behind it use it as the album title. The song's title concept was inspired by Claude Jeter's line 'I'll be your bridge over deep water if you trust in me', which Jeter sang with his group, the Swan Silvertones, in the 1958 song 'Mary Don't You Weep'. According to gospel historian Anthony Heilbut, Simon later acknowledged his debt to Jeter in person, and even handed Jeter a check. Simon also named Johann Sebastian Bach's 'O Sacred Head, Now Wounded' as a source of inspiration for certain parts of the melody. I hope you enjoy it.

This is a common request that I get at Mayo clinic and I would also get it at Nordstrom. It's a popular wedding song and many know it through Celine Dion. The emotions in this song are reflected by the singer, who thanks a loyal loved one for guiding, encouraging, and protecting her throughout her life, and making her who she is today.

This is a piece in a book titled "Dino Great Is The Lord Piano Solos", which consists of Dino Kartsonakis arrangements. Also listed under his hame are Nathan Di Gesare and Randy Wright. I think that they helped him. Recently Dino purchased a Ravenscroft piano here in Scottsdale. It looks beautiful. The lyrics for this piece are also nice. I hope you enjoy it.

This is a request of a visitor at Mayo Hospital. Many people still remember and enjoy the Beatles. This simple but stirring and gentle ballad showed for the first time the variance of what Lennon and McCartney could conjure up within the confines of this album called "Something New". They would be later known for their "highs and lows," "peaks and valleys" on their albums, such as the range of genres on the "White Album" (from "Helter Skelter" to "Blackbird" to "Honey Pie"). While the gentleness of "A Taste Of Honey" and "Till There Was You" from their first two albums were evidences of this, they resorted to cover songs to display the variance. With "And I Love Her" they display that they have this capability right in their own arsenal. I hope you enjoy it.

This is a very popular song from the "The Threepenny Opera", The Beggar's Opera by John Gay starting with its first production back in 1728. The Beggar's Opera is a comic ballad opera, an original concept when it came out, conjuring up the thoughts and ideas of the anti-hero, Robin Hood types, and quotes of the likes of Bob Dylan, such as "Steal a little and they throw you in jail: steal a lot and they make you a king". It was the first musical play produced in colonial New York. George Washington enjoyed it. The original lyrics went through some transformations for the European audience and were cleaned up a bit by Blitstein, which allowed it to gain much more fame. This song was request of one of the employees or volunteers at Mayo Hospital. I hope you enjoy it.

Since it is the 4th of July weekend I figured this would be a good song to play. Hugh S. Livingston, Jr. grew up in Tennessee and served in music ministries there as well as in Indiana, and Ohio, providing his talents as a choral director, pianist, organist, and trumpeter. He remained active as a church musician, and shared his musical gifts with hundreds of people in assisted living and nursing homes. Many of his unpublished manuscripts were discovered after his death in October 2014. I hope you enjoy this song of his.

This is a piece that was requested for me to play. It is a great arrangement by Dino Kartsonakis and I've enjoyed playing it for quite some time now. The words were arranged to a piece of music arranged by William Hays called "The Little Old Log Cabin In The Lane". This is a standard gospel song that has appeared in many protestant hymnals. I hope you enjoy it.

This is a piece requested not only by Nordstrom customers, but also people at Mayo Clinic.

It's written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. The best-known version is that recorded by American duo the Carpenters for their second studio album Close to You and produced by Jack Daugherty.

It is still possible today, to walk the path where Jesus walked while he was carrying the cross. This is a hymn that can be correlated with that, but also symbolically in a way that one can try to be like him. I really like the lyrics, because it's great to keep being reminded of the way Jesus walked and struggled. I hope you enjoy it.