Wonderful. I want to hear more about your talented aunt. Doing some math, she was about my grandfather's age. How old were you when she passed? Did you have a close relationship with her?
She and my uncle, Frank Glazer, were like a second set of parents. They did not have children so spoiled me and my brothers as kids, but as an adult I grew very close to them both. And I was with them both when they passed.
She was a tough love kind of person — she expected much from me, pushed me but then made me brownies.
What a gorgeous piece , Geoffrey. I'm truly taken aback by how much I know about Ruth in just one photo and your precious words. Beautiful tribute to her. Beautiful smile. Courageous woman.
Thank you, Geoffrey, for the inspiration to share so much with few words. 🥰
thank you, tamy. it is always exciting for me to have someone react with such enthusiasm, to know that my story has worked, that it has moved someone so.
that’s why we do this isn’t it?
i created this, the one on Frank and a host of others along the way as part of my helping kids do Photo Stories using a compelling photo of a relative or family friend, writing a tight narration of him 100-200 words, record it and lay some music over it that fit the person’s personality.
the Frank Glazer one I presented to my Master’s Class of teachers and gave them links to where they could find and download it. I hoped that the class — 25 teachers — would use it in their classrooms. It would be so cool, I thought, if Frank’s story spawned 1,000 like it.
What I didn’t know is that all the teachers would share it and those teachers would share it and before I knew it I was getting emails from teachers in friggin’ Nebraska.
So when I played the piece for my uncle he was quite taken with it and asked me to play it again and again.
And I told him that he’d gone ‘viral’ and then explained that to him what that meant because in his then 92 years I don’t think he ever had touched a computer. His fingers were used to a different kind of keyboard — piano. But he surprised me, as always, and said that actually going viral meant a million or so views so, actually, “I only had a cold.”
Ruth had the same kind of humor, something that snuck up on you, mostly because she hadn’t laughed recently and needed to.
Thanks so much for reading my work, subscribing, commenting, all that. Now you really do deserve some maple syrup.
Geoffrey, how nice to see this photo of a young Ruth. I made her acquaintance through Frank, in 2006, after he began presenting piano programs at the Franco Center in Lewiston. We quickly discovered a "small world" connection: mutual Rochester acquaintances that linked back to when Ruth was in college. Sybil Craig, the wife of a favorite U. of R. professor of medicine, Al Craig, had been Ruth's Wellesley roommate, at least for a while. (Ruth may have had to drop out because of the tough times back then.) Many years later, when Frank and Al found themselves on the faculty at Rochester (Schools of Music and Medicine, respectively), the friendship was rekindled. The families celebrated Thanksgiving together, and Al Craig was always in charge of roasting the turkey!
thanks for this, Donald. So pleased to make your acquaintance. And what a wonderful coincidence. Ruth was head of programming at Eastman and, of course, by the time she left there they had nearly 450 concerts a year in various venues. It's amazing how much she got started in Maine when they moved there, though she always missed her close friends in Rochester.
P.S. When Ruth died and I was helping Frank with this and that, I noticed this photo in Frank's bathroom. It was in an old frame and was in touch shape and I asked him if I could borrow it and see what I could do. So I scanned it, spend hours editing and restoring it and then reprinted it on archival paper, had it put in a new frame and returned it to his bathroom counter. He loved it. Such a unique picture and the only one we have of when she was young.
(Aside: There is so much delicious music in your family.) Your novel writing ability is showing here. You captured this woman with so few words. I want to be her best friend. I want to laugh with her, feel music deeply, and talk about the things others are too afraid to speak of. Excuse me while I go and grab my time-traveling boots.
Thanks Geoffrey. I only knew Ruth in her older years when she and Frank were associated with the Portland Conservatory. I went to their house in Cornish Maine to take lessons from Frank. She was a great host
Wonderful. I want to hear more about your talented aunt. Doing some math, she was about my grandfather's age. How old were you when she passed? Did you have a close relationship with her?
She and my uncle, Frank Glazer, were like a second set of parents. They did not have children so spoiled me and my brothers as kids, but as an adult I grew very close to them both. And I was with them both when they passed.
She was a tough love kind of person — she expected much from me, pushed me but then made me brownies.
Thank you, Geoffrey! So she is a great woman behind a great man!
Lovely.
thank you for reading.
What a gorgeous piece , Geoffrey. I'm truly taken aback by how much I know about Ruth in just one photo and your precious words. Beautiful tribute to her. Beautiful smile. Courageous woman.
Thank you, Geoffrey, for the inspiration to share so much with few words. 🥰
Subbed to read more of you.
thank you, tamy. it is always exciting for me to have someone react with such enthusiasm, to know that my story has worked, that it has moved someone so.
that’s why we do this isn’t it?
i created this, the one on Frank and a host of others along the way as part of my helping kids do Photo Stories using a compelling photo of a relative or family friend, writing a tight narration of him 100-200 words, record it and lay some music over it that fit the person’s personality.
the Frank Glazer one I presented to my Master’s Class of teachers and gave them links to where they could find and download it. I hoped that the class — 25 teachers — would use it in their classrooms. It would be so cool, I thought, if Frank’s story spawned 1,000 like it.
What I didn’t know is that all the teachers would share it and those teachers would share it and before I knew it I was getting emails from teachers in friggin’ Nebraska.
So when I played the piece for my uncle he was quite taken with it and asked me to play it again and again.
And I told him that he’d gone ‘viral’ and then explained that to him what that meant because in his then 92 years I don’t think he ever had touched a computer. His fingers were used to a different kind of keyboard — piano. But he surprised me, as always, and said that actually going viral meant a million or so views so, actually, “I only had a cold.”
Ruth had the same kind of humor, something that snuck up on you, mostly because she hadn’t laughed recently and needed to.
Thanks so much for reading my work, subscribing, commenting, all that. Now you really do deserve some maple syrup.
Love this backstory, Geoffrey. Thank you for sharing. I’ll graciously accept the maple syrup made by your hands 🌲
Geoffrey, how nice to see this photo of a young Ruth. I made her acquaintance through Frank, in 2006, after he began presenting piano programs at the Franco Center in Lewiston. We quickly discovered a "small world" connection: mutual Rochester acquaintances that linked back to when Ruth was in college. Sybil Craig, the wife of a favorite U. of R. professor of medicine, Al Craig, had been Ruth's Wellesley roommate, at least for a while. (Ruth may have had to drop out because of the tough times back then.) Many years later, when Frank and Al found themselves on the faculty at Rochester (Schools of Music and Medicine, respectively), the friendship was rekindled. The families celebrated Thanksgiving together, and Al Craig was always in charge of roasting the turkey!
I presume you saw this piece on Frank: https://geoffreygevalt.substack.com/p/frank-glazer
thanks for this, Donald. So pleased to make your acquaintance. And what a wonderful coincidence. Ruth was head of programming at Eastman and, of course, by the time she left there they had nearly 450 concerts a year in various venues. It's amazing how much she got started in Maine when they moved there, though she always missed her close friends in Rochester.
P.S. When Ruth died and I was helping Frank with this and that, I noticed this photo in Frank's bathroom. It was in an old frame and was in touch shape and I asked him if I could borrow it and see what I could do. So I scanned it, spend hours editing and restoring it and then reprinted it on archival paper, had it put in a new frame and returned it to his bathroom counter. He loved it. Such a unique picture and the only one we have of when she was young.
(Aside: There is so much delicious music in your family.) Your novel writing ability is showing here. You captured this woman with so few words. I want to be her best friend. I want to laugh with her, feel music deeply, and talk about the things others are too afraid to speak of. Excuse me while I go and grab my time-traveling boots.
Beautiful little portrait.
Thanks Geoffrey. I only knew Ruth in her older years when she and Frank were associated with the Portland Conservatory. I went to their house in Cornish Maine to take lessons from Frank. She was a great host
thanks so much for responding, Julia. Such a memorable thing to go out to the farm and take lessons with Frank!
In case you missed it, here's a short on Frank: https://geoffreygevalt.substack.com/p/frank-glazer