Dennis: The best part of a work out is when its over, eh?
Me: Yeah. It feels that way sometimes. I really look forward to it, and then find once I'm doing it, it can feel like I want to quit pretty fast.
Dennis: Ya gotta do it though.
Me: Yes. I really need it to take out my frustrations. It helps me deal with problems at work. I guess just helps me be happier overall.
Dennis: You know I was at a sort of talk the other day. A bunch of retired guys from all walks of life. It was at UBC. I was a student there way back. There was this fellow called Helliwell (John Helliwell) who is a real famous economist. He goes around measuring people's happiness with numbers and such somehow. He had all of us singing that song, "If You're Happy and You Know It Clap Your Hands". You know what? Pretty soon everyone was doing it and clapping and singing and smiling and laughing. It was great.
Me: Wow. That is really neat. I actually just co-authored a paper in that field with my friend Clyde, who is also an economist. It is all about how improvised music performance can teach people how to interact with each other and how it can help them be happier by understanding relationships with each other. As it happens I know a little bit about this fellow, Helliwell. He is an important figure in this field called the Economics of Happiness. What an amazing coincidence that you should mention this to me.
Dennis: Are you involved with music then?
Me: Yes. I teach music at Capilano University, just up the hill.
Dennis: I don't know much about music. Know the white and black keys on the piano? I'm always there in the cracks. No kidding!
We both laugh briefly. After a second or two, he fixes me intently with his one good eye, the other cloudy with a cataract. His face flushes and tears begin to form.
Dennis: I want to tell you a story about the power of music. There we're two times in my life when I learned about the power of music
I nod.
Dennis: If I go on too long just stop me.
Me: I'm not in a rush.
Dennis: We were in a landing craft waiting to go to France. Off the south of England somewhere. It was dark and there were three boats there, all anchored close together. You could see the men in the other boats and hear 'em. There was a boat of Poles, you know, from Poland? All the men were pacing around pretty nervous and smoking cigarettes. Everyone smoked back then, or just about everyone. We didn't know what was going to happen in the morning when we got to France. D-Day, you know? So these Poles start singing Lili Marlene. In Polish, and then some other languages. Everyone was laughing and singing. One of the other boats was English guys. Mostly miners I think. Well they got into singing their songs and had some kind of routine going too. Everyone was having a great time. And you know what? When they were done singing, one by one you saw the cigarettes go out and everyone went below deck and slept. we slept like babies. Can you believe it? With all that going on.
Me: That is amazing. Beautiful. I guess the music just relieved all that stress that everyone was feeling. Everyone must have been really nervous.
Dennis: Yup. I'll tell you another time when I understood the power of music.
Me: Ok. Sure.
Dennis: This was in Europe. A place called Leopold Canal. Ever heard of it?
Subsequent research has taught me that Leopold Canal was an important turning point in the Battle of the Scheldt.
Me: Is it in Holland or Belgium or...
Dennis: Yeah. Well were were stuck in a hole there for fifteen days playing catch with hand grenades at Leopold Canal. Fifteen days, ya know?! Stuck in the mud throwing hand grenades across the canal. We didn't have hardly anything to eat. Everything was filthy. Covered in mud. Well, after fifteen days we finally got some relief. Those Buffalos came in, ya know? (Buffalos are amphibious landing craft in the picture). It was all over and we started walking out of there. We were in a village and somehow one of the boys found a piano. Just in a house in the village. He went in and started to play that piano. Beautiful music. Classical music I guess. It was so beautiful. We all just sat down right there in the mud and listened to him play that piano for hours. Forgot all about getting a shower or food or anything. Just listening to that beautiful music. That's the power of music, ya know?
Me: Wow. What an amazing story. Thanks for telling me about that.
Dennis: So what kind of music do you do?
Me: I play the guitar. I play a lot of jazz, some classical music. I compose. I teach people.
Dennis: That is really wonderful! To make music every day. What a wonderful thing. You must be very happy in your choice. To be a musician that is.
Me: I guess I am pretty happy, yeah. It beats a lot of other things I've tried.
Dennis: Yup. The power of music. That is really something, boy. I'll never forget.
At this point I look at the clock and realize I'm almost late for work....
Me: Thanks for sharing those stories with me. I really appreciate that. I have to get to work now though.
Dennis: No problem. See ya later.
Me: Have a great day! Bye!
Why did he take the moment to talk to me? Why not someone else? With the passing of Pete Seeger last week, I've been thinking a lot about what music means and what it can do. I learned a lot from this experience. In relating the story to my wife, I found the whole thing very emotional and moving. Some things happen for a reason and I'm grateful that they do.
UPDATE: This week I got some more stories about D-Day and the liberation of Holland. Dennis is an amazing guy.
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