2015: MUSIC: ONE OF GOD'S PRECIOUS GIFTS TO HUMANITY.

This article was saved for me by Jack Pyrah, my singing partner in our voluntary summer Kuser Park sing along programs. I do believe that mental stimulation can indeed keep the gray matter tuned up. Jack frequently comments on my ability to remember the lyrics to songs that are buried deep in yesteryear's music vault. I must admit that I also find it hard to believe that I can recall the lyrics to literally hundreds of songs that I remember from my youthful years. That is really the essence of our summer Kuser Park sing along program, "THE MUSIC WE GREW UP WITH," Jack gave me the article attached and as I read it, I realized that thus far, the Lord has allowed me to retain those lyrical music memories, In the attached photo, Ms. Nancy Briggs, one of my loyal concert followers, sings a duet with me as part of our sing-along custom.

2015: THE GIFT OF MUSIC - A PRECIOUS GIFT

"Tulip Time in Holland is a time for merry fun,

Market place is crowded and the joy has just begun,

We are here to celebrate and when the day is done,

We will not forget those happy hours..."

"The Way We Were: is one of the wonderful songs I sing at Jack Pyrah and my Kuser Farm Park Gazebo summer concerts. I will always be so very grateful to the Hamilton Township school system for giving me such a well rounded education. Of course, most of my concentration was on the musical programs we performed both at my Kuser grammar school and then on to Hamilton High. My partner Jack Pyrah and I both lost our Hamilton High School sweethearts and God has gifted both of us with the gift of masculine baritone voices. We both come across songs that we are not quite emotionally ready to sing yet; song like, "Miss you, since you went away, dear," "Sweet Sixteen," "The Girl that I Marry," and others that have lyrics reminding us that we both lost our wives after 60 plus years of marriage. I've said it countless times and it is true: Music is a gift from God.

2015: TIME DOES INDEED FLY!

 

One of the songs in my computer's "Broadway" repertoire is "June Is Busting Out All Over" and indeed it is. Thus far we have had an encouraging number of music lovers relaxing in the summer breeze under the shade trees in front of the gazebo at Kuser Park. Our June 21st  presentation saw approximately 70 in attendance and the June 28th with ominous clouds managed to keep some away. We did have upwards of 45 to 50 in attendance. Jack and I both believe that the Lord meant it when he said "Wherever two or more are gathered in my name.."

2014: AS THE CURTAIN FALLS ON KUSER PARK SEASON 8

It's wonderful folks like Ms. Denise Darnell who has helped to make my summer Kuser Farm Park gazebo singalongs worth the time and effort I spend as I bring my musical presentation to the community. As I closed out my last Sunday Kuser program last evening and son Tom and I were putting our equipment away, along came Denise with the above framed replica of this website as a very clever "thank you." It will be a treasured addition to my "memories" wall in my Hamilton Library workshop. As a staunch proponent of community volunteerism, it really warms my heart when I hear all the wonderful POSITIVE comments I have received over these years. Comments from common, ordinary people who really enjoyed spending a warm and sometimes hot and humid evening under the stars once again hearing songs that are rapidly being forgotten by the present generation. No, we didn't have senators, assemblymen, assembly women, governors, nor mayors at these wonderful community gatherings; just those I call "folks in the nickel seats" as they gathered in numbers that ranged from 20 to nearly 60 at last night's final Sunday presentation.  Denise has been one of my "regulars;" seldom missing any of these weekly presentations. Above is Denise's special "thank you" to me; a scan of the front and back surface of a keepsake that will find a special place on the wall of my Hamilton Library workshop along with the huge photo I got last year from two other regulars, Nancy Briggs and her sister Barbara.

1982: EVEN AFTER 32 YEARS, KUSER FARM IS STILL HOME

Those who have been following my writings over the past 30 plus years will recall that I have COUNTLESS memories of growing up with the Kusers from the age of 12 right up to the sad day when Edna and Fritz Kuser could no longer handle the responsibilities of managing that wonderful old homestead. My family's encounter with the Kusers began way back in 1938 when my older brother Bud began working for the Kusers as a young boy doing chores such as raking leaves, cleaning up fallen branches, and as he matured, painting, repairing, and ultimately becoming an operator of Fritz Kuser's "Simplex-Acme" portable 35 millimeter motion picture projectors. I followed in my brother's footsteps when Bud entered the Navy in World War II. After all these  years, Fritz and Edna Kuser's "Kuser Farm" is now known as Hamilton Township's "Kuser Farm Park." For me it has become a spiritual  getaway for me where every nook and cranny holds a memory. I will be ever grateful to my dear friend, the late Maurice "Maury" Perilli for counseling fellow Democrat Edna Kuser as to the best way to leave their beloved home to the area citizens as a park, and to former Mayor John "Jack" Rafferty for making it happen. Psychologically, I would assume that my devotion to this place is why I have been bringing my nostalgic music program to Kuser Park Gazebo each summer for the past 8 or 9 years. These musical presentations certainly do not draw standing room only crowds; no high profile local celebrities, no high profile politicians, just common folks such as I who are devotees of music from an era when music was music. At age 80 approaching 81, I don't know how much longer I will be able to maintain my singing voice, but I will go on until my vocal chords are no longer at my command.  

1988: "THE MOONLIGHTERS" AT KUSER GAZEBO

When financial times were good, Hamilton Township paid a very substantial amount of money to contract with professional musicians to come to the Hamilton Gazebo for 8 summer weeks. Unfortunately, the financial crunch over the past 10 years or so has resulted in the elimination of professional musicians to perform each Sunday. Our citizens loved those weekly gazebo programs and when they were curtailed during the administration of Mayor Glen Gilmore, I offered to bring my non-professional music to the citizens. Needless to say, a Tom Glover replacing seasoned professionals was a dud for many, but on the other hand, a number of citizens loyally attended my programs over the past 7 years. My credo, taken from the Bible, "wherever two or more are gathered in my name" has been the hallmark of this Sunday program, "The Music We Grew Up With." With a bit more support from a few "town fathers," I do believe we could get this thing off the ground. In all those years, only two township officials visited this austere volunteer effort: Glen Gilmore and John Bencivengo. For those visitors to this blog who have been asking, I will be doing the programs again this year if the township wants me.

2102: OCTOBER 21 KUSER MANSION SING ALONG

Without Nancy and Barby who posed with me during one of my Kuser Park Gazebo programs during this past summer, there would be no Tom Glover musical events in the community. Unfortunately, our age group is experiencing a dramatic shift insofar as attendance at these affairs are concerned. At one time, Sunday afternoon activities were avidly attended, but that was when we were young and mobile. The music I bring and will continue to bring to the public is not the loud and raucous sound of rock and roll that is targeted at the younger generation. Rather, it is the music older and mature folks prefer with soul stirring and redeeming lyrics; seldom heard in today's youth-oriented society.

RALPH LUCARELLA said...

HI TOM.....TODAY'S YOUTH MUST BE CRACK POTS TO CALL THEIR MUSIC ENTERTAINING. IT'S VULGER, TOO LOUD AND DOES'NT SOUND NO WHERE LIKE THE SINGING OUR GENERATION CREATED. OUR SONG WRITERS ALONG WITH OUTSTANDING MUSICANS ENTERTAINED US FOR YEARS BY THEIR TALENTS AND STYLE. KEEP UP YOUR GOOD WORK OF PROVIDING MUSIC IN THE GLOVER MANNER. BEST REGARDS.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Tom Glover said...

MANY THANKS, RALPH. YOU ARE SO RIGHT BUT UNFORTUNATELY, WE ARE ALL ON THE DOWNSIDE OF THE HILL AND HEADING FOR THE LIGHT.

TOM GLOVER

Monday, October 22, 2012

2012: DON'T MISS BOB ORLOWSKI AT KUSER PARK NEXT SUNDAY!

Tomorrow, August 19th, marks the end of my 8 week Kuser Farm Concert Series, "The Music We Grew Up With." It has been a very hot and humid summer season, but we always managed to have 25 to 40 hard core lovers of easy listening music at the concerts. The graphic above details the program that will be presented by Bob Orlowski, who also specializes in singing the songs of Sinatra, Michael Buble' and other easy listening artists. Bob is a great performer and you will have a really wonderful evening of easy listening music. I hope to see you all there. To those of you who attended my program during this summer of 2012, my humble thanks. I will be continuing many of my programs at the Kuser Mansion this fall and winter, and also at the Hamilton Township Public Library.
SEE Y'ALL THERE!

2012: WELCOME TO THE SUMMER OF 2012!

Above is a photo of the 4 x 8 foot sign which Hamilton Township's extremely talented sign shop installed at the corner of Leonard and Newkirk Avenue announcing my 7th year of musical sing along concerts at Kuser Farm Park. I will be keeping this graphic on the top of this blog during the ensuing weeks. I hope to see a number of visitors to this website at one or more of these uplifting fun concerts. If you do attend, please be sure to say hello. My computer music repertoire has continued to grow over the past year and I will be doing many new songs including songs of faith and inspiration. The graphic below shows my initial appearance at the Kuser summer concerts back in 2006. It was a success, but there was an unforeseen glitch. The days get much shorter at the end of August, and unknown to me and the township, the lights were set to go out at dusk. So, halfway through the two hour event, the lights went out; the only light left burning was a single overhead light in the center column of the gazebo. With the main lights around the interior of the gazebo off , I was singing in the dark with only the night light and my computer screen emitting light. I asked those in attendance if they wanted me to call it a night and they responded with a resounding "no!" So as they say,"the show must go on". It did, and the next hour of darkness was enjoyed by all as we sang all those familiar oldies. As you can see on the sign in the photo below, those who preceded me were all paid professional musicians. I didn't expect, nor did I get the large attendance one would expect from professional talent. However, the 40 or so who did attend had a wonderful time and wanted my assurance that I would be back in 2007. I was, have been, and will continue as long as I am able, and as long as the township wants me.

Sally Logan Gilman said...

Hi Tom: Good luck with your upcoming summer concerts -- your audience is lucky to have you. I'll be with you in spirit. Best wishes for a summer of song. Regards

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

JoeZ said...

TOM: GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR UPCOMING CONCERTS, FILL THE HOUSE. IF YOU CAN PLEASE SEND ME THE WEBSITE FOR THE R.C. MAXWELL PHOTO'S AT DUKE, I CAN ONLY LOCATE A FEW. THANKS.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Tom Glover said...

SORRY, JOE. FOR COMPLICATED LEGAL COPYRIGHT REASONS, I AM SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL POSTS WHICH I POST ON THE HAMILTON LIBRARY WEB SITE, INCLUDING MY SOURCES.
TOM

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Lee Belardino said...

Tommy
sounds like a great line-up. Wish with all my heart I could attend.Beats the heck out of anything going on.Attendees are lucky.
Lee

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Tom Glover said...

LEE:
YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH I WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU AT THE SUMMER CONCERTS. WE COULD MAKE BEAUTIFUL MUSIC TOGETHER. YOU'LL BE WITH ME EVERY TIME I SING ONE OF OUR CHOIR SONGS FROM HHS.

"TOMMY"

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

2011: ONLY THREE MORE KUSER PARK GAZEBO CONCERTS

Time has really flown by at an incredibly rapid rate! This afternoon's music concert at Kuser Park will mark the 6th out of the 8 planned for June and July. It will be a warm day, but under those sheltering trees in front of the gazebo, you will find a very comfortable venue! I hope to see many of my visitors there this afternoon.

For those of you who are not particularly interested in my musical offerings, my good friend and very talented vocalist Bob Orlowski will be serenading you on the first Sunday in August, bringing the song stylings of Michael Buble, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and other easy listening crooners from "OUR" generation. I am working on a glover320.blogspot.com post for Bob's gig which will give all the details. Stay tuned.

2011: MUSIC FOR MATURE MUSIC LOVERS COMING TO KUSER PARK IN JUNE AND JULY!

I have been busy over the past few days working on my summer Kuser Farm Park Gazebo music program which will be presented alternately from 3 to 5 and 6 to 9 P.M. on Sunday afternoons in June and July. The post following this give the details. Based on the fact that most vocalists decide to re-write the melody on our National Anthem, I assume that I am one of the very few who really take issue with the way that beautiful anthem is slaughtered. I thanked the Good Lord that I had a "MUTE" button on my remote when Christina Aguilara slaughtered that beautiful anthem with her unnecessary trills and off key screeches at this year's Super Bowl in front of thousands of visitors. Adding to the agony, I understand she fouled up the lyrics as well. Thankfully my remote was on mute as soon as I realized that she was one of the all-too-many who don't like the melody of the genuine article. This has been going on for ages. I remember when Rosanne Barr defamed the song both physically and melodically when she sang it a number of years ago. Did you ever hear the very talented Ray Charles, with his wonderful singing voice, sing "America the Beautiful?" What happened to the melody and the lyrics?

2011: TOM GLOVER'S SUMMER MUSIC PROGRAM AT KUSER PARK

I am currently working on the weekly musical selections that will be a part of my 2011 summer time music presentations "The Music We Grew Up With," and "When Music Was Music" at the Kuser Park Gazebo. Last season proved to be disappointing with the very rainy and inclement weather. This year I am looking at beginning the programs in June, July, and a week or 2 in August. The programs will alternate between hours, with 3 to 5, and 6 to 8. Organizing these events prove to be a somewhat sizable undertaking. I will have full details within a few weeks. Stay tuned.