From the Chair
by Mary Moore Gaines
"The most important thing in music is what is not the notes" ... Pablo Casals
 The theme of this issue of the SFV Newsletter is ‘music.’ It was music to my ears to hear recently from three separate SFV members who love to sing and might, with the right director, be excited about starting a singing group Wouldn’t that be great!
Just yesterday I received an e-mail from an old friend Corey Jamason, who is with the SF Conservatory of Music. He is excited about San Francisco Village and wants to discuss how conservatory students can perform at SFV events. This could lead to a SFV Concert Series, perhaps quarterly in members’ homes. A late afternoon concert followed by refreshments would be a wonderful way to relax and enjoy - music, hospitality, each other.
Nina and Jack Herndon of Sage Eldercare Solutions, one of our SFV partners, realized years ago that what older adults really need is to get our creative juices flowing or re-stimulated. That bringing the oil paints out of the basement, and having someone to paint with, or starting to play the piano or the guitar again after years of not playing, or starting to play for the first time, is what gets us excited about life in general when perhaps we’re not feeling so up-beat.
As we know, another way to get excited about life in general is to help someone – especially when that someone is young, attractive and Italian! Elena Portacolone came to see me though one of our members. Elena is a PhD candidate in medical sociology at the University in California in San Francisco. Her dissertation is devoted to learning about the experience of living alone for San Franciscans. She is looking for people 75 and over, living alone, who would be willing to meet with her once or twice, anywhere they like for an hour or so. If you would like to hear more, please call or e-mail me. 415-387-7774 or
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. Better yet, you can contact Elena directly if you are interested, or know someone who might be interested. Her number is 510 830 9309, her email is mailto:
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.
If you meet Elena, you will be glad you did. And, I can guarantee that your call will be music to her ears!
OCTOBER SPOTLIGHT on Yope and Kathleen Posthumus
by Marsha Robertson
Yope and Kathleen Posthumus, whose warm and friendly home is just a few blocks from Sutro Park in the Richmond district, have always loved music.
But for Yope, who grew up in Buenos Aires on a steady diet of classical music, and Kathleen, who discovered the New England Conservatory of Music as a young girl in Massachusetts, there’s nothing quite like the thrill of a small ensemble of performers playing chamber music. Long regarded as “the music of friends” because of the intimate atmosphere in which it’s performed, chamber music has moved from homes to churches to concert halls, and the Posthumi (Yope’s word) have admired it all.
Lucky to live in a city that avidly supports chamber music, Yope and Kathleen enjoy the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where young students often perform with more inspiration and enthusiasm than many older professionals. (They recommend the annual student recitals each May (http://www.sfcm.edu/)
But perhaps their best “insider’s tip” is the Yehudi Menuhin Chamber Music Festival which takes place at San Francisco State each January and celebrates the legacy of the great violinist with performances by today’s emerging talents and master performers. For more information, click here.
Yope, who moved to San Francisco in 1963 and worked as an architectural draftsman before transitioning to a career in woodworking and construction, will also admit to following several rock music greats in his youth, including The Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin, Pink Floyd and Tina Turner. And Kathleen’s tastes have expanded to include the bluegrass performers that the couple discovered when SF local Warren Hellman launched the annual (and free) Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in Golden Gate Park.
But back at home, the couple listens to a steady diet of classical and chamber music. In fact, Yope has a tip for fellow music lovers in the SF Village -- there’s a terrific classical radio station in Raleigh, North Carolina called WCPE and it is easily accessed via your personal computer.
Yope recommends: Schubert ‘Death and the Maiden’ Quartet.
Kathleen recommends: Brahms String Sextet in B-flat major, Op. 18
Do you have a particular piece of classical or contemporary music that you recommend? Let us know by emailing your ideas to:
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Make Your Own Kind of Music
By Jacob Young
This month I’m going to give a tour of the free content on Apple’s web-based iTunes service. There’s a lot that’s not free on iTunes, including songs, albums, episodes or full seasons of TV shows, and movies. We’ll leave that for another column and focus on the really good stuff that costs you nothing!
 First step: If you’re a PC/Windows user and don’t have iTunes, you can download it free from the Internet. Search (Google) for “iTunes.” The top results should include one with the headline “Apple – iTunes -- Download iTunes Now” Click on that, then on the blue button that says “Download iTunes.” The site should be able to tell that you’re using a PC. If it offers you iTunes for the Mac, scroll to the bottom of the column and click on the blue line that reads “Get iTunes for Windows.” Follow the download and install directions. Now you’re ready to go.
The front page of iTunes is crowded with photos that link to music, TV and movies. But I want to steer you to three other sources: radio, podcasts and lectures.
In the far right column of iTunes, you’ll see a small antenna icon labeled “Radio.” Click on that and you’re taken to a screen with more than two dozen music genres, from Adult Contemporary to ‘90s Hits, with Blues, Comedy, Classical, Golden Oldies, Jazz and News/Talk in between. Click on a genre, and you’ll find more links, to hundreds of live radio stations and recorded programs from all over the world. Click on your choice and in a few seconds you’ll be listening.
Next, podcasts. A podcast is an audio or video episode of a radio or TV show. Think NPR’s “Car Talk,” or Showtime’s “Inside the NFL.” You can download a single podcast or subscribe to a complete season. The link to the podcast section of iTunes is in a black bar at the top of the screen. The podcasts automatically download to your iTunes Library, which is located at the top of the left column on your screen. You’ll find podcast content for every taste and mood, whether it’s politics (left or right, the choice is yours), comedy, the arts and magazines and newspapers.
Last but far from least is iTunes U. Apple offers free lectures and courses from some of the world’s top colleges and universities, including Stanford, Yale, Oxford, Cornell and UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. The variety is staggering, from fine arts to physics. (I’m interested in a Yale introduction to Classical Greek history). From the iTunes U link in the top black bar, you can browse for courses by subject or school. There are also links to lectures and tours at important non-academic collections like the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the Library of Congress.
Let your fingers do the learning and enjoy!
 Music Resources in San Francisco
By Susan Poor
Learn to read music, play instruments, or sing
• Community Music Center, 544 Capp St., with branches in the Mission and Richmond Districts, (415) 647-6015, sfcmc.org, All music styles
• Blue Bear School of Music, Fort Mason Center, Building D, 415.673.3600, bluebearmusic.org. Rock, Pop, Folk, Blues, Jazz
• San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Adult Extension Division, 50 Oak St., 415-864-7326, sfcm.edu, Classical, Music History and Genres
• Online sources for learning to read music
o musictheory.net
o teoría.com
o musicards.net
Music history and listening
• San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Adult Extension Division, 50 Oak St., 415-864-7326, sfcm.edu, Classical, Music History and Genres
• The Teaching Company, 1-800-832-2412, teach12.com, wonderful selection of CDs and DVDs on how to listening and understanding classical music, individual composers’ works, Great Masters series.
Information about music performances in San Francisco
• San Francisco Classical Voice, sfcv.org, excellent resource for information and reviews on all SF Bay Area classical performances
• SF Gate, sfgate.com/performance
• San Francisco Chronicle Pink Section
Finding CDs
Arkivmusic.com (classical)
Musicalheritage.com (classical)
Naxos.com (classical)
Amazon.com (all types)
Sing in a chorus
There are over 6,000 choruses and choirs in the Bay Area. Go to choralarchive.org to find one for you!
San Francisco Village members are known to have sung with the San Francisco City Chorus (sfcitychorus.org), San Francisco Choral Society (sfchoral.org), San Francisco Bach Choir (sfbach.org), San Francisco Concert Choral (sfconcertchorale.org), and the California Revels (calrevels.org).
Attend performances
SF Symphony, Ballet, Opera
Cal Performances
SF Performances
Marin Performances
Yerba Buena Center for the Performing Arts
Many dance, music and theater groups in SF
New ways to listen to music
Streamling radio – iTunes, individual radio stations
Web radio – 365.com, Pandora, Slacker, Last.fm, Rhapsody
iPhones/iPods/iTouch
Donate instruments
Music in Schools Today – Adopt an Instrument Program, mustcreate.org
Entertain the grandkids
San Francisco Symphony, http://www.sfskids.com
Music for Life by Tom Benét
The mission of the Community Music Center here in San Francisco is simple and straightforward. It is "to make high quality music available to all people,  regardless of their financial status. That truly means everyone - young and old, expert and beginner -and what is offered there ranges the scale from rudimentary instruction to ensemble work and musical theory At the core lies Executive Director Stephen Shapiro's devotion to the concept that those who come to the center will play the best music they can "and thrive by the experience."
Take 89-year-old Remo Del Tredici, a retired power mechanic. He had stopped playing the violin many years ago, but now he's back into it. Every Monday, he's at the center for a lesson, and on Tuesday nights he joins an adult string ensemble. Not so incidentally, Remo is an expert craftsman and makes his own violins, as well as providing instruments for those who need them. Or how about Shirley Marshall? She came to the center as a teenager in the late '30s and early '40s to study. Then, after graduating from college, she came back in 1948 and is still teaching there. Such stories are common and tell you something about the spirit - and sense of loyalty - that suffuses the center.
The Community Music Center's main branch is at 544 Capp street in the Mission District (phone: 415-647-6015). There is also a branch in the Richmond District at 741 30th avenue (phone: 415 221-4515). In addition, the center may be contacted online at www.sfcmc.org. The center is in partnership with San Francisco Village; gives a discount to all seniors over 65 and has a sliding scale for those who need it. It will also take old, workable instruments that one may wish to discard.
The buoyant atmosphere at the center sends a clear message: The experience of music is life enhancing.
As a coda, I'll use a quote from our own former Superintendent of Schools here in San Francisco, Ramon Cortines: "The CMC is unique. I'll soon be 75 and whether I was in New York City, Los Angeles, or Washington D.D.. I never forgot the Community Music Center and its impact on my life. Some of the opportunities I've had grew out of this experience as a child. You can't be a football player at 75, but you can engage in music."
Out and About on Tuesdays Concert Series, Tuesday, October 6 at 1pm. This concert is part of a colaboration between Community Music Center and The Heritage and is sponsored by an anonymous CMC donor. For more information, call 415-647-6015 x76 or visit www.sfcmc.org.
Ask Nina by Nina Huebsch of Simplify By Design LLC
Where can I donate musical instruments including a piano? 
There is a great Bay Area organization called Music in Schools Today (MuST) http://www.mustcreate.org . MuST is the Bay Area's answer to the crisis in music education. Despite extensive research indicating that music instruction supplies intellectual, emotional and physical components critical to children's development, music and arts programs are often the first victims of budget cuts.
MuST (a 501c 3 organization) has a program called Adopt an Instrument. In 1990 MuST created the original, year-round program. It recycles donated musical instruments to public schools -- people give their used musical instruments, and they distribute them to schools and community centers year-round. Learn more about the Adopt an Instrument program at http://www.mustcreate.org/global/global6_1.shtml MuST’s office is located at 582 Market St, #216, S.F. Call 415-392-9010 to arrange donation and logistics. Once your donation is accepted you will be provided with a receipt for your donation.
The San Francisco Conservatory of Music http://www.sfcm.edu also accepts instruments for donation primarily pianos. If you have instruments you would like to donate to the Conservatory, please provide them the following information (if you have it): manufacturer, year made, model number, condition, history. The Conservatory doesn’t accept spinets (36” waist high), upright pianos more than 25 years old, square grand pianos nor organs. Contact Trista Cunningham at 415-503-6291 or
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to discuss your donation. They may arrange for an inspection of the instrument by a piano technician. The Conservatory encourages donors to get an appraisal if they want to itemize the instrument as a donation for tax purposes. The Conservatory will work with the owner to arrange for delivery of the instrument. For pianos, the Conservatory will make arrangements with its instrument moving vendor and pay for moving costs. The guidelines for donating an instrument are listed on the Conservatory’s Giving page: http://www.sfcm.edu/giving/giving.aspx
As noted in Tom Benét’s article the Community Music Center also gratefully accepts workable musical instruments. http://www.sfcmc.org or call 415-647-6015
 Sheehy To Feature SF Village In Upcoming Book by Marsha Robertson
Renowned cultural observer and author Gail Sheehy, whose insights in fifteen books including the best-seller PASSAGES, have helped us navigate the transformations of adult life, made a special visit to San Francisco last month to talk with members of SF Village.
A recent encounter between Sheehy and board member Gayle Geary in Sag Harbor, New York, led to the discovery that the author was finishing her new book about the emotional and practical sides of being a caregiver to aging spouses or parents. Once she learned from Gayle about our organization’s mission and objectives, she asked if she could gather in San Francisco with members who were willing to share their personal experiences. She was envisioning the final chapter for her book as a hopeful passage for older adults who want to age on their own terms and in their own homes.
Members Jeanne Lacy as well as Bud and Fran Johns each volunteered their living rooms for Q&A sessions with the author on Thursday, September 10. As longtime caregiver to her husband Clay Felker, an influential journalist and editor who founded New York Magazine and New West Magazine, Sheehy gave members an overview of her personal caregiving experience with her husband, who struggled with mouth and throat cancer for many years.
By her observation, many senior adults have chronic, not acute illnesses in late r years, which means that they are in and out of emergency rooms and hospitals for exhausting and expensive maintenance. And at the other end of the spectrum is Hospice, a preparation for the end of life. Among the questions that Sheehy posed was “What’s in-between those two phases?” “Are there alternatives to the traditional models of nursing homes and assisted living?” “And does San Francisco Village have ideas to share for better solutions?”
As members described their personal experiences, it became apparent that many have a good understanding of the challenges ahead and want to be resources for each other when it comes time for palliative and hospice care. For others, having the central call-in number, a community of neighbors and a sense of belonging within the Village is a huge comfort.
 Fran Johns, in particular, described her experience as a hospice volunteer as one of the most meaningful things she has ever done. She spoke knowledgeably about important organizations including Compassion & Choices,
Bay Area Network for End of Life Care and Family Caregiver Alliance, which was first caregiver support group in the country.
Back in New York a few days later, Sheehy was very grateful for the input of the SF Village members including her hosts, Jeanne, Fran and Bud. In a note she send to Mary Moore Gaines, she wrote:
“I was thrilled to spend time with you in San Francisco and meet your inspiring members. It was worth every effort to be able to pass on a vision of the village movement from one of its most beautiful inceptions.”
Sheehy’s new book, with a last chapter that features the San Francisco Village’s positive approach to aging and community, is due to be published in the spring of 2010.
Music to My Ears? ……. Maybe by Aurele Carlat
Music and yoga can certainly go together. Yoga can open up the physical  body, and music can keep you engaged vibrationally. It can be uplifting and inspiring or irritating. In my own yoga practice, I love the ethereal strains of Deva Primal and the chants of Jai Uttal and Krishna Das. But, as a teacher, I use music very selectively. Since yoga is about quieting the mind, everything in the studio environment should help to calm the senses and focus the mind. The role of music in practice is not to distract or entertain but to support. Generally, I have soft background music playing as students arrive. It helps them relax and settle in from the activities of the day. I have a preference for Indian classical music because the sounds and melodies of the classical raga system are well suited for yoga. Sometimes it is a sitar with slow, measured notes and minimal singing, sometimes gentle chanting of a more devotional quality. Generally, I do not play music during class unless it is a restorative practice. At the end of practice, during savasana or relaxation, I offer the Golden Bowls -- the exquisite tones and harmonics of Tibetan singing bowls. Everyone seems to love this. If I forget, there are often quiet calls from beneath eye pillows…. “the bowls please, the bowls please.
Aurèle Carlat,
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, is a SF Village founder and member and a trained Iyengar yoga instructor. She offers a special class for Village members on Thursdays from 10:00 to 11:15 am
Is Watching Monday Night Football Music to Your Ears?
 Come to the debut of SF Village’s Serious Sports-watchers Group on Monday,
October 26th. Enjoy watching the game with others who are serious about watching sports. The event will be hosted by Phil Faris and held in his home. Football watching begins at 5:30pm and ends at 8:30pm or when the game ends. Call 415-387-1375 to RSVP and to get location information.
October’s Lunch Bunch Deluxe
The attendees at September’s lunch bunches enjoyed the opportunity to share a meal with other Village members while getting acquainted with each other.
For October, we will have one lunch bunch for all SF Village members at the Cliff House on Tuesday, October 6th. The Cliff House is celebrating their 100th anniversary in the 1909 Cliff House building. They will be serving a three course lunch for $20.09. Come join the group and get to know other Village members. Lunch starts at 1pm. The event is self pay. Call 415-387- 1375 to RSVP. http://www.cliffhouse.com/home/index.html Lunch will be at Sutro’s which has a fabulous view of the Pacific Ocean (weather permitting!)
 SF Village Activities. Come and bring a Friend. For more information or to RSVP for a SF Village sponsored program, call us at 415-387-1375 or email us at
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.
To view our calendar on line, click here
Thursday, October 1
Beginning Yoga for Older Adults (Weekly)
10-11:15AM, Cost: SFV member $7/class; non-members $13/class
120 St. Germain Street (near Glenbrook)
Hosted by Aurele Carlat
Call Aurele at 415-425-5086 for more info and to reserve a space
Tuesday, October 6
Lunch Bunch Deluxe---for all SF Village zip codes
Sutro’s at the Cliff House, to celebrate 100 years
1-2:30pm, Cost: Prix Fixe Lunch is $20.09
1090 Point Lobos Avenue
http://www.cliffhouse.com/home/index.html
Hosted by Dawn Ming and Marilyn Campbell
Call 415-387-1375 to RSVP ASAP
Thursday, October 8
Beginning Yoga for Older Adults (Weekly)
10-11:15AM, Cost: SFV member $7/class; non-members $13/class
120 St. Germain Street (near Glenbrook)
Hosted by Aurele Carlat
Call Aurele at 415-425-5086 for more info and to reserve a space
Thursday, October 8
Smart Choices in Retirement - Focus on Fixed Income-A Steady Stream of Income
Tammy Haygood and Jenipher Chiang of Edward Jones
6:00 pm - 7:30 pm, Cost: Free
Potluck, bring a dish to share
2654 Union Street near Divisadero
Hosted by Jeanne Lacy
Call 415-387-1375 to RSVP
Wednesday, October 14
SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY Open Rehearsals 201 Van Ness Ave. SF 94102
8:30AM-12 noon (8:30-10am coffee/donuts followed by lecture)
Itzhak Perlman plays Bach's Violin Concerto No. 2
Elgar: Introduction & Allegro,Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.6, Pathetique
Cost: Unreserved seats are $20
Hosted by: Dawn Ming
Call 415-387-1375 to RSVP
Thursday, October 15
Beginning Yoga for Older Adults (Weekly)
10-11:15AM, Cost: SFV member $7/class; non-members $13/class
120 St. Germain Street (near Glenbrook)
Hosted by Aurele Carlat
Call Aurele at 415-425-5086 for more info and to reserve a space
Tuesday, October 20
Third Tuesday Coffee with Tammy Haygood - More questions about fixed income streams or other financial planning questions
Crepevine, 2301 Fillmore Street at Sacramento
http://www.crepevine.com/index.htm
9:30-10:30am
Hosted by: Tammy Haygood
Call 415-387-1375 to RSVP
Tuesday, October 20, 2009 - For Members only
SF Village Open Informational Board Meeting and Reception
Come and learn about what’s going on at San Francisco Village. Talk with Board members, meet and greet other members. Let your voice be heard. Delicious food and drink!
3-5:30PM, Cost: Free
Fisher Family Hall, Jewish Community Center, California Street at Presidio.
Call 415-387-1375 to RSVP
Thursday, October 22
Beginning Yoga for Older Adults (Weekly)
10-11:15AM, Cost: SFV member $7/class; non-members $13/class
120 St. Germain Street (near Glenbrook)
Hosted by Aurele Carlat
Call Aurele at 415-425-5086 for more info and to reserve a space
Monday, October 26
Debut of Serious Sports-watchers Monday Night Football Group
5:30-8:30pm
Cost: Free, Limited to 12 attendees
Host: Phil Faris
Call 415-387-1375 to RSVP and get location of event
Wednesday, Oct. 28
SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY Open Rehearsal 201 Van Ness Ave. SF 94102
8:30am -12 noon (8:30-10am coffee/donuts followed by lecture)
Vanska conducts Beethoven's Symphony No. 8,Aulis Sallinen, Sibelius, Beethoven
Cost: Unreserved seats are $20
Hosted by: Dawn Ming
Call 415-387-1375 to RSVP
Thursday, October 29
San Francisco Village Chat
7:00pm - 8:30pm
2111 Hyde Street (near Filbert)
Hosted by Nancy Bryan
Call 415-387-1375 to RSVP
Thursday, October 29
Beginning Yoga for Older Adults (Weekly)
10-11:15AM, Cost: SFV member $7/class; non-members $13/class
120 St. Germain Street (near Glenbrook)
Hosted by Aurele Carlat
Call Aurele at 415-425-5086 for more info and to reserve a space
San Francisco Village Partner Event
Tuesday, October 6
Community Music Center Faculty Concert, Violin, Piano and Clarinet
CMC Richmond Center Branch, 741 30th Avenue
1:00pm, Cost: Free
Please RSVP to Fran Hildebrand by Tuesday, September 29 at
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or 415-647-6015 x76
San Francisco Village Programs - looking ahead to November
Wednesday, November 4
Play Reading Group - “You Can’t Take It With You”
5-7pm, Cost: Free
81 Fifth Avenue (near Lake)
Hosted by Mike Mellor
Call 415-387-1375 to RSVP
Wednesday, November 11
Special Evening Program with Janet Meiselman
‘Anticipating and Living Life to the Fullest’
6:00pm – 7:30pm, Cost: Free
2675 Pacific Avenue (near Scott)
Hosted by Sarah Goldman
Call 415-387-1375 to RSVP
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