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Striking a chord: Melodies 4/4 LIFE members join for love of music

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Photo by Bill Olmsted

Ellie Mueller plays the organ over the lunch hour at Janesville's Old Country Buffet. Mueller and other members of the Janesville Melodies 4/4 LIFE group play at the restaurant once a month.

JANESVILLE — Eleanor Mueller knows she's been playing the organ too long when her legs start to fall asleep.

"I lose track of time because I just enjoy playing," the 71-year-old Janesville woman said.

Mueller is part of a trend among senior citizens learning to play music or rekindling a love for playing. They learn and perform through Melodies 4/4 LIFE, a national club started by the Lowrey Organ Co.

Life Is Fun and Easy (LIFE) is the biggest music club in the country with more than 65 chapters and thousands of 55-year-old-plus members. Mueller is president of the Janesville chapter and joined as a way to meet people after moving from Sheboygan.

"I play just for pleasure. It feels good. I love it. When I go to play, it's just like I'm playing at home and for myself. It's relaxing, fun and easy," she said.

Mueller would like others to feel the same joy. So would like to see the local 3-year-old chapter grow beyond its dozen members.

"Some drop out; some come in. We're trying to get more members," Mueller said.

She thinks some senior citizens might be reluctant to join because of the $45 national membership due, but she said it's worth it.

Members get a monthly newsletter, free gifts, access to the club Web site, discounts on playbooks, and the opportunity to earn points for trips, gift cards and merchandise, she said.

With her points, Mueller earns debit cards that help her buy new sheet music.

Mueller and other Melodies 4/4 LIFE chapter members perform at least twice a month. This month in conjunction with the holidays, public performances are planned at a local restaurant, discount store, church and botanical garden. Members also have played at nursing homes, assisted living centers and schools.

Part of the appeal is the Lowrey organ that requires only "one-touch" to play, said Marge Hansen, a local chapter member.

"With just one finger, you have an entire orchestra at your disposal," she said.

Better yet, Hansen said, "no one worries about being perfect. It's about feeling good, enjoying yourself, making new friends and giving back."

Knapton Musik Knotes, which introduced Melodies 4/4 LIFE to senior citizens who take lessons at its Woodlane Drive music store, provides space for monthly meetings. The business, owned by Lauri Knapton, also provides the organs for chapter performances, Mueller said.

"I'd seen other stores in the United States do this and talked to other store owners," Knapton said. "It's another way to get people involved in playing and a way for them to share their music with other people."

TO LEARN MORE

The Melodies 4/4 LIFE Janesville Chapter meets at 10:30 a.m. the second Tuesday of every month at Knapton Musik Knotes, 2505 Woodlane Drive, Janesville.

For more information, call the store at (608) 758-8660 or Eleanor Mueller, local chapter president, at (608) 754-4225.