歪歪漫画

Chris Vassion鈥檚 life has been filled with working, facing challenges and learning new things.

Now at age 85, he says, 鈥淚 want to continue to improve myself, to be the best I can be.鈥� He works out at the gym every other day and swims regularly at Ruttger鈥檚 Birchmont Lodge pool.

And in November of last year, he decided to learn how to read music and play the piano.

He tells me about growing up in Redding, California, in the early 1940s, about his father鈥檚 death 鈥� the result of an accident while working on the Shasta Dam. Chris was just 4 years old, the youngest of 10 children.

By the time he was 12, he knew he鈥檇 have to start working soon. His brother helped him get a job as a clean-up boy in a meat plant, where Chris worked all through high school. He joined the Air Force and, in June of 1962, married Gloria Chickerina. They lived in Salina, Kansas, while Chris was stationed at Schilling Air Force Base.

After four years in the Air Force, Chris worked in a grocery store for 14 years; then he took a job with Assyrian, a candy distribution company, delivering orders to small towns in the area. After nine years of selling candy, he worked for Philips Lighting Company for 10 years.

At age 50, he decided he wanted to learn the pizza business and be his own boss. He opened Greek鈥檚 Pizzeria in Salina and eventually had franchises in five different cities in Kansas. After 15 years in the pizza business, he retired, and he and Gloria moved to Bemidji, where their daughter Pam Bellew and her family live.

After Gloria, his wife of 62 years, died in September 2022, Chris says he asked himself, 鈥淲hat do you want to do now to develop yourself?鈥� He briefly entertained the idea of getting back into the pizza business, but, drawing on his faith, he prayed to learn what he should do.

His daughter had a piano in her home, but Chris had never learned to read notes or to play an instrument, yet the motivation to learn was strong. He started taking piano lessons in November 2024 from Janice Wilde.

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鈥淚t鈥檚 hard!鈥� he says. Early on he called Jan between lessons to ask questions about reading music. 鈥淪he gave me some cards with symbols on them,鈥� he says. He credits Jan鈥檚 patience with his progress. Jan says she gives Chris an A+ for effort.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not easy for him,鈥� she says, 鈥渂ut he really enjoys music.鈥�

Jan has played and taught music all her life. After a career as an elementary music teacher, she moved back to the Shevlin area, close to her mother, age 102, who lives in Fosston. Currently, Jan has 12 piano students, ranging in age from 8 to 85, Chris being the oldest.

Jan says whatever their ages and physical abilities, her students improve in finger dexterity and a range of other things by learning to play the piano. The value of music is varied, therapeutic and far-reaching. It can raise a person鈥檚 spirits and build confidence.

Since Chris just started lessons in November, Jan didn鈥檛 know if he would take part in the Christmas recital. She doesn鈥檛 require her students to perform but does all she can to get them past the fear of playing in front of people.

Chris took the recital seriously, she says, and played 鈥淎way in a Manger鈥� and 鈥淪ilent Night.鈥�

鈥淚 believe every student can succeed if they want to,鈥� Jan says. 鈥淓very student is unique and all need encouragement and positive reinforcement.鈥�

She considers each student鈥檚 background and motivation and customizes her teaching to help them succeed and find a passion for music.

For younger students, she rewards their efforts with stickers and treats; older-than-average students experience more intrinsic rewards. They might not have had opportunities or teachers or the money for lessons when they were growing up. Their motivation is different.

Chris says the biggest obstacle is practicing when you don鈥檛 feel like it, but he tries to practice twice a day for a total of about an hour and a half each day.

鈥淚t鈥檚 enjoyable to learn something new,鈥� he says, 鈥渁nd I鈥檝e proven to myself that it can be done!鈥�

He encourages others to keep learning new things, too. And the key to succeeding is to practice, practice, practice. He鈥檚 committed to learning more and playing better and sometimes even dreams big.

On a recent flight to Arizona, he was seated next to a young boy. In their conversation, Chris learned that the boy was taking piano lessons, too. When their flight ended, Chris鈥檚 farewell to the boy was, 鈥淪ee you at Carnegie Hall!鈥�

When I ask him what his goal is with piano playing, he says he wants to get good enough to read music and play the piano so he can apply for a job on a cruise ship and play for free.