Inspiration

Most of Anthony’s professional life was as a teacher. He taught both elementary and secondary in Anchorage, Alaska, for 25 years. As he was approaching retirement, he had a life-changing experience with his aging mother. She suffered from memory loss and dementia, and was living in a facility in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. During one of Anthony’s visits, he led her to an upright piano in the commons area and sat her down next to it. She was not having a good day. She was hardly speaking. The first song he played was “Sunny Side of the Street”. His mother immediately sat up, pointed her finger at him, started tapping her foot, smiled a BIG smile and said, “Sunny Side of the Street!”. He realized the music had awakened something inside her. He continued to play music from her day, which triggered memories and allowed for conversation about those memories. Anthony immediately realized the powerful therapeutic value of music. That event inspired Anthony to pursue his certification as a Clinical Musician, which he earned in 2014. Upon retiring from teaching, he moved to the Dallas area, and was soon hired by Baylor University Medical Center as a full time Music Practitioner. He retired from Baylor in 2023.