AVENTURA, Fla. 鈥� Name a show tune, jazz standard or movie score, and chances are 91-year-old Peter Fuchs can not only hum it, but play it from memory on his keyboard.
His wife, Veronica, takes requests on their daily Facebook Live show 鈥淪tump the Maestro,鈥� which began last March when the coronavirus locked them down in their one-bedroom apartment near Miami.
Every now and then, the former composer, conductor and Holocaust survivor is confounded by a request. He fumbles through a stack of books beside the keyboard, furiously searching for the music while his wife continues talking to the audience they鈥檝e grown over months of isolation.
鈥淪tump the Maestro鈥� has become their happy hour, to be shared with old friends and others who鈥檝e just stumbled across a show that began as a daily distraction for
鈥淲e decided let鈥檚 just try and see where it鈥檚 going to go,鈥� Veronica Fuchs, 87, a former Broadway singer, tells viewers. 鈥淏ut at the same time, we just had fun doing it and all of you just hopped on.鈥�
Each episode begins with Fuchs playing a few show tunes, and his wife asks the viewers to guess the titles. Most are classics, like 鈥淪omewhere Over the Rainbow.鈥�
After a few minutes, she starts reading requests that viewers have typed into the chat feature: 鈥淥klahoma.鈥� 鈥淥n the Street Where You Live.鈥� 鈥淢y Way.鈥�
Over the course of an hour, music fills their one-bedroom apartment.
On this afternoon, a request for Frank Sinatra鈥檚 鈥淎ll or Nothing at All鈥� gives Peter Fuchs pause. He can鈥檛 quickly recall the song, and his wife isn鈥檛 able to hum a few bars.
He looks into the camera. 鈥淵ou stumped me,鈥� he says. 鈥淚鈥檒l do it tomorrow. I鈥檒l find it.鈥�
He typically plays Broadway show tunes, 1950s classics, movie soundtracks and jazz. After some of the younger viewers started requesting Beatles songs, someone sent him a songbook of the group鈥檚 hits, and he mixes those tunes in.
Over the months they鈥檝e developed an easy rapport with his audience. Veronica monitors the chat and says hi as regulars log on. 鈥淭here鈥檚 Marilyn,鈥� she says. 鈥淗i Vanessa.鈥�
鈥淎ll you need is a glass of wine, or a cup of tea, and you have your happy hour,? Veronica suggests.
Toddi Jacobson, who heard about the show from family members and has become a regular, says she鈥檚 inspired by the Fuchses.
鈥淭his past year during the pandemic, their show has provided so many of us with beautiful music, laughter, friendship and a feeling that we are connected,鈥� she says.
The Fuchs look forward to the daily interaction with the audience.
鈥淲e鈥檝e weathered this very nicely,鈥� Peter Fuchs says. 鈥淧articularly with our show. It breaks up the day. We think we are very busy at our age. It鈥檚 nice to be able to make people happy. And at the same time it doesn鈥檛 strain us at all because we鈥檙e happy doing our thing.鈥�
They鈥檝e both received their COVID-19 shots, but they鈥檙e still being very careful. Peter even wrote a song, 鈥淲ear a Mask,鈥� urging others to take care. It鈥檚 how they end their show each afternoon.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think this little song is going to make such a great impact,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just a little song. But it does tell the message, doesn鈥檛 it?鈥�
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鈥淥ne Good Thing鈥� is a series that highlights individuals whose actions provide glimmers of joy in hard times 鈥� stories of people who find a way to make a difference, no matter how small. Read the collection of stories at https://apnews.com/hub/one-good-thing
Freida Frisaro And Cody Jackson, The Associated Press
