After a scary few months I am happy to report that I am pretty healthy and coming to a full recovery quite rapidly. It turns out that the bout of viral pneumonia could have happened to anyone. Although it was not related to any other perceived condition I may have, it was theorized that I had walking pneumonia since as early as September without even knowing. For the record, my lungs are clear, my heart is strong, blood pressure is perfect, my blood work is stellar and I am not on any medication whatsoever. I do carry around an oxygen meter just to keep a check on my levels. So far so good. I do recommend that everyone get one of these little things. It is called a "pulse oximeter" and only costs about $15. It is a small device and clips onto your finger to take an immediate Oxygen and pulse reading. Honestly if I had one of these I probably could have avoided a month in the hospital lying flat on my back.
So, I am ok. It’s time to regroup and get back on the bandwagon (as it were.) I do want to acknowledge all those who looked after me and cared for me and helped me stay alive. First of all, my beautiful wife Cathy was amazing throughout my whole ordeal. She really suffered the brunt of it all but she was there for me 24/7. I also have to credit the critical care facility at Red Bank’s Meridian Riverview Hospital. It is true what they say that a hospital is a terrible place to be if you are sick however, they did quite literally save my life. So I am grateful.
I also want to thank everyone who came to visit and who sent cards, flowers, and good wishes along the way. I am truly touched by it all. Special thanks go out to Liz Jeresi and Alan Abraham who managed to keep the Jazz Arts Academy going in my absence. They did a stellar job and I am tremendously grateful.
So now begins the hard work as far as our little organization is concerned. My challenges brought to light some issues that needed to be addressed as far as the commitment, governance, continuation and succession issues within Jazz Arts Project. I intend to Invite our donors friends and stake holders to some brainstorming meetings in order to create a kind of think-tank committee. Hopefully this will result in a sense of stability, longevity, more effective community engagement and a growth in terms of our programs and our outreach. So, After 12+ years of presenting great concerts and providing a unique music education experience for hundreds of kids, it feels like we are starting all over again. I suppose it is good to renew and regroup every so often. Hopefully it will keep us fresh and more effective than ever. Of course we are open to suggestions, so please let us know your thoughts. If you would like to volunteer or serve on our board of directors, by all means give us a shout.... info@jazzartsproject.org