It wasn't all bad
Neighbors — one 102, the other 88 — join forces to write and produce their 1st album
The unexpected musical partnership between Alan R. Tripp, 102, and Marvin Weisbord, 88, started with a poem.
Tripp and Weisbord live in the same Pennsylvania retirement community, and right before he turned 100, Tripp penned a poem about life and growing old. Weisbord liked the poem, and as a birthday present, he surprised Tripp by setting it to music. The pair enjoyed the finished product so much they decided to start working on more original songs together.
In September, they hit the recording studio, and in November, the duo released their 8-song album, Senior Song Book. The tunes are reminiscent of the music they listened to in the 1940s, and while they hope their songs appeal to all ages, they really want to reach members of their own generation. "There's no new music being written for people in our age bracket," Weisbord told The Washington Post. "So we're writing songs that are recognizable, in genres that are recognizable, with lyrics telling stories about what our lives are like now."
Weisbord and Tripp spend roughly 30 to 40 hours every week on their songs, something that surprises both of them; Tripp spent his career in advertising and Weisbord was a consultant. "I've never had so much fun in my life, and I never expected to be doing this in my old age," Weisbord told the Post.