A guitar, a knee replacement and some new stories to tell. I couldn’t have predicted where that combination would lead. Today, the Hartford Courant featured Senior Rock and my signing of recording artist and songwriting agreements with Verdict Music. Reporter Sean Krofssik spoke with me, Verdict Music’s Steve Berger and Hartford HealthCare’s Christopher Carlin about a journey that has brought music back to the center of my life. Read the Hartford Courant feature

How Senior Rock Began

During my recovery from knee replacement surgery on June 25, a guitar I received as a gift helped reconnect me with songwriting.

I began thinking about the experiences my generation is living through now. Rock and roll told our stories when we were young. We got older, and we have new stories to tell.

Those stories became Senior Rock—The Soundtrack for Getting Older: original songs about independence, relationships, recovery, technology, grandchildren, loss and purpose.

Some make people laugh. Others touch something more personal. Writing them has given me a way to turn everyday experiences into music that someone else might recognize as their own.

From Knee Replacement to a Connection in Healthcare

“Knee Replacement Blues” began with my own experience of surgery and rehabilitation.

Christopher Carlin, a Hartford HealthCare executive and president of the National Association of Rehabilitation Providers and Agencies, brought the song and my patient story into his opening presentation at the organization’s national conference.

He told Sean that the response was “incredibly well.”

What means so much to me is the connection behind that response. The song gave rehabilitation professionals a patient’s perspective on the work they do—the discomfort, the humor, the effort and the joy of being able to walk without pain.

Hartford HealthCare has also invited me to share my story and music at its November 6 rehabilitation celebration.

Listen to “Knee Replacement Blues.”

The Christmas Song That Opened Another Door

As Senior Rock grew, my songwriting began reaching into experiences shared across generations.

A conversation with Steve Berger at Verdict Music left me thinking about two subjects: war and Christmas. That night, I brought them together in “Merry Christmas, My Boy.”

The song follows a fictional father keeping Christmas traditions alive for his family while grieving his nineteen-year-old son, who died in war. The grandchildren open presents and loved ones gather. Beneath those familiar moments, he quietly misses his boy.

Sean’s article captures Steve’s emotional response to hearing the song—and his decision to sign me.

I have now signed both recording artist and songwriting agreements with Verdict Music, a Massachusetts-based independent label and publisher with worldwide distribution through Sony Music. The label plans to release “Merry Christmas, My Boy” for the 2026 holiday season.

The opportunity includes telling stories as a recording artist and writing compositions that other artists can make their own.

Still Finding Stories at 77

As a career coach, I spend much of my time helping people recognize their capabilities and imagine what could come next.

Now I’m experiencing an unexpected chapter myself.

That doesn’t make every step easy or every outcome certain. It does remind me how much can happen when we remain curious, keep learning and give an idea a chance to grow.

Senior Rock began with stories about getting older. It has led me toward songs about lifelong love, a grandfather’s concern for the environment his granddaughter will inherit, and a young adult wondering whether everyone else is moving ahead without him.

There are more stories I want to tell.

My hope is that someone reading Sean’s article will think about something they still want to try—and take a step toward it.

Read, Watch and Listen

Read the Hartford Courant feature by Sean Krofssik.

Watch my NBC Connecticut CT Live interview.

Explore Senior Rock and hear the songs.

Thank you to Sean Krofssik and the Hartford Courant for telling this story, and to Steve Berger and Christopher Carlin for contributing their perspectives.