Life-long resident pays musical
tribute to his hometown
Self-taught lyricist and composer, Tom Luckay, began his musical career in boyhood writing humorous and satirical parodies to amuse himself and -- sometimes -- his friends. Over the years, his passionate love of big band and Broadway eventually turned his interests to more serious subjects and led him to the discovery that he actually had talent for songwriting - both lyrics and melodies.
How "If Chagrin Could Sing" all began
On a vacation trip to Upper Michigan one year, Tom bought a CD that a local had written and produced about Glen Arbor, the beautiful resort community in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. His wife, Margaret, casually commented that Tom could do the same about their hometown, Chagrin Falls, Ohio. The seed was planted.
That autumn, ensconced by the wood stove, he composed three songs for what would eventually become the suite "If Chagrin Could Sing." The first was "Blossom Time" (track #2); then came "Hardware Kind of Guy" (track #6) and "Pumpkin Roll Hill" (track #11).
Call for a collaborator
Like Irving Berlin, Tom can't read music or put notes on a musical staff. To progress, he was going to have to find a transcriber. Through a mutual acquaintance, he was given the phone number of the accomplished and renowned keyboardist, composer, and arranger, Marge Adler. Working from Tom humming into a cassette tape recorder, Marge brilliantly transcribed and transformed his melodies into sheet music. A collaboration was begun.
By the time he teamed up with Marge in 2013, Tom had about a dozen songs written about Chagrin -- its people, places, history, and events. By 2015, the suite was complete with an additional six songs. Tom wrote all the lyrics and most of the melodies. Marge wrote four melodies, co-composed all the others -- adding sparkling bridges and creating arrangements that transformed each one into a unique gem. Musical genres range from ballad to rock 'n roll to waltz to swing to march.
Assembling the team
Production of the CD began in 2016 and, through her considerable network of Northeastern Ohio's musical talent, Marge brought together just the right team of vocalists and musicians. Their joyful and sincere embrace of the project can be heard with the heart. Jon Guggenheim of C-Town Sound brought his genius to the recording sessions with tireless and painstaking attention to detail and perfection.
David Yost, President of Concerto Recording and Mastering, then came on board to create the broadcast-ready master. Chagrin Falls graphic artist, Terry Taggart of Tag Art Studio, brilliantly designed the packaging and website. His colleague, Chagrin native Bill Otis, provided all the technical expertise to put the site on the web. Finally, Larry Adams shepherded the CD's production through his company, Dove Multimedia.
A musical tribute to benefit the Historical Society
The purpose of "If Chagrin Could Sing": is greater than the sum of its tracks: Tom's sole motivation was to create a musical tribute that would give back to the community that he loves.
And so it is that the proceeds from every CD sold are donated to the Chagrin Falls Historical Society. It is another perfect collaboration as Tom and Margaret Luckay are High School classmates of John Bourisseau, the current president of the Society.
Explore the playlist here and enjoy excerpts of the songs you would hear if Chagrin could sing.
To purchase online, please visit: Chagrin Falls Historical Society or CDBaby.