"CELEBRATE LIFE" RUNNER AND CHICAGO HAM BRING MUSIC TO ARMENIA
By Martin Berkofsky

ARRL
2008/04/04/10039/
April 4 2008
CT

At the Chicago concert, August 2007: Standing left to right –
Phil Amato, N9PA, former president, Chicago FM Club; Gerald Migely,
WA9KXZ, and Kathryn Migely, KC9CKC and daughter of WA9KXZ. Seated at
the piano, Martin Berkofsky, KC3RE. [Photo courtesy Gerald Migely,
WA9KXZ] In 2003, I celebrated my 60th birthday and recovery from
cancer by running some 880 miles — and giving concerts along the
way across the American Midwest. Celebrate Life Run was documented
extensively both on my Web site and on the ARRLWeb.

I carried with me both APRS to track my position and a four-band
handheld for the nearly four-and-one-half months on the road. I
spoke almost constantly to radio amateurs along the highways between
my starting point in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the finish line in Zion,
Illinois.

While passing through Chicago, I ran into (on the Chicago FM Club
repeater) Jerry Migely, WA9KXZ. An invitation followed to visit and try
Jerry and his wife’s (Lorraine Granieri, a gifted artist and pianist)
new Steinway model "B" concert grand. It had just been purchased from
Steinway Hall in New York and personally autographed by one of the
Steinway brothers.

Several evenings later we met both for dinner at the Sears Tower and
for a small concert I gave on the new Steinway at Jerry’s home. We
were joined by Phil Amato, N9PA, a past president of the Chicago FM
Club. For some months after my run was finished, Jerry and I kept
in touch by EchoLink. We then lost touch for several years until I
suddenly received an e-mail from Jerry. I was saddened to learn that
Lorraine had lost her battle with the same disease I had been so lucky
to overcome. Jerry told me that there was shortly to be a memorial
exhibition of Lorraine’s art works at the Art Guild of Burlington,
Iowa. I asked Jerry if a memorial concert at this exhibition would be
in order, and we quickly agreed to arrange two concerts in Burlington.

An Idea Takes Shape

Jerry and I had a long time to talk while traveling in his car between
Chicago’s O’Hare and Burlington. Of course we spoke about our dream
Amateur Radio stations, impossible antenna designs — the best of ham
talk. Slowly, the conversation turned to other matters. Jerry told
me that he wanted Lorraine’s piano to be donated to a worthy cause;
that she had wanted it to be in a place where it would be appreciated,
played and cared for. We reached no conclusion on this until about a
month later-when on the telephone we almost simultaneously thought of
donating the piano to the Alan Hovhaness International Research Centre
in Yerevan, Armenia. I am one of the coordinators of this center, which
we are building to honor the Armenian-American composer Alan Hovhaness.

This was immediately agreed — and we then decided to schedule a
dedication concert on the piano at Jerry’s Chicago home. Invited to
the concert were representatives of the Amateur Radio community,
representatives from the Chicago Armenian community, friends of
the composer Alan Hovhaness and friends who had hosted me during my
marathon run. Ann Lousin, representing the Armenian General Benevolent
Union, gave us a moving introduction, telling us of the dedication to
music in Armenia; how even after the great Armenian earthquake when
homes were reduced to rubble, students still arrived at the music
conservatory to take their piano lessons. A report of this concert
is available.

Two days after the concert, the piano was moved out to be crated
for shipment to Yerevan. I will be visiting Yerevan for concerts on
April 22 and 26. The concert on April 26 will be in Aram Katchaturian
Hall together with the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra. We will be
dedicating the Steinway piano. Jerry Migely, WA9KXZ, will be coming
to Yerevan from Chicago to attend the concert. While there, we hope
to have the opportunity to meet with Armenian radio amateurs and
visit their stations.