Fall 2025 Newsletter
Gettin' The Holidays Rockin' & Rollin'
Come one and all to a FREE HOLIDAY CONCERT by our World Famous 5th Dementia Band!
Saturday, December 6 at 2 PM at the Brentwood Presbyterian Church, 12000 San Vicente Blvd.
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Don’t miss this thrilling celebration of the music, memories and holiday spirit that still define a generation!
Or join our Livestream to watch from home.
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Refreshments will be hosted by Brentwood Presbyterian Church after the concert, including the premiere appearance of a brand new ice cream/gelato treat you won’t want to miss.​
Free parking in church lot on Bundy, south of San Vicente and at Comerica
Bank, 12001 San Vicente at Saltair (upper level).
Band of Heroes Thrives with a Permanent Stage and a Standout Month of Performances
After two years of performing on a humble DIY stage, our Band of Heroes has finally received a true home. The West LA Veterans Administration Campus has constructed a brand-new gazebo, complete with a sound system and electrical set-up worthy of these
performances which place these veteran musicians at the heart of a vibrant community space for music, connection, and camaraderie.
John Follmer, the Supervisor District 3 for Veterans Advisory Commission, credits MMM’s contribution to the band’s success.
“MMM is at the heart of the community culture on campus, and an absolutely necessary part of it. Carol has been so gracious and truly inspiring with donations of speakers and equipment. MMM was among the first organizations to support us. Mark Shepard has been with us for 126 weeks. We’re so grateful. We all had a vision, and this is what came of it.”
Today the Band’s regular Monday performances consistently draw 150 vets who can also enjoy a free lunch and laundry service.
This month, the band performed at the VA’s “Stand Down”, where unhoused and at-risk veterans accessed a range of services, then took the stage days later at a city-wide Veteran’s support event hosted by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass at Getty House. Bassist Luis Figueroa shared his service experiences on Congressman Ted Lieu’s annual Veteran’s Day podcast, which also featured the band performing “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.” Each member was proud to be awarded congressional certificates for theirparticipation in the event.
The Band of Heroes, and MMM, are grateful for the generous support of the Rotary Club of Westwood Village which makes their weekly performances possible.
Studio City Jazzanovas Shine at "Summer Sounds" Concert with Debut Duets & Lavish Rotary Buffet
The Studio City Jazzanovas’ August "Summer Sounds Concert," was absolutely fabulous, with many highlights including first-ever public duets by Bryan Johnson and Jimmy Shubinski, and a truly sumptuous buffet provided by the Studio City/Sherman Oaks Rotary Club, the band’s sponsors. You won’t want to miss their next performance because this group just keeps getting better and better!
News & Updates
We’re growing across LA! Our newest regularly scheduled sing-along group premiered on November 19 at the Felicia Mahood Senior Center in West LA. The group will meet every first and third Wednesday. It joins the Sherman Oaks Senior Center Sing-Along now meeting on first and third Fridays. We’re proud to say both groups are supported by grants from the LA City Council members in the 11th and 4th council districts. In January we'll add two new bi-monthly drum circles at the Westchester YMCA and at the ARC Center for Intellectually and Developmentally Challenged Adults in Studio City.
In August, Carol received Rotary’s Paul Harris Fellow Medallion Award in
recognition of her service to humanity.
In September, our UCLA Music Mends Minds student organization kicked off their third year by welcoming new and returning Bruins to their first general meeting.
In October, MMM Board Member Dr. Susan Dupree was profiled in Greet Felida
magazine, a community publication in southern Washington state. Dupree is a retired clinical psychologist who has turned the town of Vancouver, Washington into a top MMM hub with her Joyful Music and Coyote Moon bands.
MMM Drum Circle Facilitator John Fitzgerald and Village Music Circles Global led a 3-Day training in the Fundamentals of Drum Circle Facilitation on November 14-16 in Fairlawn, NJ in partnership with Rotary District 7490.
Golden Network TV, which streams recordings of our music therapy sessions on Zoom, is now available to watch on a wide range of devices including computers, tablets, and mobile phones as well as on Roku. Golden Network TV is the premier destination for timeless entertainment tailored specifically for seniors, and their families and friends. To start watching, visit www.goldenetwork.tv from your browser or device and scroll down to the MMM menu.
In Memoriam
Studio City Jazzanovas Shine at "Summer Sounds" Concert with Debut Duets & Lavish Rotary Buffet
News & Updates
Mike Hassett
1954-2025
When Mike played trumpet in our 5th
Dementia and Jazzanova bands, his powerful solos were an integral part of our weekly band rehearsals and concerts.
A Massachusetts-born attorney, he also gave his time and expertise to many civic causes, and always made music a special part of his life. Mike and his wife Janice moved to Los Angeles 10 years ago to be near their three daughters Kara, Julie and Deborah.
We miss, and are deeply grateful for, the devotion to music he shared with us. If you’d like to make a donation in his honor, please click here.
Billy Young
1938-2025
Billy was a passionate singer with our 5th Dementia and Treble Makers bands, with a special feeling for the songs made famous by Frank Sinatra and The Rat Pack. A Scot by birth, and a real estate manager by day, he was once offered a gig singing at a Las Vegas casino.
Billy and his wife, Noemia, were featured in MMM’s episode of the TV Series “Making Good.” His performances always brought joy, hope and a sense of vibrancy to the MMM community. He loved to entertain people and make them happy, and he was great at it.
If you’d like to make a donation to MMM in his honor, please click here.