Last night I dreamed I was walking along the berm on the north side of Sunset Boulevard in Beverly Hills heading west when I happened upon the 89-year-old octogenarian, Pat Boone, who was taking out his trash for pick-up the next day. He was engaged in conversation with Dino Kartsonakis, the Julliard-trained classical pianist who rose to fame playing for the Katherine Kuhlman Crusades in Los Angeles and later opened his own theater in Branson, Missouri. Both of these men have influenced my personal and professional lives either directly or indirectly.
While I have never personally met Dino, his arrangement of the Andre Crouch classic, “My Tribute To God Be the Glory,” was what I used to audition as a pianist for the Opening Ceremonies of the 1984 Olympics held in Los Angeles. With its dramatic glissando and fortissimo opening, I captured the attention of the judges and was granted a spot as one of the 84 pianists who played Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” in that celebrated event. You can see that performance by clicking here Rhapsody in Blue You’ll see my smiling face pop up at the 1:45 mark right after a dancer moves and again toward the end at 4:45. (By the way, I had hair then). Years later I ran into a cardboard cut-out of Mr. Kartsonakis in the Branson Airport where I had gone to help sell a celebrity’s 20,000-square-foot mansion in this Ozark enclave.
Pat Boone rose to fame in the 1950s as a singer of such hits as “Love Letters,” “April Love,” “Tutti Fruitti,” and more. Additionally, he starred in 12 films in the 50s and 60s. It was 1981 when I met Pat for the first time. We both attended the same church in Van Nuys, California for more than 30 years. His writings both in books and songs have been particularly influential in my life.
What do these men have in common in my dream? Both are talented in their chosen fields and have overcome adversity. After moving to Branson, Dino’s house was destroyed in a flood and he lost his show pianos. Yet, he performed benefit concerts to raise money for others who had lost everything in the floods, as well. Pat lost the love of his life, wife, Shirley, more than four years ago. Yet he is still writing books, songs, performing live, and appearing in faith-based movies even though he doesn’t have to.
So what’s the point of writing about my dream? I’ve learned that writing something down has an intrinsic power of its own to cause it to come to pass. I wrote down I wanted a grand piano and negotiated for one during a real estate transaction as part of my commission. Here it sits in the family room.
I had a dream to be the #1 salesperson for my previous real estate company, so I put it in writing and achieved that goal many times over a 13-year period.
Now my dream is to help you enjoy the journey. If that involves listing and selling your estate or purchasing a new or second home, I would welcome the opportunity to meet you and present my marketing plan. Let’s write it down and make some beautiful music together as we collaborate on your real estate dreams. Call me at 818-262-6778.
