I love to write story-telling songs, which may not be in vogue, but I like to write songs that paint pictures.

Edgar Allan Poe once mused, "The highest art form is the combination of music and words". I recently heard from a person who heard this song for the first time, reviewed it and commented it sounded like Gordon Lightfoot and David Crosby, which was a much appreciated compIiment.

In truth, I wrote this song to honor and celebrate, my first music teacher, Sister Bernadelle, whom I met in grade school, when I was 6 years old and who was an incredible musician and artist and a Catholic nun. Moreover, she was an amazing soul and human being.

She recognized my talents and nurtured them and taught me cello, piano and singing in her music room at school. Because of her skills as a teacher, people considered me as being "gifted" on cello and piano, and I competed in many music competitions bi-monthly from the time I was 8 till 14, when I went off to highs school. I never lost a competition.

In the 7th and 8th grade, I became the "first-chair Concert Master" for the Chicago Archdiocese Orchestra as a cellist, which was quite an honor because "first chair" always was award to the top violinist. I transitioned my love for instruments and singing to include 6 and12 string guitars after I went on to high school.

But, in my first group sing class in first grade, was where she actually "discovered" me as my voice was so loud and high, it cut through the voices of the other gathered students in the choir.

As a child, I had learned to sing from my father, who was a popular opera and radio singer in Chicago in the 1930's, AND my mother, who had a sweet, perfect voice that would serenade me to sleep after my father crossed-over-to-glory when I was 7.

But Sister Bernadelle actually recorded me singing for the very first time when I was 6 on a shiny Wollensack reel-to-reel tape machine in her music room at school. I sang a song about bouncing a red rubber ball.

I have never forgotten Sister Bernadelle. I wrote this song for her after I spent time wondering, "If she had not been a nun, where would she have lived, what would her life be like and what would she have done"?

As you listen to the song and read the lyrics ... I hope they will take you on that journey.

Best ... Chester

PS I hope you enjoy this old-timey, story-song. It is "aged, but it is "new:"

This also goes out to my grandparents who immigrated to the US from Poland back in 1903. They met on the boat they were on when they immigrated and fell in love. But, they were separated after the boat ride in New York and THEN magically re-united in Chicago, got married and had 12 children. Sometimes, things are just meant to happen.

Maybe this song would make a romantic movie, eh?