InCider Press, January 2004, page 3 - Holiday Song Messages

To complete the Music Machine's seasonal sing-outs, we returned to the Manhattan Country Club to appear at a luncheon for Farm Bureau Life Insurance employees on December 16, and a luncheon for the Welcome Wagon and an evening party for the Manhattan Landlords organization on December 18. The response of the audiences to our Christmas music at all of our sing-outs made for enjoyable experiences for us, and helped make the 2003 Christmas season memorable for us.

After singing at a funeral earlier in the day, the
Apple Core Tet sang to a full house at the Elks Club in Junction City for the Fort Riley Christmas Party. Although both Leonard and Bob were fighting colds and bronchitis, we made it through and had a lot of fun. After the requisite Christmas songs, we sang a set of Sweetheart songs, then a patriotic set, and closed with "Mary Had A Baby." We were very well received, and although initially a little apprehensive because of the food line and open bar, the crowd quieted down and we succeeded in keeping them that way. We're looking forward to singing valentines with Bart filling in for Leonard as bass.

MMM Melodies Ring Community-wide
By Pete Cooper, Bass

The Manhattan Music Machine (MMM) got an early start on what developed into a fairly busy Christmas schedule when we went caroling in Westloop stores on November 14. The irrepressible J. Lester Hooper accompanied us in his Santa costume to hand out candy canes to the kids. After the caroling we joined a Westbank Town Homes residents' party to sing a few songs, and got Leo Dreiling and John Schlender to join us for a polecat or two.

For the quartet's annual Christmas dinner with our wives we journeyed to Maple Hill on December 7 to enjoy the food at Puffy's Steak & Ice House. Two days later we provided some Christmas music at a party for the employees in Umberger Hall at K-State, and added a few carols to the parade of quartets at the Chapter's Christmas Party and Installation Banquet on December 11.

Our holiday sing-outs started in earnest at the K-State Bank party on December 12 and the UMB party on December 13, both at the Manhattan Country Club. The next day we completed our bank party set for the Fort Riley National Bank. This was an open house at the Gary Drake residence in Junction City, where we entertained two different groups of guests, and got Gary to join us for a song each time.