Gracious. Giving. Gifted. These three words so aptly describe our dear friend, Jeanette Cline who has graciously given her gift of music to Neighbors Who Care on multiple occasions. Jeanette has played keyboards for us at various gatherings, including volunteer appreciation events and luncheons for some of our usually homebound clients. She is someone who generously gives of her time and talent because she believes that music is a universal language that speaks to people on so many levels. And she also believes in Neighbors Who Care.
Jeanette and her husband Gene moved to Arizona from the Midwest in 1963. In 2009, they moved to Sun Lakes from Tempe where Jeanette had a 30-year career as an educator. She was a music teacher at many grade levels and always found ways to incorporate music when teaching other subjects.
For 60 years, Jeanette and Gene–who was also involved in music as a school band director–owned a music studio, teaching students of all ages during evenings and weekends. After many years, they acquired multiple keyboards and ultimately decided to use them to give lessons to residents in Sun Lakes. Out of this endeavor, the Keyboard Connection ensemble was born. This group periodically performs throughout our area at various community events. Jeanette is the ensemble’s director and often arranges musical pieces for the group.
Jeanette also volunteers to play for others throughout the community, including for the Women’s Connection group, the Sun Lakes Jewish Congregation, and for the National Day of Prayer recognition in the SunBird community. “If I hear of a need, I will step in as I can,” says Jeanette.
Her love of music and her desire to bring it to others drives Jeanette to play as often as she is asked and able. At 85 years young, she says it’s what keeps her going. “Music is a part of me, and I love being able to share it with others!”
Neighbors Who Care has called upon Jeanette multiple times to play at events, and she has never turned us down. Jeanette explained that she appreciates the opportunity to play for Neighbors Who Care to support our mission of serving homebound older adults in Sun Lakes and S. Chandler. We are grateful for Jeanette’s heart and her love of sharing her music with us. Jeanette is a noteworthy member of our community, and we are blessed to call her a good friend!
Do you have a skill or talent that you’d like to share with Neighbors Who Care? We’d love to hear about it! (Email us or call Neighbors Who Care 480-895-7133). You just never know how you can impact those around you, and every little bit can make a huge difference. This includes serving as a Neighbors Who Care volunteer. We have a great need for volunteers as our aging population continues to grow and ask for help. You can serve as little or as often as you like based on your availability, and you get to choose the services that you want to provide.
Thank you Jeanette Cline for so many great musical moments!
