Lombard senior teaches history with music

Jean Furgal believes music tells the history of America - if you take the time to listen to the lyrics, feel the score and review what was happening at the time it was written.

The resident of Beacon Hill Retirement Community in Lombard recruited a few talented friends to help make those connections for about 100 neighbors during a presentation called "America in Story and Song."

"We did this to enhance our celebration of the Fourth of July," Furgal said. "I took some of the songs that we know and sing often - songs that represent turning points in American history. - And I went to the time when each song came into being and told the story of what was happening at the time."

More Coverage Video Singing history

After Furgal shared her historical research on a song, pianist Jean Branch accompanied singers Pat Scott, LeRoy Roath and MaryJo Carlson. In all, they performed eight songs for the crowd.

"This makes the history more interesting. You can identify how the music was arranged to create a response in a person," she said. "For instance, one was a song called, 'Hail Columbia' from 1798. It was a time when there was a lot of division in the country. The song has all major chords that hammer away at you - so the American values hammer away at you when you hear it."