Community Mazel Toy! tivities Music Opens Doors Come Talented pianist Ethel Toby still entertains at 91. SHARON LUCKERMAN Staff Writer 1 f you follow the melodious piano tones of Beethoven, Lizst and Schumann comin b , down the corridor of Ethel Toby's senior residence, you could take a seat — if you're quiet — with the other neighbors in her living room. "I open my door or take a seat in Ethel's living room when I hear her prac- ticing," says regular fan and neighbor Edith Hoffman. The diminu- tive Toby, 91, wasted no time when she arrived at her new apartment earlier this year to practice at least several hours a day. She lives at the Ethel Toby American House Senior Living Residence in West Bloomfield. "Sometimes I practice, sometimes they tell me to play a piece, and I go on and on," says Toby, who still plays piano pieces as long as 11 pages by memory. "My whole life is my music and I enjoy playing for people. I had so many neighbors come to my door and ask about my music that I leave my door open so they can come in." Toby started playing at age 9. Her granddaughter, Laurel Felsenfeld of Farmington Hills, says Toby practiced on an old upright in a bedroom that had no heat. "She had to cover herself in layers of blankets and stop often to warm her hands in water," Felsenfeld says. Though her parents owned a small grocery store at Monterey and Petosky in Detroit and had three daughters to support, Toby's father hired a master piano teacher when she was 14. She performed her first concert at age 19 in the Maccabees Building in Detroit and won awards at several competi- tions, her granddaughter says. But when Toby's father could no longer afford the payments for her grand piano, and it was taken away, Toby recalls the story of a special gift. "I was 19, and Fred Butzel, a Detroit philanthropist, heard me play," Toby says. When he heard she no longer had a piano, Butzel sent her a baby grand piano. "Then he paid for my piano lessons," she says. Her marriage to Sam Toby lasted almost 50 years, until his death in 1984. With the birth of their three sons, Charles, Bernard and Melvin, the Tobys set up a vital Jewish household and were founding members of Congregation B'nai Israel in Pontiac, says Felsenfeld. Toby also began giving piano lessons and eventually taught 50-60 students a week. Today, she is still a member of Hadassah, Congregation Shaarey Zedek B'nai Israel Center Sisterhood, Adat Shalom Synagogue Seniors' Group and Temple Israel Treasures. She attends Shabbat services at Shaarey Zedek B'nai Israel Center. The nonagenarian pianist also con- tinues to learn. When she heard David Syme play Lizst's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 at Temple Israel several years ago, she called him to come to her home and give her a les- son. She was impressed with his tech- nique. "Ethel is a warm, lovely person who is devoted to her family," says David Syme. 'And at many of my local con- certs, when they are over, I often see Ethel Toby in the audience, acknowl- edging me." Last year, Toby's family, including her nine grandchildren and 12 great- grandchildren, honored her on her 90th birthday. "It was a wonderful celebration of her life," Felsenfeld says. Lii ilttre V c ilt ons / I vic www.abilitiescenter.com Our Brand New World-Class Center in Walled Lake! NEW LOCATION: 14 fAk Rd 2075 E. West Maple Road, B-204 Walled Lake, Michigan 48390 NEW PHONE NO.: 248-926-0909 All About Helping Kids ALL DANCE WEAR ST SHOES at THE STUDIO ltrOFFI Through September 30th 1 We have shoes for ALL Dance Studios 4 1,( 441. L WITH THIS AD IEEE 855-0650 n Orchard Mall • Orchard Lake Rd. at Maple 749830 Wedding And Party Specialists Flowers For All Occasions G OF NATURE T FLOWERS STATE (248) 559-5424 (888) 202-4466 Fax: (248) 559-5426 29115 Greenfield, Southfield, MI 48076 V 634370 LOSING A LOVED ONE TO DRUGS? If addiction is killing a loved one, we have the answer. We deliver the most effective drug and alcohol rehab program in the world, with a success rate over 70%. It's a 3-6 month long-term residential program located on a private lake in Battle Creek, MI. Sauna detox gets toxins and drug residues out of the body eliminating physical cravings. Life skills training courses prepare our students for long-term success in life. We have a large job-referral network in place! NARCONOWSTONE HAWK NAIRCJINON . 1 800 420 3147 - - - wvvw.narcononstonehawk.com 9/12 2003 47 .