Music and Memories are the Focus for One Central Minnesota Man

Country Star Eric Church has a lyric in his song “Springsteen” that says, “Funny how a melody sounds like a memory”, meaning that songs have a power that trigger memories and it is magical. Even if the memory isn’t a good one, the “time period” the memory took place could be pleasant. 

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This seems like a good time to introduce you to Rick Lorenz. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Rick this week to talk about one of his passions, which is using melodies to bring back memories.  

Rick is a retired Special Education Teacher; he taught for 28 years. After retiring in 2015 and traveling for a couple of years around the country, he and his wife Deb settled in St. Cloud. Rick graduated from St. Cloud State in 1979 and is a Navy Veteran.  

Back in 2012, after many years, Rick picked up his guitar again and began to go to some “jam sessions” where he made a friend who asked him to help her when she went to nursing homes to play for the residents.  

Those visits birthed a passion in Rick that he still pursues now. “It’s really fun” Rick told me over coffee this week talking about his opportunities to play for the residents at Nursing Facilities. His wheelhouse is Old Country (Johnny Cash & Hank Sr. Etc.), Gospel, and some bluegrass. Rick says he did learn a new song recently, “that song was from the 70’s” he said with a laugh.  

Weekly, Rick visits one of 4 locations, The Whitney Senior Center in St. Cloud, Country Manor in Sartell, Sterling Park Senior Living in Waite Park, and Amazing Days in Randall.  

There were several stories he shared of elderly residents and patients singing along with these songs from many years ago. In one case when Rick was performing, the staff noticed one resident singing along who had not spoken in a long time. And sometimes when a resident who struggles to remember things from their day-to-day routine sings along with a song from so long ago, it’s quite moving.  

 These were the stories where Rick would use the term “memories leaking from my lids” referring to tears rolling down his face. It’s not uncommon for a resident to be moved to tears by a memory the songs he sings creates and sometimes Rick cries too.  

It’s also not uncommon for Rick to hear from someone why a song was so special to them, like the time that he did a John Denver song and woman shared with him afterward about going to John Denver’s wedding because of being a family friend of his mom’s.  That’s the payment Rick cherishes from these shows he plays, because he doesn’t ask for any money from the facilities.  

Some of these shows Rick will perform alone, and others he is joined by friends who he has met along the way at regular “jams” (sessions where musicians get together and pick and play) and each show consists of about 20 songs for a one-hour performance.  

From these “jams” and performances at the care facilities, Rick has formed a band with some of his friends called “The Silver Sluggards” which includes Bill Johnson (not pictured) plays guitar, Jeff Proell plays the Mandolin, and Doug Petersen on bass. They’ve played at several events around the area and these “gigs” allow Rick the opportunity to continue to do what he loves and that’s making music.  

When Rick isn’t performing, he and his wife Deb, whose passion is genealogy, enjoy their 6 grandchildren, their son has 4 boys, and their daughter has 2 girls. The only thing that made Rick light up as much as talking about the music he gets to play, was talking about his grandkids.  

Between his time with Deb, the grandkids and playing music each week, Rick Lorenz has figured out how to do retirement right.