If there's a thread of sheer pleasure running through Harold (Hap) Corbett's life, it's music. From his childhood in Minneapolis, to Staples, Minn., his home of 40 years, the piano man has played everything from hymns and standards to Dixieland jazz and boogie woogie, all of it by ear. He also plays clarinet.
In recent years, Corbett has become a favorite entertainer at senior residences within a 30-mile radius of Staples, in central Minnesota.
"I was witness recently at Lakewood Pines Apartments for seniors," said Joan Des Marais, 73, of Staples. "When Hap played piano and the people's faces lit up and they sang and clapped -- some even danced -- it was a joy to behold. Hap has just as much fun as the residents. He is truly a giving person."
Retired businessman Hap Corbett, 71, said he'll play at any nursing home or seniors residence. He doesn't charge, but accepts donations toward mileage.
Corbett started subbing for other piano players in the Staples area four years ago. After his first gig at Greater Staples Care Center, his daughter, Cella Johnson, asked him to play for her mother-in-law at Renvilla Nursing Home in Renville. An elderly gentleman grabbed Corbett's hand afterward and told him it was the best piano playing he'd heard.
"I knew it wasn't true," said Corbett. "I had tears in my eyes when he told me that." It was then that Corbett decided to volunteer at other senior residences.
"Let Me Call You Sweetheart," "You Are My Sunshine" and "Moonlight Bay" are just a few of the songs in Corbett's repertoire. His programs include sing-alongs and music "with bounce," such as ragtime and boogie woogie. He also plays requests.
"They do like bounce," he said. "It's a funny thing, as good as they are, many people from church groups go out and play for senior citizens and play lots of nice hymns. That's wonderful to do, but what they [seniors] need is some bounce. When I see somebody in a wheelchair and I see their fingers tapping, I know I'm getting to them."
Corbett played a Mother's Day gig this year for his friend, Merrill (Dutch) Cragun Jr., of the resort family. Cragun wanted to honor his 94-year-old mother and two of her friends. They met for brunch, and afterward Corbett played for Cragun's mother at Woodland Good Samaritan retirement community in Brainerd.
The tie that binds
Music is the tie that binds, a 98-year-old resident of Central Todd County Care Center in Clarissa recently told Corbett. She said the sing-alongs brought back memories of her own musical family.
"That's the thing," said Corbett, "not only to give a little bounce, it brings back good memories to them. They tap their feet a little bit, too. It's rewarding for me to see. You know you're bringing a little joy."
It isn't only seniors who appreciate Corbett's keyboard artistry. At Happy's Bar, the Staples drinking and eating establishment Corbett owned from 1979 to 1984, the Saturday night sing-alongs were rousing, said John Sinotte, 63.
"He always played ragtime music," Sinotte said. "A lot of people listened to him play. It was very enjoyable."
In the 1960s, Corbett played his clarinet at summer concerts with members of the Staples High School band. Mark Evans, the school's band director, liked the Dixieland ad libs Corbett added during practice.
"He got so excited," Corbett recalled of the now-deceased Evans. "That started our little Dixieland band, and we'd play at festivals and fairs and parades and stuff."
Doris Corbett, Hap's wife, said their eight children couldn't wait for their father to come home at night and play for them.
"There was a time when he'd be on the road three weeks," Doris Corbett said. "When dad came home, the first thing they wanted him to do was play the piano."
Music is a mainstay of the "Colossal Corbett Family Campout" every two years in Staples or Welch, Minn., at the home of Corbett's niece, Sarah Jackson. Hap and Doris use the songbooks from Happy's Bar. About 100 Corbett family relatives gather for three days to reminisce, sing, visit and play golf. They met last weekend in Staples. Hap and Doris roll out their old piano and have it tuned before the family arrives. The Corbetts' sons, Tim and Charlie, also take turns at the keyboard. Like their father, they play by ear and have a fondness for boogie woogie.
Two years ago at Christmas, the Corbetts' son, Fran, and his wife, Terry, arranged to record one of the musical sessions. The compact disc features music by Hap and son, Charlie.
"They flew in from Boston and made all the arrangements with Charlie," Doris Corbett said. "The grandchildren truly love that CD."
If you would like Hap Corbett to play for your seniors residence, call 1-218-894-1165.
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