In February1964 when the Beatles took the USA by storm, I was ten years-old. Hearing Sullivan’s voice transported me back to my parents’ living room: lying on the floor on my stomach, my head in my hands, mesmerized by the sights and sounds of these four young men. I would soon come to know all their music, note for note, word for word. Surprisingly enough, forty-plus years later I still remembered – note for note, word for word.

The music started, and I began to sing: Well, she was just seventeen/You now what I mean/ And the way she looked was way beyond compare. I glanced to my left and spotted a woman who appeared to be in her mid-sixties, sitting in one of those canvas fold-up chairs with a cup holder on each arm, lip syncing the words to the song, so I stopped singing just for a moment, pausing to listen. That’s when I heard the crowd singing in unison: So how could I dance with another/ Oooh, when I saw her standing there. What a feeling! Here I was in my own little world, being swept up in the moment, looking at my childhood through the window of music, and it appeared that many people in the crowd were doing the same. I was not alone. We were connecting.

The feeling of connectedness grew as the Cast of Beatlemania moved from era to era, belting out song after song. With impeccable precision they performed: I Saw Her Standing There, Please Please Me, A Hard Day’s Night, With a Little Help from My Friends, Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields, I am the Walrus, Come Together, Birthday, Rocky Raccoon, Lady Madonna, Hey Jude, Revolution, and, of course, Let it Be. The Cast performed for two and a half hours. And the crowd sang right along, note by note, word by word. As they sang, many of them danced, including me. At one point I turned around to see what was going on behind me and saw a group of girls who appeared to be about ten years-old dancing in a circle, and to the left was a small group of grey-haired, overweight women “getting down” to the groove. When the Cast began playing Hey Jude, a sea of arms appeared, outstretched, swaying side to side, while the audience continued singing the words that brought us all together so many years ago, and that still bring us together today, the young, old, rich and poor.

The significant idea here is that this whole evening was filled with energy that is created when people feel a part, not apart, of a whole; when they bridge the gap and connect with each other and within themselves. It’s a ‘high’ like no other high, a natural, innate high that is often forgotten and/or lost with the hectic lives we so often lead or because of the tedium of our everyday lives. People smiling, laughing, creating new memories, while nodding their heads in remembrance of a time gone by, brought back to life in the melody and words of a song. Yes, there were many lifted spirits that night at St. Clair Park because of the music.

Music is tightly woven into the fabric of our lives. Without it, life would be boring at best, fall apart at worst. As George Harrison once said, “The thing about the Beatles is that they save the world from boredom.” I do believe George was right. I do not think there was one bored soul in the park that evening. The Beatles gave us so much, and the Cast of Beatlemania brought that gift back to life momentarily. The Beatles’ music is uplifting, thought provoking, and just plain fun to listen to. But the Beatles did more than save us from tedium. Through their music, they gave us a way to identify with ourselves and with each other. Simply put, they gave us hope and a sense of community.