Freda Maxson, left, and Sharon Geissler play a duet together at Geissler’s home in preparation for their Dueling Pianos concert on March 22.
By Kimberly Pistone
For the Sidney Daily News
SIDNEY – Dueling Pianos with Freda Maxson and Sharon Geissler is a free event on March 22 at 7 p.m. at the Senior Center of Sidney Shelby County.
Maxson and Geissler have been playing duet concerts together for more than 10 years, but this will be their first public event since before COVID.
They bring two keyboards to the Senior Center to use during the concert. Geissler said, “Most of the songs are duets written for one piano, but we use two so we have more room to play.”
The Dueling Pianos event will last a little over an hour, including an intermission with coffee, cookies and punch. They will play a large variety of music, including Joplin, classical, hymns, pop and show tunes. They buy every duet book they come across, always looking for new music to play.
Both Maxson and Geissler said their favorite song to play was “This Little Light of Mine.” Geissler described it as a fun jazzy piece.
Maxson started playing piano when she was 12 years old, and later received a degree in music education and a Masters degree in education. She taught for 37 years, with most of her time in the Sidney Middle School teaching choirs and music.
Geissler started playing accordion when she was eight years old, and switched to piano when she was 12 years old. She has a degree in sacred music and began teaching piano lessons in 1983.
Maxson and Geissler shared music students for many years and knew of each other before they first met. They started the Senior Choir at the Senior Center of Sidney Shelby County in 2012. They currently have a membership of around 25 people, with an age range from people in their 50s to a 93 year old. Maxson directs the choir and Geissler accompanies. They sing anywhere they are invited to go and usually play duets together before the performance and during intermission.
The Senior Choir is open to anyone who is 50 or better and a member of the Senior Center. Maxson and Geissler say it doesn’t matter how well they sing or don’t sing; everyone is welcome. Anyone who is interested in the Senior Choir can call the Senior Center at 937-492-5266 for more information.
