A Service of Saddleback College and
California State University, Northridge

Together Through Music

The 88.5 FM mantra this year has been “Together Through Music.”  Avid listener and member Ron Pivo from Westlake Village shared an experience with us that epitomizes this theme and it warmed our hearts. I thought I would share it with you on this Feel Good Friday.

Ron and his 17 year old daughter Izabella were sitting at the table discussing the actions of someone they knew. “Only when she drinks,” Izabella commented. The phrase struck Ron (who is not a songwriter) as being a good song title.  “Besides knowing virtually every pop song word for word from the early 70s I have no musical acumen,” says Ron.

That night, however, he found himself downstairs in front of his computer and typed, “Only when she drinks, only when she cries, only then does she look into my eyes."

“I texted those lines to my 17 year-old daughter upstairs (because after all that's how parents pretty much communicate with their kids these days). A few minutes later, she sends me a verse. Not to be outdone, I write two more verses, ran upstairs, we looked at each other with big smiles and I said, "I think we just wrote a song." We hugged and I wished her goodnight.”

It was a special night for Ron and he wanted to find a way to preserve the memory. In the next few days, after some searching, he contacted Nashville singer/songwriter Steve Means who put the Pivos’ lyrics to music and produced and recorded the song, “Only When She Drinks.”

“My daughter had no idea I did this. I took her out to her car (because Tom Petty always said he would listen to his music in his car first) and surprised her the other night with our song

Here is the heartwarming video.

 

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