The cloudless sky is just the right hue of blue as sunlight shines down from the heavens on to Dr. Carl Ivey, 74, playing Beethoven’s 4th concerto on a grand piano. With a backdrop of the Pacific Ocean, water dances as waves crash to the crescendo of the music, creating a supremely majestic sound. Carl smiles at the small audience forming near the water. He is relaxed and loving life, but this wasn’t always the case.
In 1978, Carl, a pediatrician, felt the timing was right to start a private practice in Chicago. Covering the cost of a new office and a growing family, however, meant working a lot of overtime.
“I was on staff at five different hospitals, always on call, skipping meals, not getting enough sleep and my marriage, understandably, was stressed.”
Eventually, Carl collapsed and found himself fighting for his life.
“I briefly considered releasing out of my body… but quickly realized that death was permanent, and I couldn’t imagine leaving my wife and two daughters.”
Statistically, the odds of surviving severe tuberculosis were stacked against him, but Carl didn’t care about odds. He was committed to live.
“During the second week in hospital, I had a vision.”
He saw himself sitting at a magnificent grand piano in front of his hospital bed playing the first measures of Beethoven Piano Concerto #4.
“I knew this was my soul-level stuff reminding me that I had unfinished business with the piano.”
A month later, Carl was discharged, and remarkably made a full recovery. At 35, he began taking piano lessons for the second time in his life. Ironically, it was his failure to win a music scholarship that forced him to switch gears and decide on becoming a doctor.
“I was first exposed to piano lessons at the age of nine. But I found the piano boring and was far more interested in sports,” he recalls.
At 15, Carl was introduced to classical music for the first time.
“I heard Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony (3rd Symphony) and I was stopped in my tracks,” he says. “This piece of music changed the entire trajectory of my life. After hearing Beethoven’s third symphony, rock ‘n’ roll didn’t stand a chance. Playing in the high school band gave me a sense of belonging and helped shape my personality. Receiving applause from the audience after great band concerts were highlights of my high school experience.”
His interest shifted to the clarinet in high school and he had visions of playing in a symphony orchestra but, as time wore on, he realized the piano was his true calling. He felt the piano was the complete, ‘holistic’ instrument.
His musical preference is classical, but he always keeps a few popular tunes available when he performs. When it’s too cold to play outdoors, Carl performs at retirement homes across Victoria.
“Whenever I play the piano at a nursing home or retirement home, I am consciously aware that I am sharing far more than musical notes on the piano. I am sharing the deepest part of who I am – my heart, soul, humanity, passion, joy and love.”
“Seniors routinely share with me how the music gives them a deep sense of calmness, serenity and peace. These feelings result from the raising of their spiritual/energy vibration levels,” says Carl. “There are lots of studies that show music has a very positive effect on seniors in terms of improving memory, recall, motor function and physical coordination. However, it is not just the music but, more importantly, it’s the person playing the music that makes a difference. Therefore, live music has greater positive effects than recorded music.”
Carl reflects on how a small-town kid from Alabama, besieged by racism during the 1950s ended up in Victoria. In 1994, he met his second wife at the Norfolk, Virginia airport. She resided in Campbell River and Carl was still living in Chicago. They started a long-distance relationship and were eventually married in a chapel on the campus of the University of Chicago, on December 16, Beethoven’s birthday!
When the couple was in sync, they spent many long getaway weekends in Victoria but, over time, the marriage broke down. Regardless, Carl had no doubt one day he would move to Victoria, which he calls “a miniature Chicago, but on a much smaller scale. Like Chicago, Victoria has a symphony orchestra, opera, ballet, theatre, bookstores, museums, art galleries and restaurants featuring international cuisine. The weather is wonderful, and Victoria has a natural beauty.”
Carl retired to Victoria, where he’s always on vacation in paradise. And each year, when spring is in the air, he looks forward to playing the outdoor pianos that start to appear during the first or second week of June.
“Playing great music outdoors, hearing the sounds of the waves and seagulls and feeling the warmth of the sun on my skin while breathing in such clean air is heaven on earth.”
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