Arts award winner has a song in his heart
“I nearly fell off my seat when the Governor’s office called,” said Eugene Langbehn, recalling the moment he learned he was to be presented with the Maryland Department of Aging’s Performance Arts Award.
The award is given annually as part of the Governor’s Leadership in Aging Awards, which honor Marylanders age 60 and older for excellence in various categories, including visual arts, performance arts, and health and vitality.
Described by his wife, Charlotte, as a “born showman,” Langbehn has been singing for decades, beginning in 1944 when he served as a staff radio announcer in the Army during his service in Iceland and Germany. That led to a life committed to sharing music with others.
“Music is a way of life. It makes life worth living,” Langbehn said.
Langbehn, 86, lives at the Charlestown retirement community in Catonsville. He sings and performs regularly for fellow residents, as well as in a variety of other venues, including theatre productions and night clubs in Baltimore and in Carroll County.
Meeting through music
Langbehn began singing at Charlestown about 10 years ago, after he walked up to Charlotte as she played the piano one afternoon, and he started singing along. She encouraged him to join the Charlestown Harmonizers, a chorus that practices regularly and performs twice a year.
Soon, Langbehn and Charlotte began performing at Charlestown together, offering a weekly “Musical Moments” act for their fellow residents. Charlotte accompanied Langbehn as he sang tunes made famous by the likes of Frank Sinatra, Perry Como and Frankie Lane.
It must have dawned on them that they could be making beautiful music together of a different sort, and so they decided to get married.
Now they often sing before the start of dinner at Charlestown, perform karaoke on a regular basis, and take their show on the road to other retirement communities, such as Carroll Manor.
“It’s wonderful to see people respond to music,” he said. “Even those who may have memory loss can connect with the music from the ‘30s, the ‘40s, the ‘50s. It means something to see that.”
Though Langbehn was honored by the Governor for his musical ability, he might have as easily been nominated for an award for his other passion — physical fitness.
He rides his stationary bike at least 20 miles each week. So far, Langbehn is close to having biked halfway around the world, with approximately 13,000 miles logged.
Always up for a challenge, Langbehn also competed at the Maryland Senior Olympics, where he earned both a silver and a bronze medal.
Recently, he decided to participate in a triathlon at Charlestown — his first. “I tried something I had never done before… Better to try while still alive!” To his surprise, perhaps, he also medaled at the event.
In addition to competing in sports and performing, this former New York native — who moved to Maryland after his Army service — also taught elementary school for 28 years, and served as chaplain at the state-run psychiatric hospital, Walter P. Carter Center.
Singing on the road
Now retired, Langbehn and his wife spend much of their time traveling, which they consider “one of the great experiences” of life.
They often combine that love of travel with their love of music, karaoke being one of the Langbehns’ favorite activities on their cruise vacations.
Often, the couple will be invited to entertain or help with events on the cruises. The two also travel both domestically and abroad on trips sponsored by Elderhostel and its Road Scholar program. Langbehn has traveled on such trips since Elderhostel was established in 1975.
Langbehn’s passion for music, paired with his love of challenges, has helped him to achieve many awards. Still, he continues to build new skills and talents, the most recent being mastery of the harmonica.
He was able to teach himself to play the harmonica quickly and now carries it with him often. “What makes the harmonica perfect,” Langbehn reflected, “is that it is one of the only portable instruments!” Well, portable in one’s pocket.
Langbehn enthusiastically tackles new challenges, and enjoys pursuing his passion for music alongside his wife.“Music is important for us. It sustains our marriage and it motivates us,” he said.