Filling In for the Organ Grinders Monkey

Just when you think your life is kind of boring, an interesting opportunity presents itself and you can either say yes or no. Imagine my surprise when one of Doc’s out-of-town relatives showed up at the front door with her accordion in tow and asked me if I could help with the entertainment.  She explained that her small monkey Luigi usually accompanies her, but she didn’t want to bring him on such a long trip, so she asked me to fill in. And that is what started my career in show business.

To tell you the truth I had never really heard of animals performing with musicians, but I soon found I was very mis-informed. As it turns out, immigrant musicians started playing the street organ in US cities, sometime in the mid-1800s.The first account of an organ and animal team was mentioned in the Washington Post in 1884 where the teams performed on downtown streets. Some of the animals were small dogs and some were monkeys. So here I am so many years later carrying on the tradition in a more nontraditional way. My job, as I see it, is to lay there and look handsome, while my partner does all the work.

Our first performance was after a family cook out. After a great meal of bratwurst, baked beans and blueberry pie, the family came inside the house for the show. While everyone was finding a place to sit, the large accordion came out of the case and as she slipped the straps up over her shoulders, the bellows on the organ gave out a loud groan. Soon she was all strapped in and the merriment began. Everyone was singing along, laughing and some even got up to dance. It was quite the show and I was surprised to find I was sad when it was over.

It just goes to show you how much fun you can have when you take a risk and try something new. One day you’re just a regular old therapy dog, the next day your calling America’s Got Talent to find out when the next auditions take place. Show biz here I come.