90-Year-Old Promotes Faith and Family Through YouTube

@ThreeGenerationsSinging

90-Year-Old Promotes Faith and Family Through YouTube

Did you know we have a 90 year-old YouTube star right here in the Diocese of Shreveport? You may have seen her at countless church events. You may have heard her in the past as the organist at various Catholic parishes. Or, you may have been lucky enough to have witnessed her outspoken comments in a Bible Study group. But, if you haven’t watched her on YouTube, you are missing out! Who is this person and what does YouTube have to do with her story? To answer those questions, let me tell you about my mom, Marilyn Pettiette, our family matriarch and the headliner of Three Generations Singing. Mom is an accomplished vocalist, pianist, and organist. She grew up in Minnesota and migrated South after she and my dad (a talented musician from the great state of Texas) met one another at the Minneapolis College of Music. As a child, Mom was groomed to be a Shirley Temple look alike. She tap danced and sang in numerous talent shows. As a young adult, she performed with Big Band groups in various Minneapolis supper clubs. In her early twenties, Mom was offered the chance to join the Phil Silvers’ “Top Banana” tour. That would have been her big break. However, my mom and dad had recently married, and Mom was expecting the first of six children. She declined the offer. In other words, Mom gave up her stage career to raise a family. While my siblings and I were growing up, Mom was a music educator in the public schools. She believed in the power of music to bring various cultures together. During our elementary school years, Mom founded a group called “The Young Americans.” The group was comprised of childhood friends from Dixie, Louisiana, our hometown at the time. Mom took us to nursing homes, the VA Hospital, and to isolated members of the community to perform. We even appeared on the Saturday morning television show “Bob and His Buddies” with local celebrity, Bob Griffin. Now, fast forward to our adulthood…The six original siblings have families of our own. About three years ago, I began to wonder if it might be time for Mom to return to the stage - albeit a cyber stage. I founded a YouTube channel called Three Generations Singing to showcase Mom’s talent, but also, to have priceless memories of our kids performing with their grandmother. The first number we published was “Hallelujah” which my son Sean, my mom, and I recorded. At the beginning of the video, Sean casually announced that we were three generations singing together. That phrase was the perfect name for our channel. The video was well-received on FB and YouTube, and our channel was born. Mom’s grandchildren are scattered across the United States, but our families gather for Christmas every year and record a large group video. Sometimes, we have four generations performing together. Currently, our age range spans 6 months to 90 years! As far as logistics go, we are blessed to have Brent Latin of Young Pros Entertainment assist us. Brent has

directed, filmed, mixed, and edited all of our videos with the exception of our cell phone recordings. One of our most ambitious productions (and Mom’s personal favorite) is our four-generation recording of “We Are The World.” In November of 2019, we experienced a traumatic event when my mom’s house burned down. At the age of 87, Mom lost all her possessions, including her piano. But, the Catholic community rallied around her. We started a grass-roots effort to promote the channel and to tell my mom’s story of enduring faith even though she had literally been tested by fire. (Mom’s testament of “Faith Through Fire” can be found on the channel.) Loyola College Prep invited me to speak to the students about Mom’s incredible experience which includes a special “miracle” that took place during the fire. The students provided emotional support by viewing videos and leaving encouraging comments. Several confirmation classes offered service hours to candidates who watched videos, and various youth groups invited me to share the account of the fire and the story behind the channel. Thus, at a very Catholic and local level, we were able to spread the word about Three Generations Singing. During the early days of COVID, the channel really took off. I believe people were looking for a wholesome, happy diversion - a chance to forget their cares for a while. Currently, we have well over one million views and over 80 videos on the channel. We post a variety of selections ranging from faith-based genre to country music to a bit of rock-n-roll. My mom is featured in multiple jazz piano solos as well. At this time, our most popular video is “Wagon Wheel.” However, we have a few other numbers closing in on that top spot. But, across all our recordings, the common denominator is the concept of FAMILY. We have received lovely comments from thousands of viewers who tell us how inspiring it is to see a multi-generational family making music together. So, where do we go from here? As I write this article, our group is under consideration to appear on a syndicated television show in Los Angeles. In the mean time, my mom says that as long as she is able, she will continue to perform for the enjoyment and entertainment of others. She believes that God has given her a mission to give joy through music. How can you help promote this wonderful endeavor? Take a look at Three Generations Singing on YouTube (@ ThreeGenerationsSinging). Please leave comments and give a thumbs’ up on various videos. The more interaction on the channel, the greater the likelihood others will find us. We are also on FB. Keep us in your prayers as we continue to follow this path. Thank you for taking the time to read this article. I hope you will be inspired and blessed, in some way, by Three Generations Singing.

JULIE PETTIETTE DOOLIN, PH.D. Dr. Doolin is available to give presentations regarding this article and various topics related to the Catholic faith. She can be reached at Threegenerationssinging@gmail.com. She is a member of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish.