Addie Lou Lay

A lielong resident of Rome, Georgia. She was a piano teacher and gave lessons from her home on West Eighth Avenue.

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Photo: Pat Millican at Find A Grave

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Lay&GSiman=1&...

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Through the Love of Libraries Comes the Power of Knowledge

September 30, 2011

By Dana Davis

Highlander - Georgia Highlands College E-zine

"I grew up spending summers in the Carnegie library in downtown Rome. Now it’s a city administrative building, which I discovered on my return to Rome after 30 years away. I can’t bring myself to walk in to see the changes there because the picture I have of it in my mind’s eye remains vivid, and I don’t want to lose that childhood snapshot. The circulation desk towered just inside the front door, and as a child, I could barely reach the top to hand in my return books.

Of course, most of my time was spent in the children’s section downstairs, next to the meeting room where I also performed yearly as a participant in tedious piano recitals hosted by the blue-haired piano teacher Addie Lou Lay (a lovely lady, though I found the tint to her hair a bit off-putting). I still remember the smell of aging paper and old binding adhesive, made even more pungent by the lack of air conditioning. As I explored the stacks looking for Greek and Roman mythology, the odor seeped permanently into my pores. That lower-level room presented me with such treasures as the Secret Garden, The Wind in the Willows and an entire series of Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew adventures."

http://highlander.highlands.edu/?p=732

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who knows about Rhonda (blog by Rhonda Beall)

TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2011

THE RECITAL

"Well I loved the piano and I dearly loved Ms. Eleanor because she came to the house for the lessons. I learned alot from her. One day, my uncle Kerwin came up from Florida and was re-acquainted with Ms. Eleanor. It was love at first sight. They married and went back to Florida and I lost my piano teacher. It just so happened that my dad had heard about another teacher who lived on 8th Avenue near the Catholic school of St. Mary's. I had to go to her house for the lessons and I didn't like it. But she had a beautiful home with lots of antiques and a baby grand piano. I had never seen a piano like it. It sounded so much better than mine. It was hard for me to practice after playing on her piano. But I worked hard because she told me that I had improved enough that I could play a more grown-up song. I couldn't wait. But low and behold, she picked a song that I had never heard of. "The Theme From Liebestraume" by Franz Liszt. It means "Dreams of Love" in German. Well I didn't speak German and after World War II, I sure didn't want any song to do with them. But she insisted, saying it was a beautiful song and forget it was German. Okay, so I practiced and practiced until I could almost play the piece by heart. Mother bought me a gorgeous dress of mint green and I got new shoes and gloves. I just couldn't see me playing with gloves on so I left them at home. But my dress was so sheer that you could see right through it. It had an underskirt that was satine the same color. The top looked like it had embroidered flowers all over it and they were a darker color of green. I was scared and nervous, afraid to go in front of all those people. My teacher, Miss Addie Lou Lay, just told me to look at the ceiling and at the piano and I would do fine. When it came my turn, I walked very carefully up to the piano and sat down. I didn't dare try to move the bench 'cause I was afraid I would turn it over. I raised my hands in the beginning position and started to play. Everything went fine and when I finished, the audience started to clap and I got up and took a small bow and walked into the wings behind the curtain. It was a great experience and I got flowers. It was better than going to the circus. I continued to take lessons for another year and then my interests were on dancing so I dropped piano and dad sold the piano. But you know, when I was about 48 years old, I started back again and found out that you never forget the notes...."

http://whoknowsaboutrhonda.blogspot.com/2011/03/recital.html

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December 18, 1949, Rome News Tribune

Miss Addie Lou Lay Gives Pupils Party After Recital

Miss Addie Lou Lay gave a Christmas party at her studio on West Eighth Avenue this afternoon for her large class in piano which numbers 34.

The pupils were the only guests and they presented a program of piano numbers and sang carols.

There were Christmas decorations and a refreshment hour.

https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=348&dat=19991219&id=5XgvAAAA...

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March, 1964, Rome News-Tribune

In celebration of the 10th anniversary, the Rome Music Lovers Club presented the operetta, “Hansel and Gretel.” The cast included Miss Beulah Adamson, Edward Proctor, Mrs. Howard Hall, Misses Susie Bowie and Lula Warner, Mrs. George Watts, Miss Addie Lou Lay, and the group of “dream angels” Misses Mildred Moultrie, JessieHine, Janie Fahy and Frances Randle.

http://www.northwestgeorgianews.com/rome/lifestyles/rome_life/years...

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June 1965, Rome News-Tribune

Miss Addie Lou Lay was to return to Baltimore to pursue her studies in piano at the Peabody Conservatory during the summer.

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Rome News-Tribune - Jun 21, 1971

Funeral services for Miss Addie Lou Lay, of 3 Eighth Ave., who died Sunday in a Rome hospital following an extended illness, were held today at 3 p.m. at the graveside in Myrtle Hill Cemetery with Dr. Floyd Roebuck officiating.

Miss Lay was born in Rome, the daughter of the late James and Millie King Lay. She was educated in the Rome city schools and was a graduate pupil in piano of Mrs. W. P. Harbin. She studied with Mrs. Crosby Adams in Montreat, N.C., at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Md., and the University of Georgia. She was a member of the First Baptist Church and the Rome Music Teachers' Association. Survivors include several cousins.

Daniel's Funeral Home had charge of arrangements.

https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=348&dat=19710621&id=Gk9NAAAA...