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“TOWN CRIER” NEWSLETTER COPY - AUGUST 2002 DESMOND … DID YOU KNOW? Meet Ruth Hellkamp, our Scrimshaw pianist for the past 22 years! Ruth began her “gig” at The Desmond in November of 1980, when she stopped in - on a lark - to inquire about playing in Scrimshaw. Although slightly inhibited by the magnificent beauty and exquisite upper registers of the instrument on which she auditioned, Ruth’s Scrimshaw debut impressed the food & beverage director, and she received a phone call about a month later which began her Scrimshaw career! It wasn’t long before Ruth received the great privilege of becoming the Scrimshaw pianist on a permanent basis, as she began entertaining and delighting diners in Scrimshaw 6 nights a week for the next 14 years! Ruth’s career at The Desmond paralleled her “day jobs,” originally as a Home Economics teacher at Cohoes Middle School, and more recently as a loan officer at Nova Star Mortgage in Latham. Playing in Scrimshaw has become a huge part of Ruth’s identity, and her evening performances in Scrimshaw are now her way of life. Ruth looks back on the past twenty-two years with fond memories of the nearly one-hundred celebrities she has had the opportunity to meet including Tom Jones, Perry Como, Cyd Charisse & Tony Martin, The Smother’s Brothers, Rosemary Clooney, and most recently, Michele Pfeiffer, while in Albany shooting a movie. Ruth’s Scrimshaw experience has led to other musical opportunities, including composing, producing and recording a soundtrack for a local commercial production company. Ruth studied at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, and her extensive repertoire includes light classical, pop, Broadway show tunes, standards and jazz. Always interested in chatting with the Scrimshaw diners, Ruth graciously accepts requests for meaningful songs for anniversaries, birthdays and other special events celebrated in the elegant Scrimshaw dining room. Given Ruth’s extraordinary passion for her music, and for the spectacular instrument on which she works her magic, it’s easy to understand how Ruth has missed only 2 nights of work in over 22 years at The Desmond!! Well done, Ruth! You can hear Ruth Hellkamp perform on the spectacular Steinway piano every Friday and Saturday evening in Scrimshaw. |
