Al Haas performing at Aquus Cafe. Photo courtesy of Chris Samson.
We’re lucky to have great musicians visit COTS, usually through Marin nonprofit Bread and Roses. They perform wonderful shows that lift people for days.
But when Dr. Al Haas brings his guitar to the Mary Isaak Center, he lifts voices—and spirits stay lifted for weeks.
“When is that guy coming back?” we hear. “When can you get that doctor guy back? I loved those songs.”
Al brings lyric sheets, but he also takes requests, strumming out the classic rock and folk that we all forgot we know.
His baritone doesn’t command. It invites. And soon, people who barely speak a word all day are lifting their heads and singing.
Newly retired from a long career as a Kaiser allergist, Al says singing together has been the through-line of his life. “Some of my happiest times were sitting at the foot of my dorm hall steps, playing while everybody sang. Singing together brings us all to the same place.” It’s connected him with the generations of his family and the people he meets from other cultures. Now, it connects him with our residents.
Al and his wife Katie [also a wonderful volunteer] have been longtime COTS donors. “Doing music with people at COTS lets me express my care in a different way.”
In December, Al played for COTS residents, staff and board members as we lit candles to remember the people the COTS community lost in 2019.
He felt a little pressure about it, he says. He wanted to console, he wanted to honor. He wanted to make it perfect.
“I’m still learning,” Al says. “I was making it about me, me, me.”
“Then, Raymond Dougherty [COTS board member and a nondenominational chaplain at Kaiser] gave me a gift. He asked for ‘This Little Light of Mine.’ “
“A sing-a-long was just what we needed,” Al says. “Every voice wants to be heard, especially at a time like that. Raymond gave me a gift that then I could give to other people.”
All roads seemed to lead Al and Katie to COTS. They wanted to support a local charity and many of their friends from Cinnabar Theater worked at COTS or supported us. Al also had a special relationship with our founder, Laure Reichek.
“About ten years ago, I got to know Laure because she was always at the Water Street Bistro. She’s French and she teaches French. I always loved languages and we would chat a bit.” They went to San Francisco to see a band, and, while on Van Ness, Laure rolled down the window to hand someone money and offer encouragement. “She told me about being a founding member of COTS. I have a lot of admiration for her,” Al says. Laure’s also been a guest artist on a few of Al’s concerts, singing a few French pop standards.
Al’s retirement is full of songwriting, gardening, biking, family, friends and “puttering.” We are grateful that he makes the time to help every voice be heard.
Thank you, Al!
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