Why I Listen to MITM
by Peter K. Ackerman
Tina Sinatra stood with her arms crossed in front of me looking me directly in the eye as she asked: “Are you one of THE Ackerman’s?” Now this is a loaded question in Hollywood. To be one of THE anything could bring favor or distain depending on the history. I knew some of the history of my dad and her dad, and that was not always good, but on that morning in 1991 I answered honestly; that I was the son of television Executive Producer, Harry Ackerman, and actress Elinor Donahue.
That answer ended up being a good one. It turns out that when my father was the Executive Producer for shows like “Bewitched,” and more, he had given Tina a break early in her career. Now, I was standing before her, awaiting her okay to become one of the office Production Assistants on the “Sinatra” Miniseries that she was Executive Producing. Needless to say, I got the job! As a fan of Frank and the rest, as well as a life-long lover of the music we know as “The Standards,” this was, for me, a wonderful opportunity.
Through my affiliation with Tina, my wife and I got to see her dad in concert a couple of times, and added to the many experiences and luminaries in the genre who I got to meet over my lifetime in and around show business. These include Jack Jones, to whom my mother was once engaged, and Arthur Hamilton (composer of “Cry Me a River” and more) whose daughter I dated for a brief time in high school, and Bobby Troup and Julie London whose daughter, Kelly, I went to grade school with! It is no wonder that I am one of the many who truly feel “at home,” when I listen to Martini in the Morning?
I was introduced to the station through a friend who posted that he was listening one morning on Facebook (see…it works!) and I immediately checked it out and have become a regular listener whose name is mentioned occasionally – “Peter the priest!” In the middle 1990’s I began a career change that led me to becoming an ordained Episcopal priest, and I now live in Alexandria VA with my wife and our kids and serve a parish in nearby Springfield. The connection to the people in my past and especially to the music happens through MITM, which I listen to and support financially as I can, on a regular basis.
I find that what Martin in the Morning shares is, for me, both inspiring and comforting. Instead of coffee, some “Sinatra at 6” will usually give me caffeine like jolt to begin my day. It is also the same music that helps me focus as a prayerfully ruminate and compose my Sunday sermons, or in the midst of trying to take a break in the midst of a busy day, the music offers the needed comforting respite.
Additionally, as a member who chooses to engage with Martini in the Morning I love visiting the chat room and having discussions about the music and lives of the other listeners. I am humbled and honored that on occasion I have been invited to minister to people from afar, answering their questions about their faith journey, or offering prayers for their concerns. How wonderful it is to be able to live my vocation from afar with people who I may never meet in person. It is like having a family of which Brad, Mother Miriam and others are the founders.
Martini in the Morning is as intrinsic to my life now, as the music they play is to my past – there are memories brought forth, and new ones created. Though I have unique stories to share, like my conversation with Tina Sinatra, I pray that my overall story and experience with MITM is not unique; that you find elements of what I share in my story are contained in yours as well. If so, then share it! Share the joy with others in the chat room, or think about putting a couple of bucks into the MITM “offering plate” so that together we can help keep the platform going, so that your soul and the souls of many others can continue to soar in the unique way offered by Martini in the Morning!