When Bob Ferguson and Marty Pushkar walk into an Audiences Unlimited performance, they don’t just bring instruments—they bring a time machine.
Their setlists move with ease from last century’s mid-teens through the 1970s, carrying audiences through pop standards, early jazz-era favorites, and the kind of songs you don’t just remember—you feel. In senior living communities across northeast Indiana, those songs have a way of turning quiet afternoons into something brighter: toe taps, smiles, shared stories, and the occasional dancer who decides the room needs a little more joy.
How a guitar lesson became a duet
Marty first met Bob the way a lot of meaningful partnerships begin: with a simple step forward. “Bob is my guitar teacher,” Marty said. After Marty’s wife passed away, he was looking for something steady to hold onto—something creative, something life-giving. In 2018, he found Bob online, picked up a jazz guitar, and began taking lessons.
But the connection didn’t stop at instruction. When Bob’s former AUE partner retired, Bob knew he wanted to keep performing—and he knew exactly who to ask next. “I hit Marty up, and he agreed to do it,” Bob said. “It was a logical choice.”
Marty remembers being surprised by the invitation—and deeply honored. “Bob is an institution in Fort Wayne,” Marty said. “I was really surprised that he asked me.”
Two years later, their duo has become a familiar and welcome name in senior living communities across the region—“Bob & Marty” in the same breath, like a favorite radio show.
A lifelong love of music—two different beginnings, one shared purpose
Marty’s musical story started in childhood with the soundtrack of his parents’ home: classical records, jazz albums, and names like Henry Mancini floating through the room. Marty remembers begging for piano lessons, but a piano just wasn’t possible. That’s when fourth-grade band opened the door. Marty started on clarinet, eventually studying music theory and composition in college. “Music became my canvas,” Marty said.
Bob’s musical origin story has a different spark—one that will instantly resonate with anyone who remembers the cultural earthquake of the early 1960s. “I’m so old,” Bob said, “I remember when the Beatles were on Ed Sullivan.” Bob picked up the guitar, took lessons in middle school, and ultimately pursued music seriously—earning degrees in music and history, and later graduate work in guitar performance.
Bob built a life of public performance—schools, libraries, restaurants, freelance work—alongside teaching, including running the guitar program at IPFW for about seven years. From 1985 to 2020, his radio program Guitar Showcase aired weekly on Northeast Indiana Public Radio, 89.1 FM. More recently, he’s poured his expertise into shaping the craft on a national level as editor of Soundboard, quarterly journal of the Guitar Foundation of America.
And yet, for both Bob and Marty, Audiences Unlimited has become one of the most meaningful stages of all.
A songbook built for memory
Bob & Marty’s performance sets span multiple decades—some songs reaching back nearly a century, others feeling like the heartbeat of the 1950s and 60s. Because they return to many of the same senior living communities each month, they make a point to keep things fresh.
“If we’ve been to a place before, we try to vary what we play for them,” Bob said. “We establish a core repertoire, and then we swap things in and out depending on what the audiences have heard.”
The moments that stay with you
Ask any AUE musician what keeps them coming back, and you’ll hear about the people. Marty tells the story of one performance where a woman stood up and danced—sweet, spontaneous, and completely unforgettable.
Another time, audience members requested a song. Bob and Marty went home, learned it, and brought it back—because that’s what it means to treat people like they matter.
But some memories hit even deeper.
“The second time I played with Bob,” Marty said, “an older gentleman came up after we finished—practically in tears. He hadn’t heard these songs in 50 years. It was so heartfelt and genuine. That’s when I realized what Audiences Unlimited was all about.”
Bob sees the impact too, over and over. “People come up and talk all the time,” he said. “They seem to be very appreciative.”
Why Audiences Unlimited matters
“The idea of doing this as a community service really appealed to me,” Bob said. “Of all the performing I’ve done in my life, I’ve enjoyed this the most.” Marty didn’t even know an organization like this existed until Bob brought him in—but now he can’t imagine life without it.
“After performing for AUE for two years,” Marty said, “I love playing for these audiences. Watching the reaction of the people—it hits me right in the heart.”
Both musicians also appreciate the professionalism behind the scenes—the kind of care that makes artists feel supported and communities feel respected. “I love to work for them because they are a totally professional organization,” Bob said. “They do a great job.”
The gift goes both ways
At the end of the day, Bob & Marty aren’t chasing applause. They’re chasing connection. Marty says it simply: “We don’t look at AUE as a job. We’re going out and making people happy.”
And if you ask them what they wish more people knew about Audiences Unlimited? Bob’s answer is clear: it’s worth supporting, because it’s done well—and because it matters.
If you’d like to help bring more performances like Bob & Marty’s to people with limited access to the arts, Audiences Unlimited invites you to give the gift of music—and keep these moments coming, one song at a time. Donate here!
