Paul Mueller and Jamée Ard are both musicians who met in New York City and spent their professional lives in Manhattan. Paul was a conductor, keyboard player and, with a predilection leaning toward the academic realm, he taught for 30 years at Hunter College, a division of the City University of New York (CUNY). After earning a degree from The Julliard School, Jamee accepted an administration position there, later earning another degree and becoming a music therapist for hospice patients.
Music has always permeated their lives and continues to do so today. Paul currently sings in their church choir and local community choruses, teaches a music class and plays the keyboard…and while he played only classical music throughout most of his life, Paul has joined a rock band at Highland Green. He is also an accomplished organist and pianist, making himself available as needed in those capacities as well. Jamée performs in the Midcoast Symphony Orchestra and the Bates Symphony Orchestra and plays both the oboe and English horn.
Paul and Jamée’s relationship with Maine is also an extensive and pleasing one, beginning when a friend of theirs invited them to weekend in Bar Harbor, and ending with them spending every Memorial Day weekend there for 12 years. Over the years, they have also enjoyed vacationing in Portland and weekly cottage rentals in Maine; and toward the end of their professional lives, Paul and Jamee purchased a cottage in the Kennebunk area.
As the couple began thinking about retirement, they conducted extensive research which included Long Island, Piper Shores Retirement Community in Scarborough, a Kendal home in West Chester and various communities with college campus associations. Then, after noticing that OceanView Retirement Community had sponsored a performance of Opera Maine they attended, they visited there too. That is where they learned of Highland Green.
They instantly fell in love with the sense of Independent Living at Highland Green and how all of the activities there are resident-driven. Highland Green’s unique picturesque landscaping and beautiful homes seduced them too, as did the way that existing residents welcomed them into their homes so that they could see and learn even more.
“We met so many nice people – people we knew we could really be friends with, and they all had such positive things to say about Highland Green,” said Jamée. Paul adds, “You can buy a house anywhere, but it is the community that is so important. When you are retired, you don’t want to spend 20 years finding new friends. We didn’t have to. We found a welcoming community of like-minded people at Highland Green.”
That was how Paul and Jamée became newly minted Highland Green residents and, according to them, the move-in process was a fast, but very smooth one. At first, Paul and Jamée were set on building their retirement home at Highland Green, but then they found a Highland Green “Available Now Home” they adored. Not wanting to miss an amazing opportunity, they quickly bid on the home on a Tuesday, their offer was accepted that Friday, a home inspection took place the following week and they closed the following month. “It all happened so quickly, but everything fell into place quite easily,” said Paul.
The couple lived in an apartment in New York for 40 years, so Paul is enjoying spending time outside gardening and, he adds, “the joy of not mowing or worrying about clearing snow.” Paul has joined the bridge club at Highland Green. He also serves on the steering committee for Art Jaunts, organizing interesting local art trips with lunch in various venues, “which are great fun because they are not only cultural and intellectual, but social.” In addition, Paul has a passion for pottery and is thrilled to have discovered a great pottery studio in Bowdoinham, just ten minutes from Highland Green.
Jamée enjoys Highland Green’s Fiber Group, which she says is filled with master knitters; and the fact that she, Paul and another Highland Green resident were able to reconstitute Friendship Socials, which are casual cocktail hours held every other month or so. “It’s a great way to meet other residents in small groups,” says Jamée.
This interesting couple has frequently traveled to Europe and beyond, having visited Vietnam/Cambodia, Australia/New Zealand, Egypt/Jordan, Scotland, Norway, Sicily, and Switzerland/Germany since arriving in Maine in 2023. They are also staunch supporters of Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust and have been on several hikes with Highland Green residents and on their own throughout their beautiful surroundings.
Paul and Jamée also love the golf course and the fact that since they live so close, they can just call to see what tee times are available and be there in five minutes! Plus, they enjoy the camaraderie inspired by the community dinners in the adjacent pub and add that the pub is a great, easily accessible option for dinner. Longstanding foodies from New York, Paul and Jamée also like to frequent the restaurant scene in Portland.
We’ll end on this note – The couple says that the arts are more prevalent in this area than they realized, from the Portland Orchestra, to many high quality ensembles. So they are still able to attend a great deal of concerts. They have also recently extended their musical investigation into Boston and they have a weeklong New York City trip planned with concert tickets for every night of their visit!
Paul says, and Jamée agrees, “Highland Green was such a good match for us.” Music to our ears.
