Remembering Mark Trautwein

I have been remembering my High School band experiences this morning. More particularly, I have been remembering our High School Band Director, Mark Trautwein. What a remarkable man with an incredible gift of music! He is truly blessed of God.

When I arrived in High School, I had been playing First Chair, First Section trumpet in Grade School . . . and pretty much was sure I would 'wow' the High School. Oddly enough, God had the audacity to place very talented trumpet players in High School who were both 'upper classmen' and unwilling to just let me take their place. 'How dare they?, I thought as I took my place as the Second Chair in the Third Section, 'I'll show them!'

To top off the insult and teach another lesson in humility, Marissa High School had hired a brand new, just out of college Band Director by the name of Mark Trautwein. Mark came to Marissa, a small rural town in Southern Illinois, sporting 'long hair' (not a flat top), a mustache (not clean-shaven), an infectious laugh and an unending supply of optimism regarding the talents of his students. To summarize, the students loved him and the parents were suspicious of him . . . ah, the wonders of the early 70's!

Our band had one person playing sousaphone as we started the year and Mark looked at me and asked, "Would you play the sousaphone?" I thought, 'Are you nuts?? I'm a great trumpet player!' Then, I looked down the line of 'great trumpet players' and thought, 'Maybe I should play the sousaphone.' So, to the big brass instruments I went, Mark skillfully helping me make the transition which turned out to be great fun and lasted two years before I went back to the trumpet section. Mark also taught me how to play the string bass for the 'Dance Band' (which would be the only way I could play with that group as a freshman). Looking back, Mark saw in all of us in the band what, often, we did not or could not see ourselves: He saw potential, he saw gifts, he saw God at work.

Much as Michelangelo believed that he never sculpted out of stone anything which wasn't already there, Mark saw in his students that which was just waiting to be released into the complexity and awe of creation. His task: to enable the release, to chisel away the surrounding stone, to free the possibilities, which is exactly what he did for me and many, many others . . . and I have been thinking of him this morning with a grateful smile on my lips.

In many ways, Mark Trautwein's understanding of music and the many ways to bring notes to life in music through marching band, concert band, dance band, and musicals (and who really knows how many other ways Mark has inspired people!) has announced throughout all of creation the nearness of the Kingdom. In my life, Mark Trautwein inspired a fundamental attitude of, 'There is music to be played in your life. Just play it!', and I have never forgotten that lesson. Many have been the times when all I could see were the folks ahead of me who were better than me and nearly became lost in despair - and many have been the times I remembered the sousaphone, the string bass, and daring to try out for 'Oklahoma!' as a Senior. God places among us people who lift us from the nearing abyss of 'cannot', who move us to the mountaintop of 'what might be', and we know them, even name them, as 'friend', 'hero', 'mentor', and 'teacher'.

Mark is all of those and more, at least in my eyes, as I am sure he is to many, many others, but the greatest thing that Mark is to us all is, 'child of God'. He knows by Whom he is known, through Whom he is gifted, in Whom he is blessed, and such is how he lives his life - and I am ever so grateful. As I am giving thanks to God this day for Mark and thinking of him with a smile, I would encourage you to remember those who inspire you, as well, and ponder how you, too, might make the difference in the life of another. Is this not what Christ has taught?

Thank you, Mark, for making me smile with joy today.

Have a blessed day everyone!