~ "We pray that others hear the voice of God in our harmonies" ~
In fourth grade in Newton, Kansas, I had a chance to learn to play an instrument and play in a band. What instrument would be right for me? My cousin, Ken, had an old trombone that he was not using. That synched my decision. Yes. Trombone.

I was a tall skinny kid with long arms — just the right equipment for moving a slide out to seventh position. Thus started my public school music career which lasted through my junior year of high school. In my senior year I started aspiring to be an industrial engineer and the multitude of preparatory classes squeezed out the class period required for concert band.

Thus my trombone career came to an end. But the memory lingered that in ninth grade I had played in a brass quartet — two trumpets, baritone, and trombone — I think. That was a nice configuration — nice blend, but with the possibility of hearing each distinct instrument.

Many years passed — college, graduate school, work, marriage, and parenthood. I was now in Goshen, Indiana, running my own management consulting firm. I was part of a Kiwanis club and each December we would stand on street corners and ring bells to collect funds for the Salvation Army. In 1991 my friend, Dave, started thinking that there must be a better way to attract public attention to this giving opportunity than ringing those mind-jingling bells. How about a little brass band to play traditional Salvation Army arrangements of familiar Christmas songs? Thus my trombone career was resuscitated and my instrument came out of storage after twenty-two years of inactivity.

It was fun. Our small group of rusty old musicians brought the old Christmas favorites back to life. And the holiday shoppers were generous enough to share some compliments and cheer us on.

One year we recruited a tuba player, Ray Maierle, who was not part of the Kiwanis club. The tuba was a great addition and Ray became a good friend. We began talking about the joy of playing with a small ensemble. Wouldn't it be great to have a small group that played all year long — perhaps in churches — rather than just on street corners at Christmas?

About five years later, in 1996, I got a call from Ray. He was pulling together a brass quintet. Was I interested in joining. After a brief conversation with my wife, Anne, I called back with a tentative "yes".

Ray knew the other three, but the four of us were mostly strangers. What kind of group did we want to create? Where would be play? Our initial vision was to practice together once a week and perform once a month — probably in Sunday morning church services.

We barely made it through those first church services. I was a timid player. Many people couldn't even hear me. (That sure is a safe way to insure that I would never be heard making a mistake.) In a few months I armed myself with a new (used) trombone and a little more confidence. Listeners started to hear me and said they liked what they heard.

Now seven years later we play for weddings, concerts in parks, community events, company parties, and church services. We have matching suits and suitcases full of masterfully arranged music for quintets. We often perform more than once a month. The five of us have become good friends. We delight in the blend we can create when we listen carefully to each other. We pray that others hear the voice of God in our harmonies. We seek to praise, inspire, and provide comfort.

Thank you God, for all the corners and detours that have brought us this far. Guide us as we journey forward.

Dennis R. Koehn