Here’s another voice jury from the past couple days that really made me smile. Jon Habermaas is one of those later- in-life college students that adds so much to a campus like Carthage. I’m not sure how old he is, so let’s just say that he’s somewhere between 3 and 103. He is primarily studying organ at Carthage and some courses related to our church music degree, although it’s a little uncertain just where all of this will ultimately lead. But he has thrown himself into the pursuit with great gusto, even in the face of a fairly serious health setback earlier this year. I was about to make an allusion to the Ever-Ready Bunny, except that there’s nothing pink nor fuzzy about Jon – plus there also seems to be something rather frantic and even somewhat mindless about the way that bunny keeps beating that bass drum of his. Jon isn’t like that at all. He has a wonderful serenity about him – and enough confidence and self-assurance to take things at just the right pace. To be around him is to have this sense that everything is going to be okay- but not in a Pollyanna, don’t-bother-me-with-the-facts sort of way. Jon has been around long enough to know that life has plenty of good mixed with some bad and the best thing you can do is Get On With It – and enjoy it while you do!
Certainly Jon – along with most college students who are well beyond the typical collegian’s 18-22 age range – has a profound appreciation for school and probably walks down the hallway even on the toughest days so grateful and happy to be there. Actually, you almost almost see such students sitting at the very front of the room, arriving ten minutes early for class, assignments for the next three weeks already completed in triplicate- every page of the assigned read already read- and hand already raised in the air for when the teacher poses his or her first question to the class. Such Eager Beaver-ness (I just made up that word) is rapturously received by professors who are so thrilled to have such students – and rather less so by most of the regular age students, who probably feel like the equivalent of an academic Don Knotts next to Brad Pitt. It is no fun to be shown up, and I’m only glad that some of those younger students manage to quit complaining and rolling their eyes long enough to get off their keester and work a little harder.
But I digress, because in fact Jon does not fit the above description of the typical later-in-ife student at all. As I said earlier, Jon has an easy going affability about him and that’s also true in the classroom which makes him a very welcome presence in every way. He does great work- don’t get me wrong – but he manages to do so without seeming like he’s running for Valedictorian and Prom King all at once.
Our voice lessons were a bit scattershot, due to his poor health hiatus and to some stubborn scheduling issues, and although he was working hard, he was struggling with things like really learning the words of his Italian song, breathing deeply and in the right places, and just getting his voice to flow more smoothly and healthfully. So imagine my supreme delight when Jon walked up on the stage of the recital hall, opened up his mouth, and nearly shook the nails from the rafters as he thundered through the opening line of “Deep River.” It was like something had taken hold of this gentle man and transformed him into some kind of big, burly lumberjack. Nick Sluss-Rodionov, no slouch himself when it comes to big, impressive bass voices, was sitting outside the recital hall waiting to accompany someone, and he actually perked up at the sound of this big bass voice roling through the air. “Who in the world is that?” he wondered.
Why, that was Big Jon- Big Jon Habermaas, that is. We are not talking a perfect performance by any means, but any errors paled in comparison to the glorious sound which rolled out of his throat, into the recital hall, and probably to many points beyond. And although I wish I could take credit for that, I feel like it was more a matter of Jon stepping up and singing on that stage for the first time and finding himself inspired to the highest of heights. And unlike a lot of people who would be undone or intimidated by a new challenge in a new place, Jon sang like it was supposed to be fun . . . which of course is how it’s supposed to be.
Which reminds me of something else I like so much about Jon – which is that he is a very intelligent, well=spoken and well=read individual. . When Jon stops by my office, it is always a pleasure- especially when he has something nice to say about that day’s morning show (there is no better way to earn brownie points from me than to be a Morning Show listener) or when he has an inquisitive question about something. He is clearly not done learning- not by a long shot !
But even more than his probing and impressive mind, I love Jon’s heart. He is like the best part of everyone’s favorite grandpa, and I’m not referring particularly to his advanced age but simply to the generosity of his spirit and the warmth with which he looks at the world and at us.
“if music be the food of love, sing on!” So goes a famous song by Henry Purcell. Sing on, Jon Habermaas. Your song has obviously served you well thus far, and it’s a song the world needs to hear.
pictured: Jon Habermaas right after having completed his voice jury.