Lloyd Hawley worked to bring music to everyone, whether through performing, teaching, running his music store or restoring old bassoons for a new generation of musicians. He lived for his passions: music, family and the outdoors.
Although Hawley died last year, his mission to bring music to everyone will continue at the John S. Duss Memorial Music Conservatory, where he taught saxophone and bassoon. To honor Hawley and to raise funds to continue to provide music education to all who are interested, the conservatory will hold the first annual Lloyd Hawley Memorial Music Marathon Wednesday.
Musicians from the conservatory and from the Duluth area will take turns performing for the 12-hour marathon that will begin at 9 a.m. and end at 9 p.m.
Admission to the marathon is by a pledge either for a specific performer or for an amount of time, which allows access to performances outside and inside the conservatory. Proceeds will go to the Lloyd Hawley Memorial Music Fund that was established upon Hawley's death to receive all memorial money that he and his wife, Carroll, requested be given to the conservatory.
A little over $1,000 was received at that time. "It was so thoughtful of Lloyd. He loved this place and all that happens here for everyone connected to us, and believed whole-heartedly in our mission," wrote John Duss Music Conservatory Director Sister Bernardone Rock, in a letter to conservatory staff in preparation for the marathon.
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Susan Rees, director of public relations for John Duss, said that Hawley and the late 19th century and early 20th century musician John Duss had the same philosophy, that everyone has a right to learn music. People of all ages and abilities take lessons at the conservatory, from children in kindergarten to senior citizens.
Rees said that besides his teaching mission, Hawley volunteered at places like Woodland Hills. "He was just an amazing, giving person," she said.
Hawley began playing the saxophone in the third grade at Lakeside Elementary, and by 17, he was playing the bassoon in the Duluth Symphony. He formed the big band group the Silvertones while in high school, which was successful into the mid '50's. When he was a junior at Central High School, the group received a gig on the French luxury liner the Normandie and cruised across the Atlantic.
"It was really awesome to everybody that these high school kids could be so talented that they could perform on that ship," said Dr. Bob Goldish, who went to high school with Hawley.
"He was very level in his approach to everything. He was a fine musician. He was probably the best saxophonist in high school. Even back then, even since then, he was a very talented, very gentle, very proper person. Just a wonderful guy to get along with," Goldish said.
Goldish plays the saxophone and clarinet and has been in a band that Hawley guest conducted. "He was an excellent conductor," he said. "Really just precise. He was a precise person in everything he did."
Hawley graduated from Central in 1938 and attended Duluth State Teachers College, graduating in 1942 with a degree in music education. During that time, he married Carroll, and together they have four children.
Soon after graduating, he entered the U.S. Army, during which time he bought a Heckel bassoon. His prized Heckel was custom-build for him in Germany by this famous family of bassoon makers, considered to be the best in the world.
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During his career, Hawley taught at Hermantown High School and worked at Miles Music store. When that closed, he opened his own store, Hawley Music, which he ran for many years in downtown Duluth.
Mary Lee bought her first saxophone from Hawley Music 33 years ago. She took over Hawley's teaching position at the conservatory a little over a year ago. "He kind of hand-picked me," Lee said about Hawley. "I remember him as someone who just loved music." She said that he never missed an opportunity to talk about music or to perform. She will be performing a solo piece and duets with her husband Randy Lee.
Just as Lee mentioned, Hawley never missed an opportunity to perform. His house sat next to the Grandma's Marathon route on the North Shore. For years he organized a band, composed of him on saxophone, plus music hobbyists and school band directors, to perform for passing runners. The music was always peppy with such tunes as the "Beer Barrel Polka" and "Stars and Stripes."
"His attire when he played ranged from a tux at the symphony to an outlandish self-created costume with bunny boots for the marathon," said his son Richard, in the eulogy he wrote for his father.
Hawley's neighbor and friend Paul Peterson was a part of those bands. "It was very nice. We had good fellowship with a number of musicians from around the area," he said.
Peterson teaches brass and percussion at the conservatory and said that Hawley was instrumental in getting him to teach there. "When we did the Duss recitals with students, he always made a point of being there for the student." He said Hawley always took a part in the recitals, playing duets or helping students tune and prepare. Peterson will perform at noon during the marathon.
Hawley lived his life around the things he was passionate about. Besides music he also liked the outdoors, as his son explains in the eulogy.
"To describe Lloyd Hawley only as a musician would only be a narrow representation of my father. Hunting, fishing and the outdoors were also integral to his life and lifestyle. Avid does not begin to describe his passion for fishing," said Richard Hawley.
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In later years, Hawley began restoring bassoons. New, the instruments can cost up to $60,000 for a top-of-the-line model like the Heckel he was so proud of. Even a lower-quality instrument can be $16,000 or a few thousand for the Chinese bassoon. He developed his own tools and made his own reeds, which took a lot of patience and skill.
His son called this a "labor of love." In the eulogy, Richard said, "He researched the construction and design, was able to pinpoint the effect of variation of one ten-thousandth of an inch of diameter on tonal quality. With crude, yet precise, self-developed tools, he customized an imported Chinese bassoon. He gleamed with pride and compared the results to his Heckel."
Also in his eulogy, Richard described what he learned from his father. "... I learned from Dad it's about relationships and sharing passions. Above all, with his music it was about sharing. When he played, the passion came through his instrument. There was a smile, even as he clinched the reed."
News to use
The Lloyd Hawley Memorial Music Marathon 2004 will be held at the John S. Duss Memorial Music Conservatory, 2211 Greysolon Road, on Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Performances will take place inside and outside the conservatory. Refreshments will be available. Admission is free with a pledge, and visitors may come and go as they wish during the 12-hour music marathon.
The following performances will take place: Julianna Webb, flute, 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Carolyn Carver, violin and Helmi Harrington, accordion, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Tom O'Hara, guitar, 11 a.m. to noon. Paul Peterson, baritone horn, noon to 12:30 p.m. Sister Mary Margaret Delaski, FSE, harp, 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. Curtis Hanson, voice, 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sister Mary Margaret Delaski, FSE, harp, 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Doug Maguire, piano, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Sister Bernardone Rock, piano, 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Curtis Hanson, voice, 4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sister Mary Margaret Delaski, harp, 4:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Mary Lee, saxophone, 5 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tom Shuey, bagpipes, 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Local bands will play from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Big Lake Brass band, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sandra Eller, piano, 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.
