The Old Songs

I wrote the title, but then I stopped. For the longest time, I just stared at a blank page, the cursor blinking at me impatiently. What should I say? Where should I start? To paraphrase Obi-Wan Kenobi, there’s a disturbance in the Force. It is an end of an era for me.

I recently received my copy of The Harmonizer, the Barbershop Society magazine, and started reading. I stopped at the bottom of page 7. There I learned that my teacher, my mentor, my friend – Lloyd Steinkamp – had died in early January. I could read no further.

I grew up in the Phoenix area and sang with The Phoenicians from 1969 – 1976. During that time, Lloyd Steinkamp was a major influence in the music and presentation of that champion chorus. Whenever he could get a break from his duties with the Barbershop Harmony Society, he would come to our rehearsal on Wednesday nights to give his pep talks, keep us laughing, and making us better. “Take No Prisoners!” was his motto for the 1972 contest in Atlanta, and he made buttons for each of us to wear under our costume. The Phoenicians won the International Championship that year.

Assistant director at Scottsdale

When Lloyd became the director of the Scottsdale Copperstatesmen, I decided that I wanted to take a break from the intense preparation that an International Championship chorus, such as The Phoenicians, demanded. I wanted to relax a bit in this hobby, and joining Scottsdale was the right choice for me.

From the beginning, Lloyd welcomed me as did the other members. Lloyd picked me as an assistant director since I was showing a desire to learn to direct. He and Phil Winston worked with me. We spoke many times about music, arranging, interpretation, and technique.

Beat somebody

One huge difference between the Phoenix and Scottsdale chapters was this: With Phoenix, winning International championships was the primary goal, and they worked hard to achieve that plateau three times (I was there for two). With Scottsdale, Lloyd’s philosophy of competition was different. His motto was: “Beat Somebody!”

The hospitality rooms that Scottsdale always hosted after each contest was called the Loser’s Lounge. Here was Lloyd’s philosophy at its finest. He wanted to showcase the competing quartets that didn’t win medals and make them feel as welcome as if they had just won the championship of the world. He equally loved the medalist and the also-ran.

I’ll never forget my first Far Western District competition with Scottsdale. We were all dressed in black-and-white prison outfits. One size (almost) fit all. We all had prison numbers. I wanted mine to be 98.6, but was assigned another number. I was in the front row that year.

The front row was all chained at the ankle with actual heavy metal chains. At either end of the chain were attached two real heavy bowling balls. We had prisoners, guards, and even a Chaplin. Lloyd was the Warden. He taught the front row a soft-shoe dance complete with clanking chains. It was the most fun I had ever had at a competition.

After the curtain closes on each chorus, the competition and judging stopped. That rule didn’t keep Lloyd from having more fun. A prisoner escaped from our ranks and pushed through the closed curtain, off the stage, and down the aisle of the auditorium. He was followed by the Chaplin, guards, and Lloyd shooting off a blank pistol. Members of the chapter started barking like bloodhounds behind the curtain. There was even a siren that blared. Finally, as the audience laughter was dying down, the front row chain gang clunked through the curtain, off the stage, and down the aisle. We got a standing ovation for the antics AFTER the competition was over.

That was the essence of Lloyd Steinkamp.

Some people come into our lives and leave indelible marks. Lloyd Steinkamp was such a person for me. A lot of who I am now as a director I owe to Lloyd.

Although I hadn’t seen Lloyd in many years, I was hoping to see him in Denver this Summer for the International convention. I guess it wasn’t meant to be. I will miss you, but I will always carry you with me in deep appreciation for all that you did and meant to me. Peaceful rest, my friend.

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