During his 21 year tenure as band director at Godwin Robert T. Traetz changed, shaped, molded, just about every aspect of the music scene. As can be seen below, many of those under his tutelage and influence were successful at many levels while at Godwin, winning awards both inside the school and outside, and went on after graduation to do similar things. Many carried their music interests in to college. Some also made generous contributions to activities like USO events. Still others got involved in area productions of various kinds. So Robert T. Traetz's musical influence cast a wide net.
He was as demanding of himself as he was of any student, and as such he participated in competitions and in musical events of all kinds. As can be seen below, being a successful band director takes a lot of energy. But in addition to a demanding career, it was clearly also a satisfying one in that music was much of what he was about, and even his hobbies involved music. Few ever have the opportunity to so completely merge personal and career interests. This too probably reflects on why he was so successful at Godwin for so many years. One can begin to see below the scope of his achievements, and the extent to which music was both his life, and a big part of what he was able to give to others.
In the mid 1970s the state began to cut funding for the humanities, and after watching for a while as the program he had so carefully built over a 21 year period was dismantled, he decided to retire. The demands of running significant music program, plus endless musical events outside the school, would be taxing under the best of circumstances, and the circumstances were no longer the best. Ultimately one is at the mercy of those holding the purse strings. In any large program, one can get the quality they pay for, but probably will not if the resources are not there. Few argue that operating a large band and orchestra is not expensive, but the question for the funders is what the students get out of it.
Apparently a lot. Many Godwin students went on to music careers, both performing and teaching. And many kept him apprised of their progress after graduating, as one can see below. When his end came, he was returned from Arizona to Michigan for a funeral at the VanderPool Roman Stegenga funeral home, on Division Avenue, just north of 32nd Street. The response and outpouring left little doubt that he had made a lasting mark on the community.
During most his 21 years at Godwin the funds were there to support a great band program, and he took every advantage of that opportunity. The countless awards given to the band and individual members, and the gratitude of countless Godwin music students, speak for themselves.
Unless otherwise noted, all of the material below was provided by Bob Traetz Jr., class of 1962.
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Robert T. Traetz attended the Vandercook School of Music, in Chicago, a school which caters to the needs of developing professional musicians and those wanting to also teach music.
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Robert T. Traetz moved to Kenosha, Wisconsin, after a stint in the Navy. The item above is from 1948, and likely appeared in the Kenosha Evening News. He was also active in the Kenosha DeMolays.
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The Freddie Mann band, in about 1949 or 1950. Robert T. Traetz is shown on one of the trombones. The Freddie Mann ( his real name was Fred Mancuso ) band played a Midwest circuit, including Wisconsin, and was typical of small bands that traveled around and played various nightclub or dance spots. It could be a demanding lifestyle: late nights, lots of travel, bad eating habits, etc.
Clearly Robert T. Traetz enjoyed the ambiance however, because later on he became part of another band, the Rhythmaires. It is quite likely that a balance of teaching and performing strengthened each activity. But over and above that, he clearly just liked making music in any way possible.
Before he came to Godwin, Robert T. Traetz taught at the Muskegon Heights School System for four years. Below are some images from that time.
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Above left, Julie at the Piano, standing, left to right, Bob Lackey, Stan Fleck, Gene Pilzuck, Robert T. Traetz, Warren Stein, Ed Livingston.
The Rhythmaires was quite an active dance band, even in to the 1960s. All of the members of the band were very active in various aspects of music, teaching, selling musical instruments, etc. Julie is Julianne Vanden Wyngaard, who teaches keyboard at Grand Valley State University, Julie is Julianne Vanden Wyngaard, and has been on the faculty for some years.
As can be seen in the images above, the composition of the band changed some over the years, but every member was necessarily an outstanding musician.
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Robert T. Traetz shown with the West Shore Symphony, about 1953.
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The junior and senior bands in the fall of 1955, about the time that Robert T. Traetz took charge of the band program. The size has been made large enough to identify individual band members. A few are out of focus.
One good indicator of the health and vitality of the Godwin band program under the direction of Robert T. Traetz is the recognition given to the band and its individual members both from within and outside the school. By that measure Robert T. Traetz did a commendable job guiding musical activities at Godwin. While the items below only extend to 1963, just eight years into his tenure at Godwin, clearly the quality of band activities was very high already, and continued in that vein until he retired from Godwin in 1976.
The awards shown below of course only reflect the material available at the time this portion of the web site was being created. It's more than likely that they represent but a small fraction of all the students showing outstanding achievement during the years that Robert T. Traetz was the Godwin band director.
| Ceder Springs Red Flanner Festival. |
The size of the crowd at the Ceder Springs event is a testament to a different era, when bands and parades could still draw large crowds. In year 2005 one hears of a few national parades, mostly on Thankgiving and Christmas Day, viewed primarily on TV by couch potatoes.
The last item mentions the Godwin dance band, a notion no doubt quaint in the year 2005, when few actually know how to dance, and are often too heavy to in any case. In the pre TV days of the 1940s, and to some extent the 1950s, dancing was a common activity, in keeping with a more physically fit way of life in general. People walked a lot, participated in athletics, and often rode bikes in their youth. One sees little of this in year 2005.
| Maria Retzlaff and Carol Macomber win awards. |
| Jacqueline Nelson wins award. |
| Glenna Kaiser wins twirling award. |
| Godwin gets division 1 rating. |
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Glenna Kaiser, class of 1958, shown at work above in the right hand image. A twirling champion, according to Bob Traetz Jr. she came from a family of champion twirlers. The image at the left shows that she had clearly impressed a large number of judges in various competitions. Competing in Texas, she became a national champion twirler. Her father owned Kaiser Body Shop.
| Wayne Pierce, Don Druart win awards. |
| Godwin wins Music Man contest. |
| Maria Retzlaff entertains USO. |
| Bernice Watterson wins piano scholarship. |
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Like many of Robert T. Traetz's students at Godwin, Maria Retzlaff, class of 1958, went on to do a variety of things with her musical training, which included a four year scholarship in applied music, including the valuable USO work she is shown performing above. Many Godwin students gave of themselves in this way.
| Sharon Hale entertains USO. |
| Sharon Hale in WMU pageant. |
| Trip to Elkart, IN, to the Conn musical instrument factory. |
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The Godwin band on the steps of the Capitol, March, 1959. The image at the right is a zoom of the band portion of the image at the left. It has been deliberately left large in order to allow the identification of individual band members.
| Godwin band perparing for the World's Fair, May 14, 1965. |
| Godwin band at the World's Fair, 1965. |
| Godwin band at the World's Fair, May 14, 1965. |
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From left to right, the 1955-1956 senior band officers are D. Esakson, E. Gorsky, W. Vanderpool, D. Harvery, M. Sylskar, R. Hendriks.
Godwin High School Concert Band Spring Concert - 1956.
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Everyone catching their breath during a practice session. The person with the bassoon, to the left of Robert T. Traetz, about shoulder level, is Emily Gorsky, class of 1957.
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A guess at the date of the photograph above is 1957, but it certainly could be as early as 1955, which is suggested on the back of the photo. Seated, L to R, Burt Isler, Dorothy Thede, Tom Cordtz, X. Standing, L to R, X, Mary Jane Sack.
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The 1957-1958 junior and senior band. The photograph was taking in the gym.
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Part of the 1957 or 1958 graduation program, the band takes on a more formal look. Before the new physical education building was completed in 1957 or 1958, it might have been more common to have outdoor graduation programs, since the seating capacity in the old gym might not have been adequate by this time. In any case, weather permitting, an outdoor event no doubt had a charm all its own.
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Shown in the row at the bottom, right, are, starting with Robert T. Traetz and working left, Karen Crandel, Helen Spoelstra, and Maria Retzlaff. The even was a Mid-West Band CLinic, in Chicago, in about December, 1958.
The event was sponsored by Vandercook College of Music, in Chicago, and featured music clinics for a for week for participating bands and band members.
Roboert T. Traetz attended Vandercook College of Music, as did Godwin students Bob Traetz Jr. and Bob Pettengill, class of 1962, and Jerry Edwards, class of 1961.
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Apparently some kind of practice session. The looks appear to indicate everything from confusion to fear, but it was presumable all about the process of learning to play music together.
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The 1958-1959 junior and senior band. The photograph was taking in the gym.
Note the tiny majorette to the left of Robert T. Traetz. That is Patty Cummiford. Does anyone know how long she performed as a majorette, or what class she would have been in?
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A photo from about 1959, one sees band members of the future being molded. In this case by Marge Dudley, who taught at Godwin for a few years. The music scholars are Dan Edwards and Larry Benchich. Dan Edwards went on to study music at Grand Rapids Junior College, and then Hope. Larry Benchich also went on to study music in college.
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The images above show a band performance for the dedication of the new Lear Instrument building on Eastern Avenue in 1959. The image at the right shows the context of the band performance. It was a large gathering.
Note in the top middle area of the right hand image one of the last remaining farm houses along Eastern Avenue, between 36th and 44th Streets. Fifty and more years ago farms lines the east side of Eastern Avenue was still mostly small family farms, or at least the land and farm house. A number of Godwin students grew up in this area. By the 1960s Steelcase would buy up the land, as would some other businesses, and in year 2005 there are no more houses along this stretch of Eastern Avenue.
William P. Lear would later sell Lear to the Siegler company, which made heaters, and start Lear Jet. As of year 2005 Lear Siegler is part of the British company Smiths, and all of the former Lear Siegler buildings along Easter Avenue are now empty and looking for occupants. Lear Siegler was interested in the location in part because of its proximity to the airport. The airport is now gone too.
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Some of those in the photograph above are, sitting, left to right, Helen Spoelstra (1959), Deloris Heschele (1961), Connie Stephenson (1961), Norma Shultz (1959), ?. Standing, Karen Crandle (1959), Judy Foerch (1959), Susan Gibfried (1959), Marily Moore (1961 - graduated, but not from Godwin), Sandra Ripmaster (1961). ?, Maria Retzlaff (1959).
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Materila provided by Polly Goeman, class of 1959.
Polly Goeman
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Joining in on a practice session, Robert T. Traetz always displayed a flexible approach to his teaching, getting involved in whatever way made that mades things work. This was long a hallmark of the Godwin system.
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The 1960-1961 Godwin band. The photograph ws taken in the physical education building. As shown in a similar photograph taken in 1963-1964, within four years Robert T. Traetz would have fullfilled his goal of adding a string section to the band, in effect producing a symphony orchestra as well as a band. With this a wide variety of concerts were then possible.
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The trumpet player above is Warren Stein. According to Bob Traetz Jr., he was an outstanding player, and played with some Big Bands, as well as the Rhythmaires, which also included Robert T. Traetz, and Ed Livingston, class of 1953.
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Front row: Jerry Edwards, Bill Heintzelman, Ben Lester, Glen Frazee, Dave Krogh.
Back row: Bob Traetz, Frank Zaccanelli, Rod Shepard.
Apparently instrument sections of the band were periodically photographed. Here some of the horn section.
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Another of the endless practice sessions that, together with more targeted clinics, put the sharp edge on the Godwin band that allowed it to win awards year after year.
Made in about 1963, the album is probably a rarity today. If anyone has a copy in good condition it might be worth converting into a CD, for better preservation, and as an item of band history.
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The image above shows the fruition of one of Robert T. Traetz's goals of adding a string section to the band, in effect making it also a symphony orchestra. Which string players were very common in the 1930s, there were few to none in the 1940s and 1950s. Perhaps this had to do with an emphasis on a band rather than an orchestra. In any case, the string section was clearly back in strength by the time the photograph above was taken.
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Left to right: Burt Bell, Ed Livingston, Robert T. Traetz, H.E.Nutt
The photograph above was taken in about 1964, perhaps at Vandercook College
of Music. Burt Bell was a world reknown tuba play and teacher. Ed Livingston
is class of 1953.
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Ed Livingston, class of 1953, holding the "world's largest tuba," which he eventually owned.
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Material supplied by Rose Russo, class of 1953.
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The person on the left is Bill Smith, class of 1957, and as of the photograph above, a teacher. It is not certain that the photograph was taken in 1965.
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The person at the left is Max Colley. Next is possibly Larry Jensen. Then Terri Williams. The person at the right is not identified at this time.
The photograph above is timeless in the sense that legions of Godwin music students all needed to both learn their instruments and then, like musical soldiers, learn to play them with others, eventually while marching. Otherwise a band is not possible. In these ways the photograph above is symbolic of the process of becoming functioning band members. The white shirts and ties are in themselves symbolic of a more disciplined time, and perhaps no less a part of being an aspiring member of the band than was wearing a band uniform later on.
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Robert T. Traetz and Lynn Todish, about 1965. The exact point of the event is not clear.
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Another example of a band twirler is Diane Liscomb, class of 1966.
Material provided by Bob Traetz Jr., class of 1962.
