Jim Salestrom

August 23, 2017
Notable Alumni

Thoughts from the graduate…

I remember KHS as being a wonderful time in my life. When the new middle school was built next to the old high school, I was in the 8th grade transferring from Holdrege to Kearney (I won the Bobby Hauver Music award in 9th grade). I lived right across the street from the KHS auditorium on 6th Ave so as you can imagine, I was late just about everyday for homeroom. (My home room teacher was not amused.)

I was playing in a church folk-rock service starting in 9th grade at a place called Campus Lutheran at Kearney State College. There were rehearsals for that on Wed nights and then my brother Chuck and I started Timberline with some of the college guys… that kept me up late rehearsing all the time and eventually playing night clubs and then colleges on the weekends.

In theater, I managed to be in the Wizard of Oz (Cowardly Lion), The Odd Couple (I won an award for playing the character “Speed”), Guys and Dolls (Nicely Nicely Johnson), The Fantastiks (El Gallo) and I was Emile DeBeck in South Pacific (trying to sing and sound like Mario Lanza on the song “Some Enchanted Evening” was fun).

I really liked my teachers back then 1972-73-74: Drama with Rick Keubler, English classes with Tom and Jim Anderson, Band with Ralph Spongberg (1st chair trombone), Chorus with Fran Wilson, English classes with Connie Francis, Tennis with Coach McCann- (Greg Kirby and I got 2nd in Class B doubles) and all things involved with KHS including being the Music Editor on the school paper, The Echo.

I remember my guidance counselor told me as a Junior I had enough credits to graduate from High School midterm my Senior year. I was bummed to not stay, as that last semester would have been so much fun. I could have had a big role to play as a senior, but our band Timberline was playing colleges all over the country and we were about to get signed to CBS EPIC records. Unfortunately high school was keeping that from happening. So, I didn’t go to college. I don’t think that was a great idea then, nor now. I wish I would have had that higher education (college education gives you the rounded out stuff that’s very hard to learn on your own) and the music theory would have been most helpful (Fran Wilson gave us a 1st year freshman course in music theory but he knows and I know there’s so much harder to learn especially on your own – I had to learn it the hard way).

I would suggest this to those who might be reading this, Kearney High School offers you a really solid education. A base! Try to do your best….do what’s asked. Keep your eyes on your prize, whatever your mind can dream. You can go anywhere and be anything… if you want it badly enough. I am living proof that KHS can give you the foundation to win an Emmy Award, record a national released album, become a part of a Superstar’s life (Dolly Parton and John Denver), raise a family, buy a home, and live happily ever after. Never give up on your Dreams! Thanks a million for reading about mine and how KHS gave me the tools to make them come true.

I loved Kearney High School. You will too!

On March 24th, 2019 Jim, through his foundation (the Grateful Foundation), donated a C.F. Martin 000-RS-1 in honor of his education at KHS. Thanks for passing along your love for music!

Jim is an Emmy Award Winning Songwriter, a gifted guitarist, a seasoned performer who has been writing and recording music since he was 13, and a graduate of Kearney High School in 1974.

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When I hear people asking how do we fix the education system, I tell them we need to do the opposite of what is happening, cutting budgets by cutting music programs… Nothing could be stupider than removing the ability for the left and right brains to function. Ask a CEO what they are looking for in an employee and they say they need people who understand teamwork, people who are disciplined, people who understand the big picture. You know what they need? They need musicians.

Mike Huckabee

Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.

Albert Einstein

It is in Apple’s DNA that technology alone is not enough – it’s technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields us the results that make our hearts sing.

Steve Jobs

In my own philanthropy and business endeavors, I have seen the critical role that the arts play in stimulating creativity and in developing vital communities… the arts have a crucial impact on our economy and are an important catalyst for learning, discovery, and achievement in our country.

Paul G. Allen

The life of the arts, far from being an interruption, a distraction, in the life of the nation, is close to the center of a nation’s purpose – and is a test to the quality of a nation’s civilization.

President John F. Kennedy

In every successful business…there is one budget line that never gets cut. It’s called ‘Product Development’ – and it’s the key to any company’s future growth. Music education is critical to the product development of this nation’s most important resource – our children.

John Sykes

During the Gulf War, the few opportunities I had for relaxation I always listened to music, and it brought me great peace of mind. I have shared my love of music with people throughout this world, while listening to the drums and special instruments of the Far East, Middle East, Africa, the Caribbean, and the Far North, and all of this started with the music appreciation course that I was taught in a third-grade elementary class in Princeton, New Jersey. What a tragedy it would be if we lived in a world where music was not taught to children.

General H. Norman Schwarzkopf

Music is exciting. It is thrilling to be sitting in a group of musicians playing the same piece of music. You are part of a great, powerful, vibrant entity. And nothing beats the feeling you get when you’ve practiced a difficult section over and over and finally get it right. Music is important. It says things your heart can’t say any other way, and in a language everyone speaks. Music crosses borders, turns smiles into frowns, and vice versa. These observations are shared with a hope: that, when schools cut back on music classes, they really think about what they’re doing – and don’t take music for granted.

Dan Rather

The things I learned from my experience in music in school are discipline, perseverance, dependability, composure, courage and pride in results… Not a bad preparation for the workforce!

Gregory Anrig

Music is an essential part of everything we do. Like puppetry, music has an abstract quality which speaks to a worldwide audience in a wonderful way that nourishes the soul.

Jim Henson

Should we not be putting all our emphasis on reading, writing and math? The ‘back-to-basics curricula,’ while it has merit, ignores the most urgent void in our present system – absence of self-discipline. The arts, inspiring – indeed requiring – self-discipline, may be more ‘basic’ to our nation’s survival than traditional credit courses. Presently, we are spending 29 times more on science than on the arts, and the result so far is worldwide intellectual embarrassment.

Paul Harvey

It [music education] is terribly important, extremely important — because when you are a child, you are in a receptive age… In high schools, public schools — that’s where they must have the best influence, the first influence, which will go through their whole life.

Eugene Ormandy

It is our job, as parents, educators, and friends, to see that our young people have the opportunity to attain the thorough education that will prepare them for the future. Much of that education takes place in the classroom. We must encourage our youngsters in such pursuits as music education. In addition to learning the valuable lesson that it takes hard work to achieve success, no matter what the arena, music education can provide students with a strong sense of determination, improved communication skills, and a host of other qualities essential for successful living.

Edward H. Rensi

A grounding in the arts will help our children to see; to bring a uniquely human perspective to science and technology. In short, it will help them as they grow smarter to also grow wiser.

Robert E. Allen

Some people think music education is a privilege, but I think it’s essential to being human.

Jewel

Arts Education aids students in skills needed in the workplace: flexibility, the ability to solve problems and communicate; the ability to learn new skills, to be creative and innovative, and to strive for excellence.

Joseph M. Calahan

Jim Salestrom

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