When Northport’s Ken Bloomquist passed away this past week, the music world lost a giant.

The news rippled through the Spartan band community, who called the world-renowned conductor, passionate director of bands, and former director of the School of Music at Michigan State University simply: “Mr. B.”

Northport Public School music and band teacher Carrie Wadas called him, “My neighbor. My taps buddy. My euchre partner. My friend.”

And, in their chosen home of Northport, residents call Bloomquist — along with his wife Ann — a perennial mover, shaker and music-maker. The two were the driving force behind the building of the Northport Community Arts Center, now the Northport Performing Arts Center; Ann founded and conducted the Village Voices, a 60-voice community chorus; Ken organized, conducted and played trumpet in the beloved Northport Community Band (NCB), a “ragtag” blend of many band directors, music majors and people who simply love to play.

Diane Kolak played French horn consistently with NCB for a few years, and, after hiatus, “joined them this year for Memorial Day and Fourth of July.” It was on this Memorial Day that Bloomquist played his last Taps — with Carrie Wadas playing the echo. 

Kolak says, “He was a genuine pleasure to play under, and with. And the fact that Northport was blessed with such an accomplished band leader — just amazing.”

Current NCB band leader Don Wilcox says he was a friend of Bloomquist’s long before they became Northport neighbors. “I met Ken in about 1969. I’d taken a job as music director at Wichita State and Ken was at [University of] Kansas. We were both recruiting some of the same hot players,” Wilcox says.

Wilcox soon left for West Virginia University; Bloomquist began his storied career at MSU. They’d reconnect at festivals or American Bandmasters meetings. Years on, while traveling to a band competition in Canada, Bloomquist started telling Wilcox about this tiny place in northern Michigan where he and Ann had decided to retire. Wilcox knew all about the place and the people — his wife had grown up in Northport and has family throughout the area. A few years ago, Wilcox took over as leader of the village’s community band when Bloomquist decided he’d had enough directing and just wanted to play his horn.

And play he did. He was lead trumpet in the band. And “He’d often play taps at sundown on his back deck,” says Wilcox.

Everyone has their stories about him. (Even one of my own, as a scared freshman in the marching band at MSU in the fall of 1976. He didn’t just stand on the podium or the tower overlooking the practice field. He had a PRESENCE. “We’re doing this again, son, and we’re doing it for YOU!” he bellowed, looking like he’d ascend to the heavens.)

William Wiedrich served a year as marching band director at his alma mater, MSU. Today he is director of orchestral studies at the University of South Florida. “Being a student, and then colleague, of Ken Bloomquist was a privilege and a joy. He always directed a caring energy not only toward the musical growth of his students, but also had a wonderfully watchful eye for their well-being,” Wiedrich tells the Leelanau Ticker.

Wiedrich entered MSU as a journalism major and as a freshman juggled membership in the Spartan Marching Band, Wind Ensemble, and Percussion Ensemble with his journalism curriculum. After a lengthy rehearsal, Bloomquist asked Wiedrich to step into his office. “I thought, What have I done?” recalls Wiedrich. 

“He said, ‘I noticed today that you look absolutely exhausted.’ I explained the situation, and he grinned, leaning back in his chair. Clearing his throat, he said, ‘Young man, you need to be a music major. Trust me. I see a passion in you. Focus all that energy you have into something you love, and I'll do everything I can to help you succeed.’ I switched majors, and he did.”

Glen Brough worked for 30 years at MSU and was visual coordinator for the Spartan Marching Band from 1988 until his retirement in 2018. “We have lost a legend…” Brough says. “He changed an incredible number of lives in our brief experiences with him.”

Bloomquist gave his friend Dick Allen, at age 80, the opportunity of a lifetime: Allen played trumpet in the Northport band, but the MSU grad had never had the opportunity to play in the Spartan Marching Band. “He invited Dad to join the Alumni Band,” says Allen’s son Bill. “He’d played in high school and in the Army Air Corps and had always dreamed of being in the marching band. It was cool to be in the grandstand and zoom in with my binoculars to see Dad marching on the field,” says the younger Allen.

Bloomquist led several alumni band tours overseas. “Ken was a great ambassador and entertainer as a director,” says Dick Allen, who was part of the band on several such trips. While the group was sometimes as small as 12 or 14 players, Allen says he managed to make it sound like a 50-piece band.

He says part of his friend’s gift was how welcoming Bloomquist was. “He made rehearsals a fun experience even while pushing us all to do better, and made those performing around him better by guiding them and leading. He always made it a point to be inclusive and make welcome the folks around him.”

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This week is our sister publication Northern Express’s annual celebration of northern Michigan’s fantastic local music scene; for the digital issue, writer Ross Boissoneau asked area musicians to talk about recordings that had inspired them, and both Ken and Ann Bloomquist were kind enough to contribute. Ken said: “I grew up in Iowa. My parents were not educated in academics but they loved music. I got a Pan American trumpet for $56. The big [trumpet] hero in my era was Harry James. Others were Doc Severinsen and Bud Herseth, the principal trumpet of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. I had a couple 78s by James and Chicago Symphony recordings. Jerry the Yodeling Cowboy was a barn dance favorite in Des Moines. He was a big idol.”