Chamber honors an instrumental citizen

Jim Tjaden is named as parade grand marshal

by Marianne Gasaway

There won’t be a Fourth of July parade this year in Clear Lake, but the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce has bestowed the honor of Grand Marshal upon a worthy Clear Lake resident.

Jim Tjaden, founder of the Lakeside Dixiefest,  said he was shocked and honored when Alice Hanley, chair of the July 4th Committee, called him with the news.

“This is one of those things that you don’t think about— and I told her I don’t think I deserve it, but I am grateful,” said Jim.

“As a committee, we are always looking for people who have made a positive difference in the community and Jim is one of those individuals who not only made Dixiefest a reality, but was a business leader, is active in his church and helps with other local functions.  How much joy his music has brought to us all is immeasurable.”

Even without the ramifications of the pandemic which forced the cancellation of local July 4th activities, Jim was bracing for a quieter July.  Last fall, he announced the Lakeside Dixiefest was calling it quits after 27 years.

“We hated to stop promoting the art, but it was time,” said Jim. “Since its founding in 1993, the event has lost more than a generation of fans that grew up appreciating Dixieland Jazz, as well as musicians that enjoyed performing it.”  Jim says he is filled with memories of performing at Dixiefest as a member of the host band, The Raiders of the Lost Art, as well as welcoming performers from around the globe to Clear Lake. The event gained the reputation of being one of the Midwest’s premier jazz festivals and continued to be one of only a handful of free-to-the-public festivals in the country.  “Over the years, there have been registered guests from 35 states, entertained by outstanding bands from not only the region and major Midwest cities, but from as far away as France and Australia.”

The Raiders had been playing at the Brucemore Fest in Cedar Rapids for four years when Jim suggested to his band mates that they could hold their own celebration of Dixie music in Clear Lake City Park.  He joined with original band members Rich Dean and Ken Schneider to form a non-profit corporation which could accept donations to fund the festival.

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Jim recalls he was at a Christmas party and casually mentioned the idea to Ray Hewitt, chairman of the board at Clear Lake Bank & Trust. “When I walked into the bank a few days later, he simply said ‘count us in.’  We were so grateful to receive such generous support for a new idea.”

Original supporters CLB&T, CL Tel, Nelson Petroleum and Corner Drug were joined by a solid group of other North Iowa businesses who appreciated the music, as well as the visitors the event brought to the area.  In its first year, the fledgling event was also given a boost by a marketing grant from the Convention and Visitors Bureau which Jim called critical to its success.

Although there is no DixieFest, the Raiders still continue to perform at festivals, church services and private parties.  Individual members also continue to find ways to share their love of music with others.  For Jim, that includes working with a high school band one day a week during the winters he spends in California.  For the past several years he has volunteered to work one day a week with the school’s concert band.

“It has been such a joy to be around the young kids — I work with them and critique the band.  It’s great to talk about things other than hip replacements and cholesterol levels,” he laughed.

Music has been an important part of Jim’s life since his school days.  Those that know him through his affiliation with Iowa Electric Motors, Schneider Metal Manufacturing and Midwest Wholesale may not know that his first job out of college was actually as a high school band director.  He taught at Tripoli, Iowa prior to entering the military.  That’s where the music stopped for a bit.  The government chose to place Jim in a criminal investigation capacity while serving in the Army in Germany.  When he returned, he opted for a career in business, with music as a hobby.

Since retiring in 2003 he has enjoyed serving the North Iowa area in a variety of capacities, including as a board member and Chairman of the Board for Good Shepherd and past president of the Clear Lake Area Concert Association.  He was also a member of the Finance Committee for North Iowa Medical Center.  He plays saxophone with the Nonsemble music group and bassoon with the New Horizon Band, both based in North Iowa.  In recent years he has also picked up the banjo.

“I have a T-shirt that says ‘We don’t stop playing because we grow old; We grow old because we stop playing.  I think that’s really true,” said Jim.

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