Friend of the Classic: Owner of Waseca Music lends helping hand

It’s around 3:30 in the afternoon. School has just let out and customers are coming into Waseca Music in a steady stream. A refurbished clarinet leaves the store with a fifth-grader; a rambunctious sixth-grader takes home a brand new flute. Another beginner needs a lesson book, but already has access to an instrument.

Jim Kozan greets each with a friendly smile, offers advice, and tells the beginning flute player, “You have to practice. I’m 74 years old. I’m in five bands. And that’s what we do: we practice, practice, practice.”

Kozan, now in his eighteenth year of operating the store, remembers that his parents, Ruth and Joe Kozan–who took ownership of the store in 1952–were the grand marshals of the very first Marching Classic parade in 1988. Ruth ran the store and took care of four children during the day. Joe, who also had a job at an area factory, would refurbish and repair instruments in the evening.

As for how he came to be selected as this year’s “friend of the classic” honoree, Kozan is matter-of-fact: “Whatever the music department needs, I take care of them.”

“Whatever they need” has meant a lot of different things over time, Kozan explains.

First and perhaps foremost, his store provides access to instruments. “It’s unusual for a town Waseca’s size to have a music store,” he observes. He says people contact him from a surprisingly wide radius because Waseca Music is one of relatively few stores offering used instruments, which sell, of course, for much lower prices than new ones.

Kozan indicates the spare parts, accessories, lesson books and other items he keeps available. “This is an important resource,’ he says.

In addition, “People will never know how much effort it was to sell tickets back before the new performing arts center was built.” Kozan explains that, before the new state-of-the-art venue at the high school was available, there was tremendous competition for “good” seats at school band and choir concerts and plays. Selling the tickets meant recording and making clear which seats were still unsold.

While modern technology makes that task seem easy, Kozan remembers the effort required to take care of it manually, all while treating customers diplomatically.

But mostly, Kozan thinks of the on-the-spot support he has offered during Marching Classic events over the decades, everything from spare parts to spare instruments.

He tells of students whose instruments failed to work just prior to parades. One time, a student came to him with a trumpet which could not be repaired in the few minutes available before start time..

“The kid said, ‘I’ll fake it,’” recalls Kozan.

“I told him, ‘Don’t do that. You’ll remember it for the rest of your life.’” 

Instead, Kozan pressed a replacement trumpet in the student’s hands, telling him to use it.

“Well, of course he didn’t have any money with him,” Kozan states. “I told him, ‘Take it. Don’t hurt it. Bring it back. Everything will be fine.’ And I sent him out.”

Last-minute support prior to the Marching Classic has been such a constant that Kozan jokes he will have to run directly from his store to the convertible he will be riding in during the parade. “Or maybe it can pick me up right out front,” he quips, given that his store is near the start of the parade route.

As for his moments of recognition, Kozan has no intent of doing it the “usual” way, just sitting in the vehicle and waving to the crowd.

“I think I’ll play my accordion,” he comments. “Maybe a few polkas or a waltz.

“After all, music is what this parade is all about.”