Profiles in Life & Music
Meet some of the people who make the Hot Springs Concert Band a special community of musicians.
Ruth Hamm: A life of love and music
By Jeff Olson
Every once in a while, and perhaps even less often, you will meet someone who is so impressive that words are too inadequate to describe. I’ve been very fortunate in so many ways - including having met several of such folks in my life. One of those is the subject of this writing and let me say from the outset. In these few lines, and with my limited skill, I cannot do such a life justice with mere words – regardless of how eloquent and descriptive they may be. However, here goes my best attempt.
When my career brought me to Hot Springs back in 2008, I auditioned for the Hot Springs Concert Band. I had heard of the band through various sources several years prior, and knew I wanted to be a part of it if I could. Well, I passed my audition and subsequently started rehearsing and getting acquainted with band members. Several stood out, in part because of personalities and in part because of musical skills, and in part because of age…and some of these overlapped.
Such was the case with a woman in the French Horn section. She appeared to me to be in her seventies and was quite the musician. It amazed me that someone of that age could play at the level she was playing at and doing so over twenty years my senior. I didn’t waste much time in getting to meet her. I found out that she joined the band at about the same time I did.
Just over thirteen years later, in 2021, I started playing in a smaller band which played most of its concerts in rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, and assisted living centers. This really appealed to me, having served such wonderful folks through the church for some years. Well, lo and behold, there was this same lady playing her French Horn in the Hot Springs New Horizons Band. So, for more than sixteen years, she and I have played in two bands together, and what a privilege it has been.
Ruth Hamm was born in Colorado in 1934. She grew up on a farm – a life full of hard work, long hours, and strong traditional family values. Good things for sure, but it didn’t leave her much time to pursue her own interests. However, Ruth enjoyed music as a child and she could always make time to sing, no matter what she was doing. Ruth wanted more though. At ten or eleven years old, she made a decision which would open doors beyond her wildest dreams and expectations. She began learning to play the French Horn, and for the next 78 years she never looked back – except to recall countless beautiful memories.
She played French Horn through high school and into college at Westmar University in Le Mars, Iowa. After she was married, she and her husband moved to Naperville, Illinois and together they had two children. In Naperville, Ruth’s commitments extended beyond that of wife and mother. She taught music and physical education, eventually earning her master’s degree in physical education. She also competed in tennis, golf and softball – the latter until she was 72 years old. She enjoyed square dancing and taught it to fourth and fifth graders. Ruth and her square-dancing kids were even featured on the Phil Donahue Show in Chicago.
However, her French Horn was her first love, as far as hobbies were concerned. She played regularly in her church in brass sextets and other groups and in the Naperville community band for more than 50 years. However, her musical life was not limited to this wonderful band. For three years she toured with bands on six ship cruises in the Caribbean, Mediterranean and Pacific. She toured overseas as well, in countries such as England, Scotland, Germany, Holland, and Austria.
As Ruth continued telling me the fascinating details of her life story, she kept coming back to Naperville and her community band there. From her first day in the band in late 1956 until her final concert in 2007, this special group of musicians and friends filled her life not only with song but with joy and purpose. One of the band’s traditions was that if you were a member of the band for fifty years then you earned the privilege of soloing, planning a concert and directing the band in one number. That she did. I would have loved to have been there.
In 2008, Ruth moved to Hot Springs Village, and it didn’t take her long to find her musical niche here. She immediately joined the Hot Springs Concert Band and the Hot Springs New Horizons Band. And, when Covid came along, did that slow Ruth? Not much! She still managed to play her horn for her neighbors outside her home, giving a free concert and morale boost during a quite perplexing time in our lives.
While Ruth doesn’t worship her horn or her music, she is quick to acknowledge that the French Horn was what God used to open the most doors in her life. Let that be a lesson to younger people who are deliberating on whether to learn a musical instrument. You never know just where or how far it may lead you and how much it may influence others.
One of the last things Ruth said to me before we parted, and I think the most important, was that her priorities in life have been in the order of God, Church, Family, and music (French Horn). If only all of us could follow her example.
Every morning Ruth starts her day by reading from a book of Christian hymns. She reads the history of one hymn and then sings and/or plays the hymn. What a beautiful way to start the day – the first day of the rest of her life – and a life well lived, I might add! Lead on, Ruth Hamm – and thank you!
PHOTOS -- TOP: Ruth warming up prior to the Hot Springs Concert Band Winter Concert on February 27, 2025. INSET: Ruth playing in her front yard during COVID, giving her neighbors a refreshing French Horn concert. BELOW: Ruth in front of a larger-than-life painting depicting 150 years of the Naperville Community Band and choir, with Ruth in the middle playing her horn.
By Jeff Olson
Every once in a while, and perhaps even less often, you will meet someone who is so impressive that words are too inadequate to describe. I’ve been very fortunate in so many ways - including having met several of such folks in my life. One of those is the subject of this writing and let me say from the outset. In these few lines, and with my limited skill, I cannot do such a life justice with mere words – regardless of how eloquent and descriptive they may be. However, here goes my best attempt.
When my career brought me to Hot Springs back in 2008, I auditioned for the Hot Springs Concert Band. I had heard of the band through various sources several years prior, and knew I wanted to be a part of it if I could. Well, I passed my audition and subsequently started rehearsing and getting acquainted with band members. Several stood out, in part because of personalities and in part because of musical skills, and in part because of age…and some of these overlapped.
Such was the case with a woman in the French Horn section. She appeared to me to be in her seventies and was quite the musician. It amazed me that someone of that age could play at the level she was playing at and doing so over twenty years my senior. I didn’t waste much time in getting to meet her. I found out that she joined the band at about the same time I did.
Just over thirteen years later, in 2021, I started playing in a smaller band which played most of its concerts in rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, and assisted living centers. This really appealed to me, having served such wonderful folks through the church for some years. Well, lo and behold, there was this same lady playing her French Horn in the Hot Springs New Horizons Band. So, for more than sixteen years, she and I have played in two bands together, and what a privilege it has been.
Ruth Hamm was born in Colorado in 1934. She grew up on a farm – a life full of hard work, long hours, and strong traditional family values. Good things for sure, but it didn’t leave her much time to pursue her own interests. However, Ruth enjoyed music as a child and she could always make time to sing, no matter what she was doing. Ruth wanted more though. At ten or eleven years old, she made a decision which would open doors beyond her wildest dreams and expectations. She began learning to play the French Horn, and for the next 78 years she never looked back – except to recall countless beautiful memories.
She played French Horn through high school and into college at Westmar University in Le Mars, Iowa. After she was married, she and her husband moved to Naperville, Illinois and together they had two children. In Naperville, Ruth’s commitments extended beyond that of wife and mother. She taught music and physical education, eventually earning her master’s degree in physical education. She also competed in tennis, golf and softball – the latter until she was 72 years old. She enjoyed square dancing and taught it to fourth and fifth graders. Ruth and her square-dancing kids were even featured on the Phil Donahue Show in Chicago.
However, her French Horn was her first love, as far as hobbies were concerned. She played regularly in her church in brass sextets and other groups and in the Naperville community band for more than 50 years. However, her musical life was not limited to this wonderful band. For three years she toured with bands on six ship cruises in the Caribbean, Mediterranean and Pacific. She toured overseas as well, in countries such as England, Scotland, Germany, Holland, and Austria.
As Ruth continued telling me the fascinating details of her life story, she kept coming back to Naperville and her community band there. From her first day in the band in late 1956 until her final concert in 2007, this special group of musicians and friends filled her life not only with song but with joy and purpose. One of the band’s traditions was that if you were a member of the band for fifty years then you earned the privilege of soloing, planning a concert and directing the band in one number. That she did. I would have loved to have been there.
In 2008, Ruth moved to Hot Springs Village, and it didn’t take her long to find her musical niche here. She immediately joined the Hot Springs Concert Band and the Hot Springs New Horizons Band. And, when Covid came along, did that slow Ruth? Not much! She still managed to play her horn for her neighbors outside her home, giving a free concert and morale boost during a quite perplexing time in our lives.
While Ruth doesn’t worship her horn or her music, she is quick to acknowledge that the French Horn was what God used to open the most doors in her life. Let that be a lesson to younger people who are deliberating on whether to learn a musical instrument. You never know just where or how far it may lead you and how much it may influence others.
One of the last things Ruth said to me before we parted, and I think the most important, was that her priorities in life have been in the order of God, Church, Family, and music (French Horn). If only all of us could follow her example.
Every morning Ruth starts her day by reading from a book of Christian hymns. She reads the history of one hymn and then sings and/or plays the hymn. What a beautiful way to start the day – the first day of the rest of her life – and a life well lived, I might add! Lead on, Ruth Hamm – and thank you!
PHOTOS -- TOP: Ruth warming up prior to the Hot Springs Concert Band Winter Concert on February 27, 2025. INSET: Ruth playing in her front yard during COVID, giving her neighbors a refreshing French Horn concert. BELOW: Ruth in front of a larger-than-life painting depicting 150 years of the Naperville Community Band and choir, with Ruth in the middle playing her horn.
Janet Jenkins: A victorious life
By Jeff Olson
In November 2008, I took a job in Hot Springs – a job which would complete my career some seven years later. That same month, I joined the Hot Springs Concert Band, a band I had heard about for well over a decade and had hoped to join one day, that is… if circumstances would allow.
To my surprise, circumstances beyond my expectations did eventually allow, and I’ve been making music with the band ever since. Not only did I enjoy playing music with the band, but getting to know the other musicians was a bonus. Sharing a love of making music together instills a common bond and camaraderie which compliments and enriches the music itself.
As a trumpet player, I got better acquainted with my comrades in the trumpet section quicker than the others, as you would expect. There were some mighty talented musicians and really nice folks in this group. One in particular was a lady named Janet - a quiet lady, a kind and gentle soul, a good trumpet player, and a dependable person. She went about playing her part and contributing to the success of the band week in and week out and with no fanfare. Just dedication and faithfulness. This spoke volumes to me.
I guess what made this even more impressive, especially in retrospect, is that she was facing not only serious health problems of her own, but such (and in some ways worse) with her husband Rich. This was to the point that he was very dependent on Janet’s almost constant presence and attention. While she had some professional in-home help, it wasn’t 24/7.
For these 16 years, I’ve been one of many who has benefitted from Janet’s presence and contributions to our band, so I would like to take this opportunity to share something of her life. In these few pages, I can’t give it the full treatment it deserves, but you will read enough to know that hers is a life well worth sharing and learning from, and I hope it will bless you as it has me.
Janet was born In Earlham, Iowa on a farm, one of three siblings. Upon graduation from high school in 1958, she enrolled in the American Institute of Business in Des Moines, Iowa. Janet didn’t waste any time in starting to work and achieving a 36-year career with the same company, though it changed names several times over the years – first as the Iowa Des Moines National Bank, then Norwest Corporation, and now Wells Fargo. She worked in the Trust Department, retiring as a vice president managing many large company profit sharing/401k plans for their employees.
Janet’s faith also played a major role in her life. She was active in her church, playing the piano and singing in choirs among other areas of service. Upon her retirement, she and Rich moved to Hot Springs Village in 1996 where they planned to play golf and travel in their motor home with their dachshunds for the rest of their lives. Interestingly, Janet had no plans to play music in retirement – but guess what? The choir director of her church in the Village discovered that she had played trumpet in school, so he convinced her to “drag it out.” So, drag it out she did and from then on for the next quarter century Janet would worship her Lord through both voice and trumpet with Christ of the Hills United Methodist Church and beyond.
However, that wasn’t the end of it. It was in fact another beginning - the beginning of a new musical chapter of her life. In 2003, Janet joined the Hot Springs Community Band, now known as the Hot Springs Concert Band. She found this band to be a good fit, as many players were like her – folks who had played their musical instruments in school and maybe college and then chose to start playing them again after a long hiatus. For Janet, playing her trumpet again was refreshing and gave her much satisfaction personally as well as adding to the quality of the band itself.
Again, this is not the end of it. Yes, you may have guessed it. She joined another band, this one around 2013. You just can’t keep this lady down. Nobody and nothing can! That band was the Hot Springs Village Big Band – and what a band it was - and still is! Its name says it all. Janet loves the Big Band standards of the likes of Glenn Miller, Count Basie, Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, and the list goes on.
This was beneficial for Janet in other ways too, as it gave her an outlet of expression and a regular break from the rigors of taking care of her handicapped husband, who was restricted to a wheelchair for mobility. This labor of love and challenge she did for eight years until his death in 2015. There were times she couldn’t play with the band, as her family always came first, but she played when she could and always carried with her that infectious smile and positive attitude which brought admiration and respect from her band family. And, she did all this while she herself was battling cancer off and on for twenty years. But God is good! Several years after Rich’s passing, Janet met Mark Remington – a man who she says has been a rock of love and support, a gift from above!
As of this writing, her cancer has returned but it has again met a formidable foe in Janet Jenkins. When I went to see her several weeks ago, her first words were “Jeff, how is your health?” She didn’t talk about herself much – only responding to what I asked her. Even though she was tired, she was still upbeat, positive, and undefeated. She knows, as all of us should, that God is the great physician and His is the final word in all of life. My most recent visit with her was much the same, as I came away feeling very fortunate to know such a lady, such a person, as Janet.
Janet has been unable to play in either of her two bands for over a year, and how she has missed the music and the camaraderie - and how the bands have missed her. All her band family is hopeful she will get to join us this year, either in the audience or preferably in the trumpet section with her horn. Only time will tell, but one thing we know for sure - Janet Jenkins is a blessing and a hero to all who know her, including me!
TOP: Janet with the Hot Springs Village Big Band trumpet section during a performance in the Village. INSET: Janet with Doreen Ketchens and her late husband, Lawrence, in October 2023. BOTTOM: Janet with the Hot Springs Concert Band trumpet section in August 2017.
By Jeff Olson
In November 2008, I took a job in Hot Springs – a job which would complete my career some seven years later. That same month, I joined the Hot Springs Concert Band, a band I had heard about for well over a decade and had hoped to join one day, that is… if circumstances would allow.
To my surprise, circumstances beyond my expectations did eventually allow, and I’ve been making music with the band ever since. Not only did I enjoy playing music with the band, but getting to know the other musicians was a bonus. Sharing a love of making music together instills a common bond and camaraderie which compliments and enriches the music itself.
As a trumpet player, I got better acquainted with my comrades in the trumpet section quicker than the others, as you would expect. There were some mighty talented musicians and really nice folks in this group. One in particular was a lady named Janet - a quiet lady, a kind and gentle soul, a good trumpet player, and a dependable person. She went about playing her part and contributing to the success of the band week in and week out and with no fanfare. Just dedication and faithfulness. This spoke volumes to me.
I guess what made this even more impressive, especially in retrospect, is that she was facing not only serious health problems of her own, but such (and in some ways worse) with her husband Rich. This was to the point that he was very dependent on Janet’s almost constant presence and attention. While she had some professional in-home help, it wasn’t 24/7.
For these 16 years, I’ve been one of many who has benefitted from Janet’s presence and contributions to our band, so I would like to take this opportunity to share something of her life. In these few pages, I can’t give it the full treatment it deserves, but you will read enough to know that hers is a life well worth sharing and learning from, and I hope it will bless you as it has me.
Janet was born In Earlham, Iowa on a farm, one of three siblings. Upon graduation from high school in 1958, she enrolled in the American Institute of Business in Des Moines, Iowa. Janet didn’t waste any time in starting to work and achieving a 36-year career with the same company, though it changed names several times over the years – first as the Iowa Des Moines National Bank, then Norwest Corporation, and now Wells Fargo. She worked in the Trust Department, retiring as a vice president managing many large company profit sharing/401k plans for their employees.
Janet’s faith also played a major role in her life. She was active in her church, playing the piano and singing in choirs among other areas of service. Upon her retirement, she and Rich moved to Hot Springs Village in 1996 where they planned to play golf and travel in their motor home with their dachshunds for the rest of their lives. Interestingly, Janet had no plans to play music in retirement – but guess what? The choir director of her church in the Village discovered that she had played trumpet in school, so he convinced her to “drag it out.” So, drag it out she did and from then on for the next quarter century Janet would worship her Lord through both voice and trumpet with Christ of the Hills United Methodist Church and beyond.
However, that wasn’t the end of it. It was in fact another beginning - the beginning of a new musical chapter of her life. In 2003, Janet joined the Hot Springs Community Band, now known as the Hot Springs Concert Band. She found this band to be a good fit, as many players were like her – folks who had played their musical instruments in school and maybe college and then chose to start playing them again after a long hiatus. For Janet, playing her trumpet again was refreshing and gave her much satisfaction personally as well as adding to the quality of the band itself.
Again, this is not the end of it. Yes, you may have guessed it. She joined another band, this one around 2013. You just can’t keep this lady down. Nobody and nothing can! That band was the Hot Springs Village Big Band – and what a band it was - and still is! Its name says it all. Janet loves the Big Band standards of the likes of Glenn Miller, Count Basie, Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, and the list goes on.
This was beneficial for Janet in other ways too, as it gave her an outlet of expression and a regular break from the rigors of taking care of her handicapped husband, who was restricted to a wheelchair for mobility. This labor of love and challenge she did for eight years until his death in 2015. There were times she couldn’t play with the band, as her family always came first, but she played when she could and always carried with her that infectious smile and positive attitude which brought admiration and respect from her band family. And, she did all this while she herself was battling cancer off and on for twenty years. But God is good! Several years after Rich’s passing, Janet met Mark Remington – a man who she says has been a rock of love and support, a gift from above!
As of this writing, her cancer has returned but it has again met a formidable foe in Janet Jenkins. When I went to see her several weeks ago, her first words were “Jeff, how is your health?” She didn’t talk about herself much – only responding to what I asked her. Even though she was tired, she was still upbeat, positive, and undefeated. She knows, as all of us should, that God is the great physician and His is the final word in all of life. My most recent visit with her was much the same, as I came away feeling very fortunate to know such a lady, such a person, as Janet.
Janet has been unable to play in either of her two bands for over a year, and how she has missed the music and the camaraderie - and how the bands have missed her. All her band family is hopeful she will get to join us this year, either in the audience or preferably in the trumpet section with her horn. Only time will tell, but one thing we know for sure - Janet Jenkins is a blessing and a hero to all who know her, including me!
TOP: Janet with the Hot Springs Village Big Band trumpet section during a performance in the Village. INSET: Janet with Doreen Ketchens and her late husband, Lawrence, in October 2023. BOTTOM: Janet with the Hot Springs Concert Band trumpet section in August 2017.
