Vacaville Jazz Festival led by Travis civil engineer

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Timothy Boyer
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  The sixth grader was disappointed first as a Golden West Middle School student when his band teacher, Richard Grokenberger, assigned him to last trumpet. It was 1976 at the middle school located just off Travis. After those auditions that Keith Stout, 60th Civil Engineer Squadron civil engineer project manager, decided he would work hard to become a better trumpet player.

"Mr. Grokenberger was the band teacher who actually got me to work hard on the trumpet," Stout said.

His determination eventually led him to become the founder of the Vacaville Jazz Festival.

The free, public festival is scheduled today through Sunday at various locations around Vacaville.

After his rough audition with Grokenberger, he played last trumpet in the middle school band until his father, Robert Stout, then a master sergeant stationed at Travis, moved off base. When his father retired, Stout said his family stayed in Vacaville.

After the move to Vacaville, Stout auditioned for the Jepson Middle School band. During the audition, he sat in the seat he thought was the last trumpet seat. He expected to get last trumpet again, but after his twin brother's great performance in band, Jim Tutt, the director, assumed Stout would also be good and assigned him to first trumpet, he said.

"I had to practice feverishly, playing all the time so people would think I was actually good," Stout said.

He continued his love for music through his high school years, and as a senior he tried out for the Solano County Honor Band, he said.

As he entered the audition, the judge, with his back to Stout, welcomed him in and told him it would be just a moment. As the judge's back was facing him, wearing a familiar turtle neck and dark sports jacket, fear entered Stout's heart as he saw Grokenberger, his former middle school band teacher, Stout said.

"I didn't even make it because Mr. Grokenberger was so intimidating to me," he said. "None of my friends knew though, because I just didn't tell them I tried out."

Stout said he brushed off the failure to make the honor band, playing music throughout his college days as he earned his environmental design degree at the University of California, Davis.

After college, he worked designing commercial and custom buildings until the ʽ90s recession hit.

"It was then I decided to get a government job in Sacramento," Stout said. "I worked there for about 10 years as an architect. During my time there I met a wonderful girl, who shared my love of music, named Martha."

As his relationship with Martha Monroe developed, he found out her maiden name was Grokenberger, just like his middle school band teacher. He learned that he had fallen in love with Grokenberger's daughter.

Stout was invited to the Grokenberger home for their holiday dinner that year, and 25 years after his first audition, he faced the audition of his life; asking for his band teacher's permission to marry his daughter.

After his third audition with Grokenberger, Stout was awarded a certificate stating he passed his 25 year grueling audition as a musician as well as the future son in-law of his former band teacher, Stout said.

Though he worked in Sacramento, Stout's passion for music led him to develop the Vacaville Jazz Festival in his home town in 2000. The event has grown each year.

"Now there more than 30 bands and vocalists from all over held at three different venues in Vacaville," Stout said.

In 2004, Stout's father passed away, causing Stout to reflect on the sacrifices his father made in his military career. Stout said this led him to adding a military tribute to the festival.

"I remembered getting to Travis as my dad had just come home from Vietnam," he said. "I witnessed the bodies and prisoners coming home through Travis, and the military needs to be recognized for what they do for their country."

About two years ago, Stout left his Sacramento-based job to pursue a career with the 60th CES.

As a part of the military tribute at the festival this year, Sunday will feature the Band of the Golden West Commanders, with renowned trumpeter Carl Saunders.

For more information on the 12th Annual Vacaville Jazz Festival visit www.vacajazzsociety.org or call 452-1351.