Community loved Faith Sound disbands after 45 years

by Mackenzie Bodell, News InternHARLAN — When Steve Lawson arrived in Harlan in 1970 to begin his decades long career as the Harlan Community School High School jazz band and middle school band director, contemporary Christian music was just at the forefront of new music. Along with that, the combination of instrumental and rock and roll was also on the rise. Groups like Blood, Sweat and Tears out of Chicago influenced Lawson’s desire to create a group in Harlan.“I had always wanted to do contemporary Christian music, but churches were not really welcoming of it,” Lawson said. “Some were, and most weren’t.”Some of Lawson’s students who graduated in 1974 and 1975 started their own contemporary Christian group with a horn line; they wrote their own music that sounded like Chicago-style music. The group decided to put off college and try to make it as a band.The group bought an old Greyhound bus with three million miles on it and hit the road. For two years, they went back and forth across the country, playing all the time and writing music. While the group enjoyed what they were doing, the community missed their music and started to think of creating a band based in Iowa that kids could be involved with throughout high school.“Some of the ministers who get together to drink coffee and talk about the community thought, wouldn’t it be nice to have a group that just stayed here when kids graduated?” Lawson said.  “They came and talked to me about it, and I was already thinking the same thing, so I set out to start this group.”Several of Lawson’s students were interested, so he put together the band Faith Sound on a trial basis. They borrowed sound equipment and started writing music. The group started in 1975, with its first performance in January 1976. Over the years, the group raised the money to continue upgrading their instruments and keep the group moving forward.“I would have given them my left arm to be in a group like that when I was that age,” Lawson said. “I got to relive my youth through these kids.”Faith Sound is now waving goodbye to the community that loved and supported them over the past 45 years. The group’s last performance was held on March 15, 2020. COVID-19 is what ultimately led to the band being disbanded.Lawson said the kids in the group achieved a lot. They performed in 800 concerts in seven different states, covering over 100,000 miles and performing for over 200,000 people. The band went through five vans, 40 U-hauls and three different trailers. Over 340 kids were a part of the group throughout the 45 years. Eight marriages even arose from the group.Looking back on his 40 years managing the band, a few memories really stand out to Lawson, memories that told him that he was doing the right thing.Lawson remembered an early morning pulling up to a concert in Pocahontas, maybe making too much noise for an early Sunday morning. During the concert, one of the girls in the group kept making eye contact with an elderly lady sitting in the audience and she started tearing up by the end of the set. After the concert, the girl made a beeline for her, grabbed and hugged her for a while.“She told me about it on the way home, and she said this lady lived across the street from the church, and we woke her up making noise, and it wasn’t her church, and she had not been out of the house for two months since her husband died,” Lawson said. “She was compelled to find out what was going on over there with all these kids, and so she came to the concert. After she and Janine hugged, she says, ‘I’m ready to go on with life again.’”Another story that stands out to Lawson is a personal one. Right before a few auditions, Lawson found out he had a rare form of leukemia and needed treatment right away. The treatment would force him to cancel all his plans for the next six months. As he got off the call, one of his students walked in.“I told her I just got a call, I’ve got leukemia, and I have to start treatment tomorrow. I don’t know what’s going to happen on Sunday; rehearsal is supposed to start for Faith Sound. She threw her arms around me and gave me a big hug, and said God will take care of you; we need you,” Lawson said. “It was like somebody poured hot oil over my head and from the tip of my head to the tip of my toes about that fast, all my worry went away, and so I’ve always called her my angel because I needed help right then.”Even though the band’s time is coming to a close, Lawson is proud of all that the 340 kids throughout the years have achieved.“Our job was to take the music out into the world and find a way to let it help people,” Lawson said.