John Lunde, LSM’s 2022 Dr. Carlos Messerli Service Award Recipient

John Lunde, 1983

LSM is pleased to announce John Lunde as this year’s recipient of the Dr. Carlos Messerli Service Award. This award is given each year to a deserving individual who follows Dr. Messerli's example of outstanding service to the mission of Lutheran Music Program. John served the LSM admissions office from 1982-1997, primarily as the first Director of Admissions. Throughout the 15+ years he worked for LSM, John recruited approximately 2,690 students. During John’s last three full years, LSM enrollment was 241, 240, and 238 respectively.

1) You were there at the beginning of LSM. In your eyes, how have things changed and how have things stayed the same now in our 40th year?

The basic plan for LSM that Carlos had designed was in many ways like a “Lutheran Interlochen.” He had studied and visited Interlochen when planning major features of LSM such as the large ensembles of concert band/concert choir/symphony orchestra, small chamber ensembles for all students, student and faculty recitals, and private lessons at 2 half-hours per week with optional lessons in a second concentration.

What made LSM different from Interlochen was the focus on liturgical worship that included morning and evening prayer, Sunday services that incorporated student musical performances, worship leadership, and a chapel choir. Additionally, LSM worked to foster a supportive Christian environment rather than intensive competition. I’m sure there have been minor adjustments throughout the years, but the basic model has proven to be sound.

The original challenge for LSM recruitment was offering a new program with no track record of quality to engender confidence among parents, teachers, and prospective students—this had to be achieved the first few years. The present environment in society for recruitment is remarkably different. Sports has grown immensely in popularity and participation, and there is pressure for whole teams to participate in summer leagues and camps.

Additionally, recruiting methods have shifted away from mail, printed materials, and phone contact—replaced by websites, e-mail, texting, and social media. Higher cost for college and for LSM may have increased competing pressure for earning and saving money for college. On the other hand, high school students have had more opportunities for musical development as well.

2) In 1982 you made phone call after phone call and 100 or so students attended that first year. What are some of your favorite memories when LSM first began? What was it like recruiting students to a program that was new?

I was not asked to help with recruiting until mid-April of 1982, when only 24 applications had been received. The feasibility study, as I recall, had projected a potential enrollment of up to 350 students. With only 24 students, there was no realistic prospect of LSM as it was envisioned.

Initiating contacts for LSM via phone became the only option. It takes numbers to fill out a symphony orchestra, concert band, and full choirs—not just numbers, but more importantly, the right numbers in the right musical specialties. Carlos and I worked out ratios of numbers of players by instrument and voice that became recruitment targets to be maximized to establish, in part, the musical quality of LSM.

To work with, we had a prospective student pool of about 800 students recommended by music teachers and church music directors, as well as mail-in cards from a massive distribution of posters. The problem—the cards did not request phone numbers, so I had to get all lacking phone numbers from Directory Assistance. Long-distance phone rates were very expensive, and particularly high on weekday working hours. However, money was not our greatest problem.

With the limited number of prospects and no time to locate many more, I felt pressure to achieve success with every contact. All evenings and weekends were spent on calls, and workdays were spent receiving any incoming contacts (mail or phone) and responding with information. There was no choice but to plunge ahead as LSM was to begin June 18th. Fortunately, we were a lot younger then, but the pressure and fear of failure were immense! Carlos and I drove to Saint Olaf in Northfield, Minnesota, with all our stuff two weeks before the start of LSM. I immediately resumed recruiting every available hour until opening.

The final results that first year were 133 students, enough to survive without total embarrassment. With no reputation to run on, Carlos, with great help from his assistant Sandie Anderson, secured some outstanding faculty with which to project confidence in musical quality. Initial location at Saint Olaf, the Lutheran college with the largest music program, undoubtedly established a recruiting advantage along with its location in the most Lutheran region of the country. A focus on incorporating musical performance with Lutheran worship brought support from parents for their teenagers’ attendance in a secure environment with a chaplain, adult counselors, and a safe campus setting.

At the end of LSM, Weston Noble said to Carlos, “I believe you have established a successful program!” Coming from Noble, with his world-wide renown as a conductor of all-state bands, choirs, and orchestras, Luther Nordic Choir, and guest conductor at countless camps and festivals—that was an enormous compliment and stamp of approval!

Looking back, I am almost amazed that we lived through it—especially Carlos who had all the responsibility as the person in charge and was nine years older than I was. Fortunately, Sandie Anderson, for the two years leading up to LSM and for many years following, assisted Carlos with great competence, spirit, and grace. She deserves much credit for the success of LSM.

3) Why should young students attend LSM today? What encouragement would you offer someone who is on the fence about attending?

I would argue that a month at LSM, though a major time and financial commitment, is excellent preparation for a successful start in college. LSM has established a track record of high-quality musical instruction and leadership. The chance to study with an outstanding faculty of college professors, for many student prospects, is an opportunity many have never had. For students who have had great opportunities, it is an excellent idea to get new perspectives from other outstanding teachers.

A native of North Dakota, John Lunde attended Concordia College (Moorhead, Minnesota), where he received his bachelor's degree with a triple major in political science, philosophy, and history, and a minor in music. Additionally, John sang in the Concordia Choir under the direction of Paul J. Christiansen. After receiving a master’s in political science at the University of South Dakota, he completed coursework and spent five years in dissertation research and writing in the Ph.D. program in international politics at Indiana University. For the next several years he taught at various colleges and universities in Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, and finally South Dakota where he met his future wife Joyce Povlacs. Joyce became a tenured faculty member at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and they were married for thirty-five years until her death in 2021.