Flagstaff's Band "Jock"
Jon's last name is Eder. Eder comes from north Germany, hailing from a well-known river, near a beautiful, scenic area in North Germany. He knows that there was a munitions dump on the river that was bombed during World War II. But Jon takes his last name not from his biological father, but from his real father — the man that married his mom later on after his biological father abruptly left their family. Jon has only known one name for his father who has raised him most of his life: dad. He was an intellectual, teaching the philosophy of education at Northern Arizona University at Flagstaff.
Jon only has good things to say about the town he has lived in since sophomore year of high school. He was able to sidestep calls to play sports and be a "jock," and take up his true passion: playing clarinet in the Coconino High School band. Not only did the high school "jocks" come to respect Jon and his community, but they came and attended all of his recitals. They even made him an honorary member of their ranks: the band "jock."
His time on the orchestra taught him the value of hard work, respect and responsibility — towards not just oneself, but also to your fellow ensemble members. It's this level of commitment and passion towards his community and his craft that elevated Jon to first chair all-state, and made him who he is today. Funny enough, that's why Jon believes he hasn't achieved the American Dream yet, because to him the American Dream means not achieving anything yet — its continuing to strive, continuing to learn, continuing to make yourself a better human. You never stop, you keep moving forward.
Most striking is Jon's unbridled passion for music and the arts. His devout support for the arts comes from his belief in its ability to liberate and uplift society.
“There is nothing that won’t be better with the arts. Right now, society doesn’t necessarily need just more scientists and mathematicians. Generally speaking, we need people who can think outside the box and think creatively. That’s what the arts do, they allow us to look at any aspect of life with a more panoramic view, enabling us to respect all cultures. ”
Jon connects this with his understanding of America as a whole. He doesn't believe America is the greatest country in the world, because we do not respect and love people of all cultures, sexualities, shapes and sizes. Returning to American roots means reasserting our love and respect for our fellow neighbor. As Jon says, that will finally be when America is made great again.
