By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

A 1969 Marion High School graduate who went on to become a performer and music professor popped in Friday to an MHS room that evoked many memories.

In the same MHS classroom where his father taught for a decade and Mike Steinel played during high school. Steinel gave lessons and instructional books he has written to current band students.

The book Steinel gave students was “Instrumental Elements of Jazz Ensemble.”

Other books include “Running the Changes,” “Building a Jazz Vocabulary,” “Essential Elements for Jazz Ensemble Book II.”

He also has produced novels including “Saving Charlie Parker” and numerous other music-related books.

After graduating from high school in Marion, Steinel studied at Emporia State University and North Texas State University and performed professionally. He spent four years at Bethel University as an artist in residence. In that role he worked with Bethel students and students from high schools in the region. He then returned to North Texas and remained there until retiring as a professor emeritus in 2019.

Steinel has performed professionally since his student days.

He’s impressed with the work Glover has done with Marion students.

“I think Steven Glover is going to be very successful,” he said.

On Saturday, Steinel performed at Washburn University with former Hillsboro High School music teacher and now McPherson College instructor Gregg Walker, Mark Mazur, Olivia Massey, Tom Morgan, Carey Hoffman, Meghan Monroe, and Brett Janssen.

The concert, one of a pair, is to celebrate Walker’s recovery from rheumatoid arthritis that took away his ability to play until he completed 10 years of physical therapy.