Paul Scott comment: Unified Jazz Ensemble had a big impact on Decorah

(Commentary by decorahnews.com's Paul Scott)--

One of the blessings that I count in my life is the number of people who have told me that something I did made a difference in their life.

These stories all have one thing in common—I didn't realize what was happening at the time.

It's only in looking back that we can tell what has made a difference in our lives.  And looking back at the lives of Decorah residents, and knowing now the kind of community Decorah has become, I think something that made a big difference in our community was the 1992residency of the Unified Jazz Ensemble.

When I came to Decorah, going out to eat meant choosing between pizza and hamburgers and listening to music meant polkas or country music.

Decorah is a far different place these days, with La Rana, Albert's, Rubaiyat, McCaffrey's Dolce Vita, Don Jose, ArtHaus, the Clay Studio, Agora, NE Iowa Artists' Studio Tour, an expanded Oneota Food Co-op, Java John's, Trout Run Trail and dozens of other improvements to our community.

But first there was the Unified Jazz Ensemble—the spark that proved there was interest in "culture" in Decorah. It might not have seemed like a watershed moment at the time, but, looking back, it certainly was.

So welcome back to Decorah, UJE.  Look around town and take pride in the fact that Decorah is a livelier, most diverse town than it was in 1992.  And tell yourself that a saxophone can be an instrument of social change!