DOOR COUNTY (NBC 26) — Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Sturgeon Bay is once again filled with the sound of music.
"We'll see about 70 musicians here," Peninsula Symphonic Band music director Jason Palmer said. "So, it's a pretty good sized ensemble."
This comes after the group also felt a major loss.
Saxophone section leader Erik Torkelson passed away at the age of 67 this past July. He was a part of the band after being a music teacher in the Chicago area until 2015, when he moved to Door County.
WATCH MIHIR SINHASAN'S FULL STORY:
"(He was) personable, friendly, (and) helpful," Palmer said when asked about Torkelson's personality. "Anything you would ask of him, he would do."
That spirit of generosity is now being carried forward.
The band has renamed its memorial scholarship after Torkelson, allowing Door County musicians in seventh through 11th grade to attend summer band camps.
One of this year's recipients is saxophone player Abby Rock, who attended a jazz camp at Birch Creek Music Performance Center in Egg Harbor, and has a personal connection with the Torkelsons.
"I work with his wife at a garden center, and I met him at a party once," Rock said about Torkelson. "I thought he was so cool, because I was 14, and there was this saxophone player. He seemed like super professional and super good."
That admiration grew when she joined the band.
"Working under him was a joy, I learned a lot," she said. "He wanted to teach people. He taught me so many things about music and he taught me about what it is to lead a section."
For the band, Torkelson's influence didn't end with his passing.
"He'll definitely be a missing piece," Palmer said. "But we also know he's here."
The next cycle of Erik Torkelson Memorial Scholarships will be given out next spring.
