08/03/2026
Happy ! Meet Kim Lochbaum ⬇️
Kim joined the Sounds of Sawnee Concert Band in October 2025, bringing with her a lifelong passion for music, a distinguished 35-year career in education, and a wonderful story of returning to the ensemble stage after a 30-year hiatus!
Kim’s musical roots run deep in her family. Growing up in Blairsville, Georgia, she was surrounded by self-taught musicians, including her dad, uncles, and cousins, who played everything from guitar and banjo to piano, drums, and flute. In fact, when Kim first brought home an alto saxophone in the fifth grade, her uncle rushed over and, within an hour, had picked it up and was playing songs by ear! Kim had originally thought she would play the flute or clarinet (they were smaller and lighter), but her dad encouraged her to select the saxophone due to the popularity of Yackety Sax, an instrumental tune by Boots Randolph that became a top 40 hit in the early 1960s.
Kim continued to pursue music throughout her youth. She went on to attend Mercer University, where she performed with the Mercer Concert Band and Jazz Ensembles, and played soprano sax as well. During her time at Mercer, Kim even had a brush with fame! In 1988, she toured Mexico with the university jazz band, performing in open-air amphitheaters and making a national television appearance playing "La Bamba" on the morning show Hoy Mismo (the Mexican equivalent of the Today Show), a fun story she often uses as her secret weapon in the game "Two Truths and a Lie."
After graduating, Kim spent the early part of her career as a music educator, teaching middle and high school band in both Gordon and Crawford counties. She later earned a Master’s and a Specialist degree in Early Childhood Education and transitioned to elementary education, where she dedicated over two decades to teaching first grade. After moving to Forsyth County in 2001, Kim taught first grade at Mashburn Elementary before becoming the school’s educational technology coach, eventually wrapping up her impressive 35-year career in public education by training district teachers on digital education products.
Over her 30 years away from ensemble playing, Kim would occasionally pick up her saxophone just to play a favorite song, but she deeply missed the big, rich sound of a full band and performing live. Briefly, she tried to fill the “performance void” in her life by volunteering as a children’s dramatic storyteller at Brown’s Bridge church, but script memorization brought her more stress than joy! Having retired from Forsyth County Schools three years ago, she decided to seek out a musical connection once again. After finding Sounds of Sawnee on social media, she took the plunge and joined the ensemble. While she admits her biggest worry was having lost the technique and stamina to “keep up” with the group, the bigger struggle has actually been staying focused while counting multiple measures of rests! Rediscovering music has fulfilled a wonderful need to connect with others in retirement.
Music has also been a central thread in Kim’s family life. As a "band mom," she loved watching her two sons, Adam and Nolan, perform with the Forsyth Central Flash of Crimson. Today, her youngest son, Nolan, is a junior at Clemson University and a member of the Clemson Tiger Marching Band and basketball pep band. For Kim, music was a gift she wanted her boys to experience for the connection and lifelong friendships it creates. In a full-circle moment, Nolan even joined Kim on stage to perform alongside her in our recent patriotic concert, a special memory she treasures.
When she’s not rehearsing with the band, Kim stays remarkably active. She is an avid walker (logging around 20 miles a week!), grows flowers for the bees and hummingbirds, and paints signs and furniture. Last year, she spent several months creating decor for Nolan’s apartment in Clemson, including a huge tiger’s-eye painting that tested her patience! She also bowls in a competitive league with her husband, Gary, with whom she recently celebrated 37 years of marriage. The couple also loves hiking national parks, taking cruises, and spending time with their sons and two fur babies, Zoe and Cricket. Currently, Kim is channeling much of her creative energy into restoring her childhood home in Blairsville, where she resurrects not only thrifted furniture, including a favorite dining room table project, but also benches, bookcases, and other items that were originally crafted by her father.
Kim loves bold, dramatic pieces, spirited marches, jazzy arrangements, and is a massive Scott Joplin fan (she’s quietly hoping the band performs some ragtime in the future, or more pieces influenced by ragtime like St. Louis Blues). Her advice to fellow musicians comes from her years as both a director and performer: remember that everyone finds it challenging to sit down and practice, but the reward of making music together is always worth the effort.
When asked what she enjoys most about the Sounds of Sawnee Concert Band, Kim says it’s all about meeting new people and working to regain her musical skills.
We are so glad Kim found our band and brought her incredible background, leadership, and musicianship to our saxophone section.
Thank you, Kim, for sharing your heart, your story, and your music with the Sounds of Sawnee Concert Band!
