It may just be possible that people are born with a heart of music. Steve Colagrossi would most likely agree. Musical talent has run in his family for generations. “My grandmother was one of those musicians that sat in a movie theater and played the organ during the silent movie era,” Steve shared. “It runs in families.” A visit to Steve’s home would quickly unveil this passion for music, along with his heart of hospitality. The first to greet you, however, would be their two friendly dogs. It won’t take longer than a few minutes before Steve would make sure you were comfortable in his home with a glass of fresh iced tea in one hand and a plate of snacks in the other. Then he’ll gladly open up and share his life and music with those who will listen.
Steve grew up in Elkhart, on Benham Avenue. It was early on, in elementary school, that he remembers exactly when his heart was bent toward music. “When I heard Chet Atkins play ‘You Got It’ on television,” he recalled. “My eyes just opened wide, and my jaw dropped. It was like I knew I wanted to do that!” He worked hard trying to convince his parents to buy him a guitar, but his dad repeated, “No guitars, no drums.” So, Steve made one. “I cut a guitar out of cardboard and put a stick on it, colored it and made it look as much like a guitar as I could,” Steve shared. “I would turn the record player on to Seth Carlson and pretend to play in front of the television set.”
He found some fellow music lovers at school. Eventually, he got a real guitar for Christmas, and he began to meet up with Scott Miller and Tom Stevens at Tom’s house. He joined their band, Mercury and the Mummies but they later changed their name to Congress Incorporated. They rehearsed together for a while and then started playing paid gigs, such as little kids’ parties. “I think our first job was $3.00,” Steve said, remembering those days fondly. They loved playing classic rock, such as early Rolling Stones. They played “Puff the Magic Dragon” on the DeeDee Donavan show. They broadened their repertoire and continued to add more popular songs. “There were a lot of places to perform when I was growing up,” he continued. “They have all disappeared.”
As he moved on to high school, the band broke up. Steve continued his musical aspirations in the high school jazz band. He started listening to jazz guitar players. His high school jazz teacher offered him a solo at a jazz festival in Elmhurst. He won the festival and was offered a wonderful opportunity. “I got to play with Maynard Ferguson, who is a very famous horn player, on stage with him and his band.” After high school, Steve was accepted to the IU School of Music. “I couldn’t read a note, but I got accepted anyway,” Steve said. “I had to audition. They were taking a chance. I didn’t want to teach. I wanted to be a performer, so I changed my major to business administration when I realized that is the way to make money.”
Looking back on his 47-year banking career, business was a good pathway for Steve. He retired from Lake City Bank after years of growing banks into thriving businesses. He started when he was 15 years old. “The First National Bank hired high school kids to do little things,” he reminisced. “I worked in the vault counting the parking meter money from downtown Elkhart.” He progressed from parking meter money to opening a vault that had $350 million in securities. At age 20 he got his first supervisor job and had every combination to every major vault. He spent his life in the banking industry. “It was all I knew, except for delivering newspapers when I was a kid.” It’s also how he met his wife, Jeanie. “She worked for an RV company. She would come in and do the day-to-day banking at the teller window,” Steve shared. “We just started talking. We knew each other about a year before we were married. We were both 30 with no kids.” They went on to have two children. Their son Mitch has traveled all over the world as a photographer, and is currently a corporate photographer for Thor Jayco. Their daughter Sarah is a nurse. She married a surgeon, and they live in Johnson Bay, New York.
With a career and growing family, it was difficult to maintain other pursuits. Steve did a great job of this. “I can’t remember a time in my life when I wasn’t performing,” he shared. “School, bands, church, Bristol Opera House, acoustic performances, weddings…they just came from all over the place.” He also played on national TV for Mike Huckabee’s show. Steve performed as a guitarist for the South Bend Symphony Pops. He was involved in concerts where an electric guitar was needed: Christmas concerts, rock, jazz, soul, country or other popular music. The last band that he was a part of, Guitar Woodies, was quite successful. “We were making more money than just about any other rock band around.” Even though his years playing with a band are now over, Steve is still passionate about the guitar and composing music.
When Steve became a patient with Center for Hospice Care, it may not have been evident that what he would gain was much more than clinical appointments. “The most important thing for me,” he shared, “was understanding my denial of the adjustments that come at the end of life. It’s so beneficial to have a support network help process thoughts at this point of life. It’s not a clinical relationship, it’s a group of caring people.” He said that he was extremely comfortable with everyone from the very beginning; they were empathetic, and they took their time. Steve continues to pour into his music; in fact, Center for Hospice Care and the people he’s met through his time on our care have inspired a new song. He has a special spot in his home. His couch is surrounded by sound equipment, his guitar and his beloved dogs.
Supporting his passions is part of what our staff does. Others seeing value in his talent and his music allows Steve to realize that he continues to contribute to the world around him, even when it becomes more difficult for him. When the day comes that he may not be able to play the guitar anymore, hopefully he can realize that his music is still alive and is still able to touch the lives of those around him. “Because you’re interested in my music,” he said. “That’s what gets me up in the morning.” To value his passions is to value who he is – both in the past and the present.
To hear some of Steve’s music, visit his website: SteveColagrossiMusic.com/listen.
