Carol Healy Hazen (BA '72) Trinity College of Arts and Sciences
2001 Alumna of the Year

Though I sing with the tongue of humans
and angels and have not love,
I am like a blast of brass or a clanging cymbal. . . .
Faith, hope, and love: these three abide.
The greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13

Child Prodigy: a brilliant fish in a small pond

“Music was always my love,” says Carol Healy Hazen, Trinity International University’s 2001 College Alumna of the year. “I sang my first solo at age 2 and was playing the piano by ear by age 10.” But the path from early recognition of God-given talent to the influential and far-reaching music ministry Carol has today wasn’t a straight or rapid course.

While young Carol’s musical ability was evident, her hometown of Hancock in the farmlands of Minnesota had less than 1,000 residents. There was no vocal teacher within reasonable driving distance. A few years later, the high school music program let her build skills in flute and piano playing, but whenever she sang in competitions, the judges’ comments were the same: “Voice has great potential, could use training.” Carol sought to study and reach the potential she had in music and knew she would have to leave her small town to find the coaching and training she needed.

Both of Carol’s parents attended Trinity when it was located in Minneapolis, and they encouraged her to go to the Deerfield campus and pursue a major in music. They desired for her to benefit from the Christ-centered and warm academic atmosphere at Trinity which would also expose her to a larger world beyond their small, midwestern town. What they nor Carol did not foresee then was the full impact of what God had waiting for Carol at Trinity. Faculty and students converging on the campus in the fall of 1968 would offer Carol not only development of her musical abilities, but also the focus and vision for a life-long ministry.

Musical Mentors: learning to sing with the tongue of angels

New faculty member, George Strombeck, was starting up the first Trinity band. Carol joined, playing flute, and over the next few years, George became the most influential teacher in her life. Carol remarks, “He didn’t just develop talent. He developed in me and other students a key concept that we must develop whatever we had and get out into the world and use that gift to touch people. Band concerts and trips were more than just traveling and making music. They were outreach opportunities. I thought, ‘this is exciting. We can use what we know to reach people!’ This was a new revolutionary concept for me as a freshman and changed my life and my life goals.”

Carol’s voice teacher, Don Volz, impressed on her that “God’s plan for us is to develop excellence.” She took her voice training and other studies seriously and began to excel as a choir soloist, dramatic singer in musicals, and member of ensembles. She gained expertise as a vocalist in nearly every music genre from classical, to studio, to gospel, to the risky and edgy Christian rock music of the 70s. She was a lead singer for The Crimson Bridge. Her college life was enveloped by music. Her every effort and concentration was on developing her performance in voice and instrumental talent as well as in academic study of theory, history, and conducting music. “Music was the only love of my life then,” admits Carol.

Exhortation: a blast of brass

She sang with the tongue of angels, but a “blast of brass” pulled her up short one day after band practice when a fellow student confronted her with a stinging comment that surprised her into listening. Bev said, ”You are a turtle in a shell. I’ve been sitting next to you all year, and I don’t know you. Other people think you are a snob, only interested in your music.”

Carol was devastated. “Up until then,” Carol explained, “I thought my only worth was my musical ability. I had thrown myself into excellence as an act of preparation and worship to God, but it seemed that this musical ability was a barrier not a ministry and was hurting other people.”

Carol wrestled with this for months. “I wasn’t a snob,” Carol said thoughtfully, “I was an introvert on a focused mission that had not allowed for the inclusion of relationships outside of me, my music, my talent, and my desire to be the best I could be for Christ. I realized that there was a lot more to service and excellence than that. I began to see that my professors and colleagues had been demonstrating this all along, but I hadn’t picked up on the relationship part.”

“I made up my mind to change. I decided to consciously enter conversations so that people would know that I cared. I would learn to initiate relationships as an act of love. It took years, but I changed. I’ve always felt happy and fulfilled internally, but I learned that the Lord didn’t want me to be quiet. He wanted me to express my joy and love to be with others.” Carol blossomed in relationship building all over campus. She was chosen as Homecoming Queen in 1971 and was known by most students not only for her musical ability, but also for her joy and friendship. Carol remarks, “I owe Bev a lot for making me think about that. I also know that my ministry right now would never be possible if I had not figured that out back in college.”

Four years after her catharsis in 1968, Carol graduated and left Trinity in 1972 with her polished musical talents, with her determination to reach out to others for the sake of Christ, and with Tom Hazen (the other love of her life whom she met at Trinity and married during their last year). Since then she has used those three assets to build a music ministry, a family, and an outreach that is fully rounded, serving the Church and reaching into a large community.

Faith: the classroom that affirmed her commitment

Her first job was teaching music for 5 years in the public school system. As Carol puts it, this job experience was her “first proof that Christ really made a huge difference.” She taught in a tough school. “Kids would come in for music class and have big issues on their mind. I listened to stories of gang violence. I would go home at night and cry over those kids’ hurts. I was compassionate while other teachers showed anger. I knew it was only Jesus making me different.”

Carol also realized how much God had blessed her with Christian parents and a warm, wholesome family to grow up in back in Minnesota. She decided she would provide such a home for her children should God bless her and Tom with a family. She also made a commitment to remain involved in the public school system after she stopped teaching by serving as an accompanist even though her professional life moved inside the Church.

Hope: a mom’s role

Carol chose to be a stay-at-home mom, so quit full time teaching and concentrated on rearing three daughters and a son; teaching piano, flute, and voice lessons from her home; and volunteering at church. Tom and Carol have four children: Bethany, a 1999 graduate from TIU with a degree in education, married, and now considering missions; Jessie, an artist/dancer/communications major who graduated from Calvin College; Kristin, a Trinity music major following in her mom’s steps; and Jon, studying computer graphics at Purdue University. Bethany and Kristin’s studies at Trinity create a three-generational family tie to TIU.

Carol and Tom recognized early on how each of their children had her or his own bent, and they have worked hard to aid in the development of their kid’s natural interests, talents, and potential. Carol put her hope for her kids into directing their potential toward service to God. She has used music to unite and minister within the family. “We’re kind of like the Van Trapps. We all sing and play together. People at church like it when the Hazens lead worship.” Daughter Jessie writes, “The way my mom intertwines her faith with her work has definitely influenced how I want to serve the Lord with my life.”

Love: the Indiana Whirlwind and Spiritual Sparkplug

Carol has been involved in church music at Liberty Bible Church in Chesterton, Indiana (an Evangelical Free Church) for nearly 30 years. In addition to directing the adult choir, planning and leading worship, and acting as interim worship minister, one of her favorite opportunities has been leading youth music. “The advice I pass on about the importance of using one’s gifts for God’s glory and worshiping Him purely has extended through the years beyond my own children to scores of my music kids.” Her enthusiasm and perfectionism has infected the church.

As Carol’s responsibilities grew, a choir friend with great administrative and organizational skills came forward. Wendell Carlson has become a ministry partner, developing with her not only numerous church events and ongoing programs, but also the realization of a community vision that began in 1988.

This vision grew from a realization that many of the musicians of small churches and busy ministers from larger churches had little or no opportunity to enjoy participation in a large choir and orchestra in a worship setting. She spearheaded the beginning of a community effort to prepare an annual concert and a major musical. Because of her vision and creativity in 1988, hundreds of members of 55 different local churches combined talents to present the first of many ongoing seasons of performances throughout the area and at the state prison. Interestingly, this apparent morale booster, underwritten by local merchants for the community, is centered on sacred music and the joining of voices and instruments to celebrate God’s goodness to all.

Reporters of various local papers have coined the term Whirlwind for Carol Hazen. The press has avidly followed the development of this community effort for years and promotes it enthusiastically. She is now a well-known and valued leader for her contribution to community life.

Carol, however, is the first to say that the success of this annual community event is due to her ministry partner, Wendell Carlson. His strong organizational and administrative gifts along with Carol’s creativity and vision have made a strong missions approach which has impacted the church and the community. “Wendell should be getting this award along with me,” Carol asserted.

Wendell speaks freely of Carol’s influence: “Working with a ministry partner has shown me that there is a more powerful effect when two talented people work together than when each works separately. Even though we are very different, programs are better when we do them together. She has challenged me to know my motives for God’s glory, to look into my own life. She applies the music settings to spiritual life during rehearsals. She’s a sparkplug for the groups she leads. Her energy is contagious, and she draws commitment out of everyone.”

Carol’s creative energy and Wendell’s implementation gifts have also enriched the Great Lakes District of the EFCA. For the last few years, they have been key players in the continuation of District Youth Festival held on Trinity’s campus each May. This festival highlights the music, oral, drama, art, and multimedia talents of Free Church Youth, emphasizing God’s expectations for excellence and service.

As an alumna, Carol has further strengthened her ties with Trinity and the university’s mission of forming students to transform the world through Christ. Not only has she, along with husband Tom, selected Trinity as the best college choice for two of their children, but she has also served in other vital ways to give back a portion of what she gained while at Trinity. She is a proactive parent who visits campus frequently, supports the music and athletic programs and activities, and lends her voice as a spokeswoman. In a recent letter to parents who are considering sending their daughters and sons to Trinity, Carol wrote: “It’s my privilege to recommend Trinity. I believe that TIU provides the finest in Christian education. I’m excited about what the Lord continues to do at Trinity in the lives of those who seek Him!”

Story by O’Ann Steere (BA '73) based on the award nomination and interviews

The Trinity College Alumni Board, on behalf of the entire Alumni Association, applauds Carol’s musical excellence, her life of humble service to God through her church worship ministries, her creativity in reaching and uniting her immediate community, and her support of her alma mater. We joyfully award Carol Healy Hazen the 2001 Alumna of the Year Award.