2024 Sandy Keith Award Winner Announced

2024 Sandy Keith Downtown Impact Award – John Sievers

In downtown Rochester, we are fortunate to have so many people, organizations, businesses, and initiatives dedicated to making downtown a better place to live, work, lead, invest, eat, sleep, play, heal, learn, grow, and more.

The late A.M. “Sandy” Keith was one of those people. Sandy was the driving force behind the genesis of the Rochester Downtown Alliance (RDA) back in the early 2000s. To honor Sandy’s work and encourage more people to explore ways to make an impact on downtown, the RDA created the “Sandy Keith Downtown Impact Award.”

This award is presented to a person or group whose efforts have made or are making a substantial impact on the downtown community. The goal is to recognize those who continue to demonstrate passion for urban growth and community development and encourage others to do the same.

This year’s Sandy Keith award is presented to an individual who has made an impact on the downtown arts and culture scene, increasing the vibrancy of downtown Rochester as a whole, which can be felt right here in Peace Plaza seven days a week – in restaurants and bars, in the unique retail establishments that call downtown Rochester home, and more.

The 2024 Sandy Keith Downtown Impact Award goes to none other than John Sievers!

John is a connector in the music community and downtown Rochester, booking over 150 music acts this summer for programs like Music on the Plaza, Friday night Concerts on the Kahler Grand Hotel Stage, Saturday mornings at Play on the Plaza, weekly jazz at 1928 Cocktails & Bites, and sharing his talent on the trombone in a number of downtown performances himself.
By day, Dr. Sievers is a Professor of English at Rochester Community and Technical College. Each week he volunteers his time and climbs the ladder to put a new short poem on the marquee of the Historic Chateau Theater, brightening the day of passers by as they pause and smile at his often sweet or silly phrases. Check it out while you’re on the Plaza tonight. Over the past several years, John, his father, and sister have stayed connected over social media by posting a daily haiku; his are inspired and accompanied by a photo he has captured. His count is up to 1,696…days in a row. That is commitment. John is also a feature writer for the Post Bulletin, where he highlights local arts and culture activities in the community.
He is the leader of the jazz ensemble the D'Sievers, a member of the bands Loud Mouth Brass, Amateur, The Soul Train, the Shabby Road Orchestra, Jaggedease, Brass Etc, Quarter Tone Bones, the MN Vikings pep band at Chip Shots, and he often sits in as the “Wisdom Tooth” with the band Teeth - as we saw last night at Thursdays Downtown - as well as local bands Incognito, Fabbaulous, Pat Egan, and After School Special, just to name a few. He is the founder of the Med City Jazz Festival, organizes a monthly Jazz Jam at Forager Brewery, and plays more gigs in a week than you or I could attempt to attend. Phew!
Outside of the classroom and off the stage, he is the loving husband to his high school sweetheart Beth, a nurse and talented encaustic artist herself, and they are the proud parents of two incredibly talented daughters Eleanor and Abigail. You may have seen them in the audience at one of their performances, supporting their artistic aspirations - John may just happen to have his trombone handy to join in for a number. They are a family of artists, spreading joy and creativity wherever they go.

John’s service to the community reaches far beyond booking music and writing poems. He is rooted in Rochester, beloved by many, and always willing to lend a helping hand. He approaches life with positivity and that positive energy is contagious. Please join me in congratulating John, and thanking him for his continued service to downtown Rochester.

The award presented was hand sculpted by Rochester Artist Jessalyn Finch, and the stickers were designed by John’s daughter Abigail special for this event.

Thank you John, and congratulations.