Tom Zosel lost his father in October 2016 and just weeks later was diagnosed with colorectal cancer.

“He had ulcerative colitis his entire life and he had a lot of challenges because of it,” said his brother, Scott. “But music was always his salvation.”

Last January, Zosel’s many musical friends threw a benefit for him at St. Paul’s Amsterdam Bar and Hall and raised more than $16,000 to help cover his medical bills and hospice care. Zosel, who performed live for the final time at the benefit, died March 9.

Months later, Zosel’s girlfriend, Katy Linne, had an idea. His friends and family will throw another benefit, this time to fund a scholarship in Zosel’s honor at St. Paul’s Walker West Music Academy, where he spent two decades teaching hundreds, if not thousands, of kids how to play clarinet, trumpet, saxophone and trombone.

“He loved the students there, he loved the people there and he loved what they did,” said Scott Zosel. “A scholarship is really in the spirit of what Tom was all about.”

Several of the bands Tom Zosel played with, including the Dixieland jazz group Beau Koo Jacks, will perform Sunday at the Amsterdam, with proceeds benefiting Walker West.

The Rev. Carl Walker and Grant West founded the school in 1988. Both men had been giving personal music lessons and decided to join forces and start a school with an eye toward teaching children from the African-American community. The concept took off quickly, with Walker and West adding more teachers to the staff and relocating the school several times to accommodate growing demand. The nonprofit is now in a space at 760 Selby Ave.

Walker took to Zosel immediately. “He was a very gentle, outgoing person and an excellent teacher,” Walker said. “He knew how to reach his students and he had that kind of persona that would keep things at a very even level. Even during his last days, he was a very gentle spirit.”

Zosel spent his early career in politics and worked with the late Sen. Paul Wellstone. “But he could never sustain that type of career,” Scott Zosel said. “It was so stressful and hard on his body, he decided to become a full-time musician. He told me, ‘It’s the only thing that keeps me sane and not sick.’ ”

Like any budding musician, Tom Zosel worked to find as many gigs and connections as he could, performing session work and playing with cover bands as well as notable locals like Maurice Jacox and Cornbread Harris. He loved R&B, soul and gospel, which led to him taking the job of performing during Sunday services at St. Paul’s Morning Star Baptist Church, where Walker is the pastor.

Zosel found he had a knack for gathering musicians while downplaying the egos and strong personalities that come with the territory. “There’s a reason they call musicians ‘cats.’ It’s hard to keep them together,” said his brother. “He was a builder and he could always find something positive to say. He was able to get guys who hated each other to play in a band together. He had a real sense of humor with every single person he met. He made you feel special.”

After last year’s benefit, Scott Zosel said he was blown away by the support that friends and fellow musicians showed his brother: “That day was an amazing testament to the huge community of people he cultivated.”

Walker, who preached at Tom Zosel’s funeral, said he often runs into former students who lavish praise on the late musician. He also thinks Zosel would be proud of the scholarship.

“His shoes are hard to fill because he was such an outstanding teacher,” Walker said. “The scholarship is the greatest thing that could happen, because it (allows opportunities) for more young students who love music but can’t afford to study it.”

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