Most days when I fix my fingers to type out my thoughts on this blog, I’m doing so after being inspired by a conversation, some band footage, or a combination of both. Today, I’m driven to write by sadness. Last week, a good friend of mine, Mr. Zachariah Lincoln, passed away from this plane of existence, after a lengthy illness…After taking some time to step away from writing this, I got to thinking; Those of us that knew Zach Lincoln on a personal level, LOVED him. Folks that were (or still are) associated with the 5th Quarter also knew him as a son of Virginia State University; A tenacious defender of the school and the “Marching Trojan Explosion” band program, he often combined his astute ear for music with a razor sharp candor that made him a one-of-a-kind contributor to the 5th Quarter’s culture.
The more I thought about my interactions with Zach (as well as his interactions with people he marched and shared his talents with), the more I realized that Zach wasn’t just simply a GREAT person and a talented musician/arranger for his program. Zach represented the VERY BEST of what HBCU talent, fortitude, hard work, and a LOVE of heritage is all about…If you go to ANY black college band program today, you’ll find that one guy (or gal) that’s putting in work just to see HOW far they can grow. They may have come into a program only knowing how to play a single instrument, but may return the next season having mastered two others. By the end of their marching career, they’re writing music, writing drills, or choreographing dance routines. More importantly, they’re inspiring the NEXT generation of students to MAINTAIN a standard of love and pride in that program, and school. That person leaves an indelible, positive mark on whomever they cross paths with. They wear that pride and love on their sleeve; They wear that raw emotion close to the surface of their being and everybody in proximity is the better for it.
THAT’S who Zachariah Lincoln was. He had so much to share with everybody, and had no qualms doing so, or being vocal for OTHERS to do so. Zach represented the very best of us in terms of quality, work ethic, and Love for the folks around him. When I think of the friends (heck, extended family) I’ve made through attending an HBCU and participating in the art form that is black college marching band, I’ll think of Zach, and what he meant to the lives of the people he’s positively touched during his time here. After all, those kind of folks leave a legacy that’s easy to follow, for ALL of us.