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Rusty

Oskaloosa, Iowa 

Born with strawberry blond hair, and given the middle name of Russell, Monte Johnson's parents gave him the nickname of Rusty, which he has gone by ever since. Rusty was raised in Oskaloosa, Iowa, a community of about 12,000 people. After his parent's divorce, Rusty moved into his first foster home while in fourth grade. Rusty re-entered the same foster home after a brief placement in a hospital for depression, and then another try in his biological household. His first foster family, the Stams, instilled in him religion, discipline, morals, and values, which Rusty still holds steadfast to this day.

Rusty struggled in elementary school and was not popular among his classmates. However, this drastically changed after a move to a new school district and home. Rusty enrolled into the North Mahaska School system in time for the sixth grade. Carolyn Brickley was the elementary music teacher and also Rusty's new foster mom. Because of Rusty's extremely strong connection with his biological mother, visitations were arranged between Rusty, his sisters, and their mother. Rusty was given his first saxophone from his biological mother during a visitation, and upon accepting the saxophone that had been in the family, he agreed to become just like his mother's idol, Kenny G. Looking out from stage during Rusty’s first solo/small-ensemble competition, in sixth grade, he saw his mother beaming from ear-to-ear. Ms. Brickley accompanied Rusty on piano as he performed Bach’s Minuet in G. Rusty received his first “one” rating, which he proudly displayed to his mother during their very short visit in the auditorium. Rusty’s mother presented her own gift to him - her personal cassette tape of Kenny G. Shortly after this visit, Rusty's mother suddenly died.

After another battle with depression, Rusty was hospitalized. The new support of his foster mom, classmates, community, and school was tremendous. His return to New Sharon marked the beginning of a new chapter in his life. Under the guidance of Rusty's foster mom, he practiced relentlessly in memory of his mother. Although Ms. Brickley didn't think Rusty would ever make the instrument sound like a saxophone, she encouraged him and continued to have faith.

During Rusty's 10th grade year, two of his biological sisters were living in the same foster home. Ken & Julie Seemann graciously opened their foster home to Rusty, who took the opportunity to move back to Oskaloosa, into the Seemann's foster home to be with his sisters. Every day, he made the 11 mile commute to New Sharon for school. Not too long after his move into the Seemann’s home, one sister left to another foster home, and by the end of Rusty's 11th grade year, his other sister had moved into another foster home. Although the Seemann’s had the best of intentions, Rusty was once again separated from his siblings.

When Rusty was born on July 28th, 1980, he had what doctors mistakenly called Hemangioma. During his 6th and 7th grade years, Rusty underwent two major operations only to discover a blood sack bigger than a hot water bottle located in his back. Later tests would show the vascular malformation reached inside his chest cavity and wrapped around his heart and lungs. With the condition as it was, Rusty was not expected to live through the end of high school. Dr. Wayne F. Yakes heard of Rusty's medical case and immediately asked Rusty and his foster mom to make the trip to Swedish Medical Center in Englewood, Colorado. In 1983 Dr. Yakes invited the procedure that would save Rusty's life. After inducing sleep by anesthesia, Dr. Yakes injected pure alcohol into Rusty's vascular malformation causing it to collapse. Every month for the next two years, Rusty and his foster mom would fly to Colorado to undergo these life saving procedures. After Dr. Yakes had successfully treated all the malformation, Rusty underwent two more reconstructive surgeries in Colorado.

Despite medical setbacks, Rusty stayed strong. He starred in the North Mahaska Jazz band playing lead alto saxophone four years in a row. He was named the Most Outstanding Soloist in the 1998 District Jazz Championships. Outside music, Rusty was becoming more active in school. He was nominated and elected as the Junior Class Representative, and shortly after was selected to be one of two students sent to Washington, D.C. to represent Iowa in the National Youth Leadership Congress. In 1998 Rusty was elected as the North Mahaska Student Body President, serving as a voice for his student body during his senior year.

Halfway through his senior year in high school, Rusty moved from the Seemann’s into the Lowenberg household. Although Mary and Steve Lowenberg were not foster parents, they agreed to open their home to Rusty through a program called Independent Living where the state of Iowa paid Rusty a small stipend to live on his own until graduating from high school. Although the Lowenbergs did not know Rusty well, they went out of their way to include him in their life. By the end of his senior year, Rusty had finally found his family.

After one semester at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, Rusty enrolled at Central College in Pella, Iowa. Under the mentorship of Gabriel Espinosa, Rusty began to become serious about playing music. Rusty played principle saxophone with the Central College Symphonic Wind Ensemble, and lead alto saxophone for three years with the Central College Jazz and Vocal ensembles. In 2002, Rusty formed his first jazz quintet, Baya Jazz, which performed throughout the state.

Like in high school, Rusty was very active outside of music. During his junior year in college, he was nominated and then selected to serve on the Iowa State Child Welfare committee where he advised and discussed controversial topics pertaining to the foster care system. Through his undergraduate college career, Rusty played in numerous churches throughout the state, and when not playing in other churches, played on the worship team of the Oskaloosa First Church of the Nazarene. After working for a couple of years as a nursing technician for the medical floor and the emergency room, he disc jockeyed on KCWN Christian radio, serving south central Iowa. During his junior year in college, he joined the Central College music honor society, Mu Gamma Pi, and his senior year was elected as President of Mu Gamma Pi. Rusty was nominated through the staff of Central College to join the 2002 Leadership Conference, and before graduating in 2003, Rusty was presented the Central College Music Leadership Award.

Before leaving Central College, Rusty made history when he gave his senior recital. Backstage, Lt. Governor Sally Pederson and Central College's President, David Roe, met with Rusty to give him the State of Iowa Certificate of Recognition, signed by the 80th General Assembly Democratic House Members. Rusty defied the normal attendance of 10-30 people at a senior recital when he walked on stage to greet an estimated crowd of over 500 supporters.

In 2003, Rusty was selected to attend one of the most prestigious jazz schools in the world, the University of North Texas Graduate School. After one year at UNT, Rusty had been nominated for the National Dean's List, maintaining his grade point average of a 4.0. While studying at the University of North Texas, Rusty worked at the Denton Regional Medical Center as a surgical technician. He attended the Denton First Church of the Nazarene, where he played on the worship team and also made guest appearances at churches in Dallas and throughout the Country.

During the summer of 2004, Rusty was selected to be one of fourteen youth to represent foster children on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Through the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, Rusty served as an intern for the Head of the United States House Intelligence Committee, Congressman Silvestre Reyes. Rusty also worked closely with Congressman Jim Cooper and Nick Lampson on the bill HR 4431, One Church One Child, and by the end of Rusty's internship, Congressman Reyes agreed to co-sponsor the legislation.

Rusty parted from his graduate studies at the University of North Texas to accept the full-time saxophonist position with the CJW Quintet in Shanghai, China. Upon his return to the United States, Rusty began work on the first annual Iowa Rusty Johnson’s American Dreams, a benefit for foster youth. Rusty saw the need to raise awareness for the child welfare system, and the need for community members to become mentors, teachers, foster parents, and more. Joining efforts with the hometown church that helped raise him, College Avenue Friends Church, for two weeks prior to Rusty’s American Dreams Concert, he toured Iowa. On radio, news stations, talk-shows, and newspapers, Rusty spread the word about community needs with foster youth and families, and educated all those who would listen. At the end of his American Dreams press-tour, Rusty held a truly impressive concert, sharing the American Dreams stage with famous musicians who united for foster youth. 100% of all profits and ticket sales were donated to the Iowa Friends of Foster Children who ensure foster youth have the opportunity to excel through the arts, sports, camps, and more.

A day after Rusty’s first American Dreams Concert, in Iowa, he began his work as the Youth Specialist for the Texas Department of Family & Protective Services. Rusty currently continues his work as Youth Specialist, where he oversees his position encompassing Dallas and 18 surrounding counties. Panel discussions, community outreach, speaking on behalf of current and former foster youth, and mentoring/facilitating the Region’s foster youth/alumni group, Change for Today & Tomorrow are several of Rusty’s duties as Youth Specialist.

Rusty continues to perform for various events including clubs, banquets, festivals, and fundraisers. Rusty travels to different cities to play and attend festivals. He has played and shared the stage with musicians such as Steven Curtis Chapman, Alex Acuna, Kristina Korb, John Fedchock, Jovino Santos-Neto, Otmaro Ruiz, Antonio Sanchez, Liz Mikel, Buddy Shanahan, the Turtle Creek Chorale, Marvin Matthews, and more. Rusty has played in places, such as: Mexico, Romania, Germany, China, Canada, British Columbia, and from coast-to-coast throughout the United States.

Rusty has studied under world-class musicians, such as recording artists Gabriel Espinosa of Ashanti Latin Jazz, trumpeter Dave Kobberdahl, and saxophone master Pete Brewer. Among many memberships, including the International Association of Jazz Education, Rusty’s most recent membership collaboration is with the Foster Care Alumni of America.