Craig Buhler is Director & first tenor sax with Sequim’s Stardust Big Band Among his 30 recording credits are 8 CD’s under his own name. Craig is a charter member of the acclaimed California rock band HONK, which toured nationally with the Beach Boys, Loggins & Messina, Chicago, Santana, and others before audiences of 10,000+. HONK has released 5 CDs, and continues to sell out San Juan Capistrano’s Coach House as well as other California venues.
4 Buhler siblings: then and now
Craig is the author of 2 books on music. “New Ears Resolution” is a revolutionary new ear training method which has proven effective with scores of students on many instruments. “Keys to Music” is a complete course in jazz woodwind technique which includes 54 original etudes. Each collection come with an accompanying CD.
Craig serves as Worship Director for the Little Brown Church of Blyn and is former Worship Director for the Vineyard Christian Fellowship of Seattle. He has played for international church conferences as well as 70+ NW congregations, for whom he was occasionally invited to also preach. In addition to Craig’s three original worship recordings, he appears on CD’s by Vineyard artists Andy Park, Kevin Prosch, & Brian Doerksen. Craig has presented his 2-day “Total Immersion” seminar for worship musicians to churches in five states. Craig’s “Jazz For Youth” band has performed at over a hundred school assemblies, religious conferences, and civic functions.
He is former Woodwind Instructor for Mills Music stores in Bothell, Redmond & Lynnwood, WA, and now offers private instruction in clarinet, saxophone, flute, ear training, and improvisation. Craig is also Improvisation Coach for NW Big Band Workshop, Sequim High School Jazz Band, Camp Heebie Jeebies, Northwinds Home School Jazz Band, and Jazz in the Olympics Society (JITOS) Youth Band. He represents Buffet clarinets & Keilwerth saxophones as an artist /clinician.
In 1979, Craig toured & recorded with British singer Ian Matthews. Before this, he spent 3 years with the jazz group “Storyville,” which released an LP and appeared all over California, including concerts with Dizzy Gillespie and the Crusaders. As a UCLA music major, he studied clarinet with Mitchell Lurie, saxophone & flute with Bill Green, ear training with Alvin Learned, and composition with Paul Chihara & Doug Leedy. In 1987, he earned a Master of Science degree from the University of Washington.
Craig Buhler lives in Sequim, WA. His late wife Molly raised therir 4 cats and trained Benny Good Dog to be a great dog. In addition to daily music practice, he continues with their favorite hobbies: hiking, swimming, Bible study, and reading.
Click here to see some funny early photos and read more about Craig’s experiences as a young musician.
Hi Craig,
talked to Steve this afternoon and heard the sad news.
Lily and I send our love to give you a little comfort.
The way life is we did not have too much time to spend together,but the moments we were able to share back in Newport/Laguna have been special moments for both of us,which we will keep in good memory.
God bless and our prayers and thoughts are with you.
If you have a chance to come to Buenos Aires be our guest!
Lothar and Lily
no problems craig…
i was just looking at your website and i tear up when i see that picture of you and molly….how creative with the plants as a proposal…life is so unfair…i know you must be struggling and i don’t know why this kind of thing happens….i read the article about her in the gazette also…what an amazing woman who did so much good, amazing…i’m so sorry i didn’t get to know her better…but when i did meet her the couple of times, i liked her very much.
i don’t think anyone will forget about her death…i think some people just don’t know what to say to you or to somebody who has dealt with such a loss…
anyway, i just think you are one of the most talented, intelligent people i’ve ever met, and i don’t understand why bad things happen to good people…i’m glad you are continuing doing music and staying busy…i’m sure that is what molly would want.
and i do feel we get along great and i will be authentic..i don’t like the fake stuff either…
there is a man who wants your band to play in seattle at a boat party on lake union in early feb….i gave him your website
Love this site Craig. It was a wonderful visit today. I’m so sad about Molly. She really got me through a bad time when she prayed with me at the Coach House. I enjoyed our visit so much when the two of you came up to the house. We never stopped talking. I felt as if I had met a really good friend. My prayers are with the both of you. We know her Father is taking good care of her. Please do the same for yourself. Love.
Dear Craig, I am so sorry for your loss. Words are not enough.
Hey Craig,
Great to hear from you.
Please feel free to call.
Your friend in Jesus,
Doug Wight
Oh Craig,
We just learned of your loss, and I am soo, soo sorry to hear the news! Molly was an AWESOME! woman – and you could see it every time she worked with the kids in Sunday school – I had that pleasure a few times with her, and I am soo sorry to hear of this. I had written to let you know I had mentioned you in an article I wrote recently, but that seems so unimportant now. I hope and pray that God be with you in this time in your life! Again I am so sorry to hear the news!
P.S. If you need to get away – we are here for you! Just give me a call or show up!
Patrick Siegmann
http://www.headabovemusic.com/less-is-more-creating-your-web-presence-by-patrick-j-siegmann
thank you for your kindness, Patrick. One simply puts 1 foot in front of the other and tries to carry on. my church has been wonderful. and the music is a comfort.
cb
May God and the love of your friends and family lift you in spirits. I pray for your healing each day.
Craig, I am so sorry to hear of the loss of Molly. It has come as a shock to me when I learned of the fact from a former Seattle Vineyard musician.
I pray the Lord’s strength will be your portion as you heal from the great loss.
Your friend,
Al
Thank you for your loving words, Al. As you know, Molly was especially fond of you. She would want me to remind you how much you mean to both of us.
love, cb
Hey, Craig! I have to confess that I’m the former Vineyard musician that told Al Teoh the news about Molly. He and May are now part of our home fellowship so we see a lot of each other. I was extremely saddened when Shannon told me of your loss. I’m so sorry. My niece passed away the day after Thanksgiving and my mom just passed away in January, so I have some sense of the pain you feel. I have been praying for you, my friend. Molly was a ton of fun and you have always been a delight. I pray that the Lord continues to wrap you in his Arms of Love. With much love in Christ, Don
Dear Don,
Thank you so much for your beautiful note. Today is our 15th anniversary, so hearing from you on this day is a gift from God.
As worship leader of our little church, it has been a great pleasure to introduce these folks to the wonderful Vineyard tunes which you taught me over the years, many of which are still printed on your letterhead. These are the amazing compositions from the early 90′s, not the commercial stuff that’s coming out now. i have attempted to forge a completely integrated set – avoiding the “us & them” generational gap which crops up in some churches. In each of our 5-song sets, we aim to move seamlessly between the elequant Episcopal hymns (like “Holy, Holy, Holy”), the cornball Pentacostal hymns (like “In the Sweet Bye & Bye”), what i call the “Don Nagy tunes”, a few carefully selected current hits (like “How Great the Father’s Love for Us”), and about 25 of my originals. Altogether, i guess we have about 150 tunes. Did Paul give you a copy of “Renewed Hope”? i would be so eager to get your feedback on this material, since you were the early influence which shaped my worship aesthetic. So glad to hear you continue to persevere with your fellowship, as you are a blessing to all who worship beside you.
love,
cb
Hello Craig, No wonder you are in my thoughts and prayers more than ever! And on this special day, It is your day to celebrate the beautiful life you and Molly shared. We all lift you in spirits, and the gifts of God are abundant. Prayers for your continued healing.
Dear Sherry,
Thank you for your prayers and kind words. There is a bit of sunshine in the sky. Just finished teaching. Will take Benny Good Dog for a walk in the woods before the Stardust big band rehearsal tonight. Will try to remember the good times and not stress over the current lonliness, trusting that God has a plan and that His will is to bring us joy, not pain.