Teacher bring instruments to African community

10:01 AM CDT on Thursday, June 26, 2008

Beverly Hoch and Mike Steinel decided to do what they know best when it came to raising funds and collecting needed items for their first mission project.

The couple are members at First Presbyterian Church of Den­ton, but it’s their work at their universities — Texas Wom­an’s University for her and the University of North Texas for him — that really helped them plan a benefit concert for Sunday that will feed their project, called “In­stru­ments of Change.”

Hoch, a soprano, teaches voice in the TWU School of Arts, and Steinel, a trumpet player, teaches on the jazz faculty in the UNT College of Music. On Sunday, the two will perform a concert with about 15 of their peers in a “Bach & Blues” concert.

“We have a good friend who started a charity in Africa called Covenant Children,” Steinel said.

Their friend became a bridge between Hoch, Steinel and a pastor, Tyrone Africa, in Homevale, South Africa. Homevale is a village outside of Kimberley, South Africa, where schools have to scramble for the basics.

When Covenant Children talked to the pastor about what the children need, the ministry expected to hear things like food, water, water sanitation and medicine. The Rev. Africa’s an­swer surprised them.

“He said, ‘We need music. The kids need music — instruments, books and anything that can help them learn about music.’ It was surprising to us, but he couldn’t have said anything we were better able to deal with,” Hoch said. “Pastor Africa’s vision is pretty far-reaching. He hopes to incorporate the children into worship.”

Hoch and Steinel immediately began seeking out secondhand band instruments. Their aim is to put together a weeklong music camp. They plan to travel to Homevale in August with some teachers, music and instruments the children can share. They’ll also pack batteries, CDs and portable stereos so that the students can continue to learn through listening after the American teachers leave.

At the concert on Sunday, the audience will get to pick over the “shop” set up in the church lobby. The idea is for shoppers to buy or put money down on a used instrument, and then put their photo and a note to the student in a shipping box.

“We think we will serve maybe 200 children,” Hoch said.

The concert will feature musicians from TWU: Pam Young­blood on flute, John Scott on clarinet, Sharon Veazey on violin, Jean Mainous and Harold Hei­berg on piano, baritone vocalist Jeff Snider, soprano vocalist Joni Jensen, Delta Holl on cello and Ockert Vermeulen on organ.

Steinel and Hoch will also share the sanctuary with performers from UNT: Stefan Karls­son on piano, Jim Riggs on saxophone, Steve Weist on trombone, John Murphy on saxophone, Rosanna Eckert on vocals and Sean Jacobi on bass.

The program will feature works by Bach, Mendelssohn, Schubert, Saint-Saens and other composers.

All donations go to purchase instruments and teaching materials for the project. Checks can be made to Covenant Children Inc. or by credit card at www.covenantchild.org .

—Lucinda Breeding

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