Daily News (Bowling Green, KY)

A gift of music
Alicia Carmichael, acarmichael@bgdailynews.com -- 270-783-3234
 Published: January 28, 2004
Tony Lindsey presented St. Joseph Catholic School band director Lee Young with a check for $2,000 Monday, and told her that $1,000 in band instruments was also available - at Royal Music - for the school's new band. Foundation's work helps school's new band. Then Lindsey had advice for the pupils gathered for morning assembly in the gym. "Study hard in music," he said. "It's a lot of fun. Keep on rockin', folks."

Lindsey has been involved in the Bowling Green music scene for years. He gave the talk and donations Monday as a representative of the Son Rhea Foundation, which he founded a few years ago to provide art and music supplies to school children who cannot afford them.

Young was thrilled with the gift. "Now the band can have at least one of each instrument," she said. "And we can have percussion instruments. We haven't had any." The Son Rhea Foundation donated the money, which was raised during its annual Jambodian Holiday Bash concert in December, to St. Joseph because teacher Lynn O'Keefe last year told Lindsey that the school would have its first band this year. "I thought this was a great opportunity to help out," said Lindsey, who remembers playing in the first band at Warren East High School when it opened in 1969.

Young said the money and instruments donated by Son Rhea will help pupils who don't have the $30 a month this year to rent an instrument. "It was just a handful" who couldn't afford it, Young said. "But we just didn't have funds to help them out." Lindsey said if only one child lacked the money to rent an instrument, it was worth it for Son Rhea to help.

"Unlike sports, music is cut more and more, as far as funding goes," he said. "So if we don't step in and fill in the gaps, it's just going to make it harder for these kids to get instruments." Young said providing a child with an instrument also helps give them a gift for life.

"You can see the excitement in their eyes as they're learning to play," she said. "It will stick with them forever. They can do this when they're 60. (Music is often) not what you do to make a living, but it's something you can do to make living worthwhile."

The instruments that Young will pick up for St. Joseph at Royal Music were collected during an instrument donation drive last year and refurbished.

St. Joseph band members Sophie Wohltjen and Laura Sims, both sixth-graders, said they are excited by the donation that will help the 34-member concert band grow. A big band "sounds cool," Laura said. Sophie agreed and said more band members "will make us sound better because there will be more instruments to play harmony and stuff."

Lindsey was glad St. Joseph faculty, staff and students were excited by the donation. As a show of support for Son Rhea, parents and staff from the school volunteered to help with the Jambodian Holiday Bash in December.
"That enthusiasm is what helps me" keep going in the non-profit organization, Lindsey said. Lindsey said many schools have seemed indifferent to receiving or seeking help from Son Rhea, whose members include multiple Grammy Award winners Greg Martin of the Kentucky Headhunters, Sam Bush and Curtis Burch. Lindsey is hoping that Son Rhea applications, which will soon be sent to area schools, will encourage more schools to seek help from Son Rhea. "Hopefully, this will get them a little more excited about it," he said.

Lindsey said the Son Rhea Foundation soon will have about $15,000 to give away. The money will be available when the last of 2,000 CDs made last year by Jambodians - who are Son Rhea Foundation supporters and include Martin, Burch, Bush and Lindsey - have been sold.

- To find out more about the Son Rhea Foundation check out sonrhea.org/ on the Web. To order a Jambodians CD, check out the Jambodians Web site at Jambodians.com.