For Baylor Music Student Cat Hoelscher, and many other current students, the college experience has been a lot different than it should be, performing in front of no one.
“We’d be practicing so much, and of course we’d be live streamed, that’s not the same, so, playing for nobody, getting no applause. A lot of things we can look back and laugh about, but I don’t know if I could ever look back and laugh about not having an audience for two years.”
Hoelscher is in her senior year at Baylor, and says that while she and her fellow students weren’t allowed to play in front of an audience, at church, she was learning about the importance of helping those people in need.
As a musician, she knew she wanted to help, and had an idea.
“Some people aren’t comfortable going out and buying food or giving too much of their time, that’s not something they think to do very often, so I thought to combine a concert where musicians can get an audience, but it would be for a greater cause, there would be a purpose involved.”
It’s an idea that she shared with one of her professors, who then suggested that she reach out to The Salvation Army. They would have the framework in place to make it a little easier to help those in need.
So Hoelscher reached out to the Salvation Army, and after meeting, Concert For Change was created. She tells me that with fellow classmates wrapping up semester projects and getting ready for finals, she was surprised by the willingness of others to perform.
Major James Taylor is with the Salvation Army of Waco and says there are lots of families in need of help. Not only will Concert for Change be an opportunity for the Salvation Army to get donations, he believes it’s also a great opportunity for Baylor Students.
“I think that a lot of Baylor students are looking for avenues to volunteer, and to show their Christian spirit in different ways, I think this Concert for Change is a great example of that.”
I was surprised when Major Taylor told me…
“We have about a four-million-dollar annual budget, and the kettles bring in about a hundred and fifty thousand of it. So, a majority of the money that we receive come in either in gifts in kind, like the food in the food pantry, or other donations like that, and cash donations.”
Major Taylor tells me that there is an increased demand for rental assistance right now since the eviction moratorium has ended.
Not only will there be Baylor students performing, but also the Salvation Army Brass Band.
“I was saying that when the Salvation Army was founded in 1865, brass banding in England was the thing. So, it wasn’t unusual for people who played brass instruments that came in contact with the Salvation Army, to bring their brass instruments and they formed brass bands.
Concert for Change will feature classical music with woodwinds, brass, strings, and vocalists. The concert is free; however, they are asking for food pantry and monetary donations. The show will begin at 7 at the First Presbyterian Church at 11th and Austin Avenue.
For Hoelscher, she’s excited to perform, and to hear the applause, but she is also hoping for another type of change.
“There’s some really cool stuff out there, and It would be great to have new people interested in a genre that they didn’t know they would love so much.”