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Monday, 21 June 2010 13:33 |
 Talk show host Jenny Jones surprised hometown hero John Baer last week with a $4,000 grant to purchase instruments for the San Luis Obispo Symphony’s Music Van.
Baer, a volunteer at the SLO Symphony and retired airline pilot, requested the grant for the Music Van, which brings demonstrations to thousands of children each year, allowing them to play musical instruments themselves.
Baer’s request was selected from thousands of applicants to receive the “Jenny’s Heroes” grant, and he received a surprise phone call announcing the award from Jones herself on June 16 during a SLO Symphony meeting.
“When I heard 'Jenny' on the speaker phone I could feel the adrenalin rush. It was quite a day,” Baer later said. He wrote a letter about his experience, and it is now posted on jennysheroes.com.
Baer is a retired airline pilot who flew for United Airlines piloting the 737, 727, DC-8, and 747 to such far away places as Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul, and Taiwan.
Since retiring, according to Jenny's Heroes, Baer has spent most of his time doing volunteer work, especially for the San Luis Obispo Symphony and its popular Music Van.
Last year, with California state budget cuts in education, class sizes grew by more than 40 percent, forcing the Music Van program to teach 30-plus children, versus 20-plus in years previous.
"We had enough instruments for 24 children, but not for 34 which meant that too many children were standing around waiting to try an instrument," John wrote on his application, according to the Jenny’s Heroes website. "Considering that the hands-on portion of the presentation is only 20 minutes it was valuable time wasted for too many children."
Seeing the need for more instruments, John requested $4,000 to purchase two new cellos, five used brass instruments (two trombones, two trumpets, and a French horn), and hard cases to protect them during the frequent loading and unloading of the Music Van.
The Music Van visits approximately 4,500 children annually, so over an expected 10-year life span of the instruments, around 45,000 children will benefit from the gift.
Besides being a volunteer, Baer and his wife, Becky, grow their own fruit and vegetables and raise chickens for eggs. His other interests include the ham radio, and of course, classical music. He also dabbles in growing orchids.
The SLO Symphony offers high-quality symphonic music and music education throughout San Luis Obispo County. Its concert season runs from October through May. Visit slosymphony.com for more information.
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