Lon and Kathryn Sherer Preparatory Music Endowment Fund

Passion for music. Music brought Lon Sherer and Kathryn Summers together as college students at Michigan State University in the early 1950’s. It was their junior year and Kathryn, a student at Goshen College, was taking a year in her home state to study piano at MSU.  Lon, a violinist, needed an accompanist and the rest is history. Their love for each other, for music and for music-making developed into a shared life work, first at Woodstock School in Mussoorie, India (1956-59) and then at Goshen College (1959 onward). In the early 1960’s Lon earned his Doctorate in Music Performance from the University of Michigan. Kathryn earned her Masters in piano performance from Southern Methodist University in 1979.

Professional creativity and innovation.  Lon and Kathryn arrived at Goshen College at a time when the college and the Mennonite Church were just opening up to instrumental music. Their energy and creativity helped raise music-making at Goshen College to new heights and spurred programmatic innovations.  Lon built up the college orchestra, expanded the WGCS classical music collection, brought recorders, early music and opera to the college, and started high school music week.  Kathryn, along with John T. O’Brien, launched the piano pedagogy program and the annual piano workshop.  In 1979 Lon studied with Sinichi Suzuki and later founded the GC string preparatory program, incorporating the tenets of the Suzuki method into his teaching of children and youth from the community.

The gift of performance.  Music is meant to be shared. Throughout their careers, Lon and Kathryn have made music together–at the college and around the world.  Whether on the concert stage in Goshen, New Delhi, Hokkaido, or Bogota, or playing for worship services, weddings and funerals, they have given the gift of fine music to thousands across six decades. This gift has been enlarged through their students, many of whom have gone on to receive advanced degrees, perform professionally, and provide music leadership in churches, schools and communities across the globe.

Pedagogical excellence.  Not everyone who can perform can teach. Lon and Kathryn, in addition to their lives as performers, have paid uncommon attention to the learning process and how students achieve mastery of their chosen instruments. During their careers, they studied and worked with master teachers such as Frances Clark, Kato Havas, George Sebok, John Owings and Shinichi Suzuki, ultimately becoming master teachers in their own right.

Enriching lives, enriching the community.  Lon and Kathryn have taught us that music enriches life. Studying music instills discipline, develops memory, problem-solving skills and aesthetic sensibilities, engenders poise and self-confidence on the stage, and fosters an understanding that we can achieve collectively more than any of us thought possible through our ensembles, choirs, operas and musicals. Together, and individually, Lon and Kathryn have positively impacted the lives of their students and helped make Goshen College, the Goshen community, the Mennonite church and indeed the world a better place than it might otherwise have been.

In the words of their students:

“Kathryn is an exceptional piano teacher, fusing the art and science of teaching.  She inspired me with her great knowledge of piano pedagogy and love of music.  I consider myself very fortunate to have had Kathryn as my piano teacher at Goshen College.  She is a wonderful role model, continuing to impact the musical lives of people in the community.”  Robina Sommers, Goshen, IN (GC Class of ’89)

“I value my years of study with Lon Sherer in countless ways, but without a doubt, I appreciate most his ability as a teacher to spark independent thinking. Few teachers are able to accomplish the task of cultivating a student’s ability and motivation to teach him or herself, but Lon created an environment where one’s own struggle and thought led to improvement and creativity. The line between teacher and student blurred and much learning took place. His knowing look of joy and approval as each new level of understanding was reached is a bright and inspiring image that I carry with me still today.”  Kathy Leidig, Boulder, CO  (GC Class of ’98)

“Lon and Kathryn are people whose influence continues long after a student has graduated. The patience and encouragement they modeled so effectively carries into every class and lesson I teach.  I remember quite clearly an orchestra rehearsal in which I, the timpanist, had difficulty making an entrance. I apologized profusely at the end of the rehearsal, to which Lon replied, “Well, Arlene, it’s not a defect of your character. You just need to count.” He helped me realize I held the key to my own success.  Over the years, Lon and Kathryn have continued to be my teachers, helping me learn to adjust to new situations, providing advice when asked, and always cheering me on..”  Arlene Steffen, Fresno, CA (GC Class of ’85)

“As much as I cherish what I learned about music from Lon Sherer, he influenced me most as I watched him face down profound physical disability after surgery caused loss of hearing in one ear and a marked decrease in function of his bow arm. Some would have been consumed by anger, frustration and depression. Lon moved through and beyond the physical and emotional obstacles with persistence and grace. Thus I learned from him not only how one becomes a better musician but also how one becomes a better man. Thank you so much, Lon!”  Barry Weaver, Bloomington, IL (GC Class of ’77)

“In one way or another, every day I teach I pass on something I learned from Lon.  And when I say ‘teach,’ I also mean ‘practice.’  Lon is the one who helped me to understand that practicing is really just giving yourself a lesson.”  Ed Sprunger, St. Louis, MO (GC Class of ’83)

“My violin study with Lon began when I was a young Suzuki student, and a few years later I started piano lessons with Kathryn. They taught me more than music, often sharing experiences from their wealth of musical connections, reading and travel.  I remember hearing about Kato Havas, Menuin, Suzuki, Sebok and others they had met whose ideas were interesting to them and woven into their teaching.  Lon and Kathryn’s curiosity and continual learning kept their teaching always fresh, a benefit to me then and one that continues with me to the present.”  Amy Kauffman, New York, NY (The Juilliard School, ‘99)