Pendel Music & Arts Spotlight: Tommy Pierce from the Wilkes-Barre Corps
Tommy is a Salvation Army Officer's child, meaning that he has moved many times with his family to serve in different ministry locations throughout the United States over the years. Now, he is heavily involved in worship and learning music through The Salvation Army Eastern Pennsylvania & Delaware (Pendel) Division Music & Arts Department.
Tommy serves as principal cornet for the Pendel Brass band, leading the entire band from the top seat of the ensemble and performing solos with the band. He has also been a key member of The Salvation Army’s Future All-Stars program for several years, an advanced annual brass band course that pushes and challenges our progressing musicians. This past year, he was the “second man” in this program’s Solo Cornet section. He has also served on Summer Brass, a touring ensemble of musicians who perform concerts and teach students at Salvation Army Camps across the Eastern Territory and Seaboard. Lastly, this year at Star Lake Musicamp, Tommy received several awards, including the Star Lake Band Comet Award and the Cathy Post Memorial Scholarship, enabling him to attend Star Lake Musicamp again in 2025. In addition, Tommy is a key member of the divisional Praise and Worship Team, playing guitar and singing with the group.
One of Tommy’s biggest achievements was his appointment to the New York Staff Band (NYSB) on 1st Cornet. The NYSB is the premier brass ensemble for The Salvation Army in the United States. In the short time he has been in the band, he has been part of concerts in six states and has already been featured on three recording projects.
“It is a great honor to be selected to participate in the NYSB, and we are so proud of Tommy for this phenomenal achievement,” said Divisional Music & Creative Arts Director Edward Mylechreest. “We continue to watch him grow into the fine young Christian musician that he is, and are so grateful that he continues to want to pour back into the church that he has been a part of all these years.”
The Pendel Music & Arts Department is dedicated to sharing the teachings of Jesus Christ through the ministry of music and the arts and encourages all to do so through whatever art form they choose. Pendel Music & Arts offers free music and arts education for children and adults throughout the Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware region. The department runs three levels of teaching: prep academy (ages 7-12), youth Groups (ages 12-18), and senior ensembles and lessons in brass, dance, drama, percussion, and singing. Pendel Music & Arts leads the Ladore Music and Arts Camp and our Junior and Senior Conservatories during the summer for intensive music and arts training.
Pendel Music & Arts Department
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The Pendel Music & Arts Department exists to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, through the ministry of Music and the Arts. We believe that all are called to worship the Father, and so we strive to encourage all to do so, through whatever art form they choose.
We serve the Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware region, without discrimination and throughout the year, we offer free music and arts education for children and adults throughout the region.
On a divisional scale, we run three levels of teaching: Prep Academy (Age 7-12), Youth Groups (Age 12-18), and Senior Ensembles. We offer lessons in Brass, Dance, Drama, Percussion, and Singing.
Our senior ensembles, Pendel Brass and Pendel Singers, are world-renowned performing ensembles, with a great history of professional recordings and multiple national and international tours.
We lead the Ladore Music and Arts Camp, as well as our own Junior and Senior Conservatories during the Summer, for intensive music and arts training. In addition to this, we support all forms of corporate worship throughout our division, on both a local corps and divisional scale.