Fix Kenni's Saxophone

Kenni Holmen is a treasure. If you have ever attended services at Westwood Community Church, you have probably experienced the gifts that he shares with all of us - either through his masterful playing of  saxophone / flute / clarinet to lead worship, or by the countless arrangements he has written for strings, horns, ensembles, choirs, etc. Even when he is not performing, his musical gifts are present in the worship music. We are truly blessed! 

He’s not just a musical treasure to Westwood; he is sought after across the nation (and around the globe) as a world class musician for touring companies and shows, studio session player for big name artists, and as a soloist / clinician for jazz festivals. He has played with some of the biggest and best. 

But if you know Kenni, you know that he is about as humble as they come. He wouldn’t tell you that he played with a Grammy winning artist on Saturday night and then drove all night to be back at Westwood to play on Sunday morning. He just does it. He gives of himself in service to God.

It seems only right to use this current situation as an opportunity to give something back to this guy. Kenni’s main tenor saxophone (the only one that we see him play) is over 70 years old. The instrument is not in good condition - It’s held together by a number of ‘creative fixes’, like plastic wrap or nail polish (Kenni’s own doing). He keeps it limping along because it is the tool of his trade – it’s the way he makes a living. For that reason, he’s usually not willing to send it to ‘the shop’ to get fixed properly.

Our current world situation does create an opening – Kenni (and all other musicians) aren’t able to perform publicly or in studio. With that in mind, a few of his friends think that the time is intervene. We want to gift Kenni with the money to get his beloved instrument ‘overhauled’ during this down time. We have been in contact with the only repair technician that is allowed to touch Kenni’s saxophone. The estimated price to do the repairs is $1,000. We are organizing this without his knowledge, as he wouldn’t want to accept this sort of ‘gift’. By doing it on the ‘QT’, we are going to deal directly with the repair tech – Kenni just has to show up with his saxophone.  So, don’t tell Kenni!! 

We mean it, don't tell him! That means that we are asking that you pass along this link directly to other people that might want to support him via email or direct message. DO NOT share it on your social media pages - that's a sure way for him to find out.

If you would like to show your appreciation to Kenni for his tireless service, please consider donating through this page.  If you would prefer to donate directly (i.e. would rather mail a check), please contact us (with your email address included) and a member of the team will reach out to make other arrangements.

 

Thanks for your support!