Making music helps moms succeed

A sermon 10 years ago pushed Elgin Foster to action. Pastor Ross Foley at Faith Covenant Church in Burnsville pressed the congregation to think about their various gifts and how to use them to help others.

His solution: an annual benefit concert for the M.O.M.S. (Making Our Moms Successful) program, a nonprofit housed in Faith Covenant, which serves single-parent families in Dakota County.

"It's a win-win," he said.

The inaugural concert took place in a coffee shop with only about 15 people. That included the musicians. As the event grew, it shifted to the church after some visiting musical acts dubbed it "acoustically sympathetic," Foster said.

Now he books three to five acts a year, and about 250 to 300 people turn up. Two years ago, a silent auction was added, and this year, there's a coffee bar and bistro.

Each year the Minnesota Pipe Band opens with a bagpipe performance of "Amazing Grace," a favorite of the now-deceased Pastor Foley.

This year's show features local instrumental group Clocks and Clouds (violinist Stephanie Shogren, cellist Lucas Shogren, and drummer/percussionist Derek Powers), a group that blurs the line between rock and classical.

"When I saw these gals harmonizing, I booked them on the spot," he said. "I kind of started playing guitar because of Aerosmith. They did such a cool version."

Steve Lehto, an acoustic guitar and mandolin player, will accompany Foster for his set. Foster, a guitarist who generally performs intimate, melancholy pieces, said he has been experimenting more with progressive metal. "I've always liked the genre," he said. "I've always had a passion for more aggressive, complex music. I like all the different emotions that it invokes."

Last year, the concert pulled in $8,000 for the organization, said Executive Director Jane Palmer. The program, currently expanding into Scott County, matches single moms with a mentor who assists them with skills like budgeting and goal setting.

These kinds of skills were key for Joann Montgomery of Burnsville, now set to graduate from the program after a four-year stint. "As a single parent, you go through life day by day," she said. "I just felt like someone was patting me on the back for being a good mom. That's huge."

A former meth addict, she became the sole provider for her children, ages 8 and 11, after their father passed away. "I was totally alone," she said, "totally starting over."