By MARCIA STEFFENS
Niles Daily Star

Those attending the Fall Festival at Wesley United Methodist Church in Niles last Saturday heard some wonderful music. What they might not have known is the sounds were not recorded, but were a live preview of Sunday’s upcoming piano concert.

Anthony Beer was playing for the shoppers, mingling with the vendors and women of the church during breaks.

Beer, who lives in Granger, is the accompanist for the choir at East United Methodist Church in Mishawaka, Ind. He presently works with students at Riley High School and hopes to begin teaching students in the Niles area, as he already does in Indiana.

Beer was born on Dominica’s Republic and began playing the piano since the age of three. Adopted by a couple in Milford, Ind., he was the youngest of 10 children.

He has studied at Goshen College and Indiana University South Bend, under the top pianists in the area.

Moving to Rochester, N.Y., he studied at Eastman School of Music under Rebecca Penneys.

Joining Beer for the piano concert is Wesley’s own Jill Pierce of Buchanan. She has been accompanying church choirs since the age of 15.

A native of Minneapolis, Minn., she also began her piano lessons early, at the age of five.
Even though she moved in her childhood, to Texas and Washington, she was in the school choirs, played handbells and clarinet and French horn in different bands.

At  Andrews University she studied under Professor Stephen Zork, sang in the choir and with the University Singers and play the horn in the Wind Symphony.

Since 1998, she has shared her talent at Wesley.

She has two sons in college, Shelby Wood is at North Park University in Chicago and Kolby Wood is at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Together Beer and Pierce will perform in voice, flute and piano solos and duets.

The piano concert at Wesley United Methodist Church, Cedar and Third streets, Niles, is on Sunday, Oct. 18 at 4 p.m. Refreshments will follow the concert. A free will offering will be taken.