LUSAKA, Zambia — Sixteen-year-old Agnes Chiku Kazimoto is one of many young people in southern Africa learning to play the piano thanks to the Church's "Basic Music Keyboard Course." Not only is she now able to accompany music for sacrament meeting, she also wants to share her new talent with others.

Courtesy of Africa Southeast Area

Sister Eloise Andrus offers instruction to Eshard Shinaimbwe, 16, one of her many piano students.

"I love music," she said. "I have been taking piano lessons for just a few months and I enjoy playing the keys and I feel the presence of the Spirit as I play the hymns. I would like to continue learning so I can teach others."

Agnes is just one of several piano students in Lusaka, Zambia, under the guidance of Elder Garth Andrus and Sister Eloise Andrus, full-missionaries in the Zimbabwe Harare Mission (their second mission here), according to information written by Lee A. Wright.

Currently, 35 students in the Libala, Lusaka and Munali branches in Zambia are taking the lessons from Sister Andrus, while Elder and Sister Andrus work together to get keyboards shipped from Church distribution centers purchased through grant money from benefactors in the U.S. These young people — along with dozens of others in Zimbabwe from Elder and Sister Andrus' first mission — depict how the Church's music program is spreading throughout African countries. ("The Basic Music Keyboard Course" includes a basic instruction book and the "Hymns Made Easy" music book. Please see Feb. 12, 2000, Church News for article on piano lessons in Soweto, South Africa.)

In Zambia, Elder and Sister Andrus saw similar conditions in sacrament meetings as they had seen in Zimbabwe. In their first sacrament meetings, according to Brother Wright, "Sister Andrus noted that the words of the songs were familiar, the voices were wonderful, but the lack of accompaniment had caused the members to stray from the proper tune on many of the hymns."

In fact, a portable organ was not even rolled into the chapel. It was securely locked in the branch president's office — because no one knew how to play. "Elder and Sister Andrus knew exactly what to do and within three months time, young members of the branches were taking turns playing the hymns for sacrament meeting," Brother Wright added.

"Together, the student and teacher would agree on a date when the student would make his or her debut performance in sacrament meeting. As the student played in sacrament meeting and the members sang along the student's confidence naturally grew. In a short time Elder and Sister Andrus were faced with the difficult task of deciding who would (or rather who would not be privileged to) play each Sunday."

Effects of the "Hymns Made Easy" seem to be spreading in Southeast Africa. Elder and Sister Andrus are hearing reports that students from earlier groups in Zimbabwe are teaching others in their branches.