When Jeanne Gabriel Pocius stepped into Terminal 3 at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix on her way to Haiti with a brief stop in Boston to prepare what she needed to bring, no one in the trumpeting community had an inkling of the true portent of that journey.

An accomplished, classically-trained trumpet player who studied with William Vacchiano, among others, Jeanne has performed throughout the world, is a dedicated teacher and authored the book, Trumpeting by Nature.

In recent years, Jeanne has volunteered to travel to Haiti to work with their national music program as an opportunity to nurture young up-and-coming musicians, to bolster the National Philharmonic, and to help assist in building and expanding Haiti’s National Academy of Music. Since she began her trips several years ago, Jeanne has established a singular rapport with the local communities of Port au Prince and Jacmel. She has developed a deep bond with community leaders like Pere David Cesar, a Catholic priest, who has led the effort to build a sustainable music program to nurture hope for the future among the young in the community.

Within minutes of the CNN flash about the earthquake, many of us in the online trumpet community began circulating messages through the Trumpet Players’ International Network (TPIN), Trumpet Herald, and Facebook to the effect of: “Has anyone heard from Jeanne Pocius?” For hours and then days, those questions went unanswered. There were no communications going in or coming out of Haiti. However, we all know Jeanne to be technologically savvy, as she regularly used online social and professional networking tools to communicate with students and colleagues all over the world.

After three days, several of Jeanne’s Haitian music students, who had recently come to Michigan, began hearing from loved ones to learn the fate of their families and friends. They made sure to inquire about Jeanne but news of her whereabouts and condition was sketchy at best. The word finally began to trickle out on Facebook on the Haiti Music Schools Earthquake Info Sharing – that “Jeanne was alive according to someone who told someone…” All through this trying period, her former professor, Dick Strawser at the University of Connecticut, created a blog at: http://dickstrawser.blogspot.com/2010/01/haiti-part-2-hoping-waiting-some-good.html
Several of us eventually got through to Jeanne and discovered that she was, indeed, alive and well. Immediately the discussions turned to: “How can we help her?”

Our collective joy at discovering she was safe gave way to an overwhelming sense of admiration when word came that Jeanne was injured and had lost her best source of communication—her cell phone—and yet managed to bring her medic training to bear in assisting the victims of the spreading tragedy. Then, reports on CNN, NPR, ABC and elsewhere showed the Haiti Orchestra performing for over a hundred thousand people displaced by the earthquake. During the brief excerpts being played, a familiar trumpet sounded off camera and we learned that Jeanne still had her chops! The “Chop Doc,” as we affectionately refer to her, was spreading her magical sounds so that the assembled masses could enjoy a moment’s respite from the troubled reality of their daily existence.

While we all were asking how we could help the victims of the earthquake, Jeanne asked only for us to send supplies, medicine, tents, and whatever could be of assistance to the overwhelmed population in the midst of their catastrophe. She never asked for anything to help herself. Then, more than a month after the disaster, on February 17, 2010, Jeanne made an incredibly modest request: “If you could coordinate sending some funds down, it would be a big help. I'm basically out of money and a little hungry – plus I am in need of more supplies for the kids at the school.”

Early the next morning, Michael Anderson, the founder of TPIN, ITG Board Member, and ITG Web Site director, called the various online trumpet communities to action by sending out a request that people give money to assist Jeanne and her mission in Haiti.  He wrote: “It is time for this great community of people to come together and help one of our own in need. Our friend and colleague Jeanne Pocius, who is in Haiti and who was injured in the earthquake, is still in Haiti and working feverishly to help the students of the school she has put so much of her heart and soul into. This work is no longer just about bringing them music…It is much more. You see, Jeanne is out of money and is HUNGRY. So are her students. They need FOOD and basic supplies. When was the last time any of us went without food? How many times has that happened to you in your lifetime? Frankly, I am as worried about her now as I was when we didn’t even know if she had survived the quake. She won’t come home where people can care for her, so we need to step up and do it for her there.” Within hours, thousands of dollars came pouring in from trumpet players (and others) all over the world. The fund drive lasted only five days and raised almost $10,000. The money started to flow to Jeanne immediately and she was able to begin helping herself and her students to survive and rebuild their lives in Haiti.

In addition to providing financial assistance, many of Jeanne’s other trumpet contacts have helped her in this startling time of need. For example, Barbara Chickoski was the first to send money to Jeanne and has offered to send tents and other critical supplies. Doc D’Errico, a student of Jeanne’s who, along with Barbara lives in Massachusetts, has graciously offered not only to send money but also to be a focal point for handling donated supplies. Stephan Matteson not only sent money despite his own limited resources, but also made a huge effort to assist in coordinating communications among trumpet players and connected with Jeanne before almost anyone else could do it. John Enloe, who hosted Jeanne when she came to his school to hold a clinic and perform with his concert bands, made a recording of her performance and sent in money. John Cowan, who invited Jeanne to perform with his big band, donated money for Jeanne and circulated a moving video of her visit to Arizona including exciting footage highlighting Jeanne’s talents. Members of his band gave significantly to the online fund drive. Finally, accountant Mark Schwartz, a member of TPIN and a comeback trumpet player/student of Jeanne’s, has given countless hours of his time managing Jeanne’s affairs and aiding in setting up her non-profit organization. The list is virtually endless, as the 1,606 members of TPIN might suggest. But this is a list not of members but of generous souls who all came together to help one of their own. It is a fitting tribute to Jeanne and to our wonderful online community.

Just before she left on this fateful trip to Haiti, Jeanne created her non-profit organization, Instrumental Change, Inc. With the help of a few others, she filed the paperwork to be incorporated and to obtain Exempt Status pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. As of this writing, the website was not yet functional, but the need for support is ongoing. If you would like to support Jeanne’s mission, please visit the following link or write to the address listed below.

Link to a foundation that is setting the groundwork to rebuild the destroyed music school:
http://www.stpetersdelmar.net/node/228

Address for donations (tax-deductible):

INSTRUMENTAL CHANGE, INC
301 Newbury St, S-142
Danvers, MA 01923

*To learn more about Jeanne Pocius you can read the ITG Profile column that featured Jeanne on page 49 of the January/2010 ITG Journal. You will note that the January issue was reaching the membership just as this tragedy was unfolding in Haiti. Ms. Pocius is also featured in an interview in the October 2009 ITG Journal (page 31) titled “Breaking Gender Barriers: Lead Trumpet Playing Through the Eyes and Ears of Liesl Whitaker, Jeanne Pocius, and Tanya Darby” authored by Nick Mondello.

Sources: Mark Schwartz, Michael Anderson