Family Honors Late Drummer With Gift of Music

Provides new band instruments to McKeesport Area, Duquesne students

By Tom Leturgey
The Tube City Almanac
October 10, 2024
Posted in: Duquesne News, McKeesport and Region News

Sue and Steve Braunfield, who donated musical instruments to Duquesne and McKeesport schools, posed with members of Rachel Shively’s music class in Duquesne. (Photo courtesy Jeremy Tepper, Allegheny Intermediate Unit)

Music is transformative. That’s one of the primary reasons why Western Pennsylvania natives Sue and Steve Braunfield returned to the Mon Valley last week to donate brand new musical instruments to students in need.

The retired First Energy employees visited both the McKeesport Area and Duquesne City school districts to deliver clarinets, saxophones and trumpets.

The gesture comes in memory of Sue’s brother, Frank Sprentz Jr. of McKeesport, a passionate drummer, singer, songwriter and band member — he played with Sudden Grace, Harmony, and Glenn Pavone & The Cyclones — who died Feb. 13 at age 73.

When Sprentz passed, the couple decided they wanted to cement his legacy in a way that would make him happy. And while the Braunfields now live in Painesville, Ohio, they hadn’t forgotten their roots.

(Photo courtesy Jeremy Tepper, Allegheny Intermediate Unit)

Sue Braunfield is a Duquesne City school graduate and created a GoFundMe with the intention of paying music forward. More than $7,000 has already been raised.

Rachel Shively, a music teacher in Duquesne schools, said the music department has a large amount of used equipment, so the number of brand-new instruments is “pretty significant.”

“Just having instruments in good working order is good because we have a lot of instruments that are older and in need of repair,” Shively said. The Braunfields have also donated money to help rehab some of the instruments.

For three years Shively has been working to build the school’s kindergarten through 8th grade band program. Last spring, several accomplished musicians were promoted to high school, and she’s recruiting new student musicians.

The generous addition of three brand new trumpets, three saxophones and three clarinets will help inspire kids, Shively said: “We will be able to put these instruments into the hands of students that want to learn.” There are currently 10 returning young musicians.

“The students are very excited about the idea of being able to play on brand new instruments that no one played on before,” she said. “That’s highly motivating.”

Shively calls herself “primarily a flute player,” but she does well with all woodwinds. She marched with a saxophone in high school and college. “I played the clarinet reasonably well and I can play the piano.”

The students are learning and practicing for the goal of playing in the school’s Spring Concert. “I’m still hoping to see what recruitment brings,” she said. “But I’m hoping to do something with my returning members in the Spring.”

When the instruments arrived, teachers and others picked up the cases, which had etchings with Frank’s name on labels. “All are tested and ready to play,” said Steve Braunfield. “The engravings keep Frank’s memory alive. He was my not just my brother-in-law, he was my best friend.”

(Photos courtesy Jeremy Tepper, Allegheny Intermediate Unit)

Tom Leturgey is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh and the editor of KSWA Digest, the online news and features home of the Keystone State Wrestling Alliance. His work also appears in The Valley Mirror and other publications.

Originally published October 10, 2024.

In other news:
"City Will Remember Le…" || "Penn Hills Man Held i…"