QUANCE MUSIC MINISTRIES is an outgrowth of the musical ministry of the Edith Quance ("KWAHNSS") family, of Staples, Minnesota (USA).

Around the late 1930s, Edith (Mrs. Glenn) Quance , a young woman with a great love for music, was encouraged by her cousin Lois (Hall) Schroeder, to join the Staples Church of Christ choir. This event would change the lives of at least two generations, and perhaps many to come, as Edith and her family came to know Jesus Christ in a personal way, as Lord and Savior, through their association with this church.

As time went on, Edith became a popular soloist for weddings and funerals, as well as for Sunday morning services. Kay, the older of her two daughters, sometimes joined her in duet.

By the late 1960s, Edith had lost her son Mike to cancer. Meanwhile, the oldest, Garry, had married and begun raising his own family, several miles away. But immersed in a musical atmosphere, where just about anything reminded somebody of a song, the younger 3 of her six children, Patrick ("Pat"), Pam, and Joel, fell quite naturally into singing along at every opportunity. Before long, they, too joined Mom and Kay on the church platform Sunday morning.

On one such occasion, a visiting couple from a sister congregation about an hour's drive distant, enjoyed hearing them, and asked if they'd ever consider coming to the other church, to present a whole concert. The rest, as they say, is history...

After tying for second place in a 1969 community variety show / talent contest, the 1970s and early 80s saw the Quances touring eight states, including some statewide church conventions in Minnesota and Wisconsin, as well as events at church camps and Bible colleges.

In early 1978, they produced a 45 rpm record, followed by a cassette tape album in the mid-1980s.

A literal "mountaintop" experience was the 1980 "Christian Artists' Seminar", a week-long inspirational music camp session in Estes Park, Colorado, featuring a host of the current "who's who" of professional Christian musicians. In addition to attending daily seminars on a variety of topics, taught by outstanding names in the business, and nightly marathon concerts by all the top full-time inspirational soloists and groups of the time, the Quances themselves had an opportunity to perform in solo and group evaluation seminars, for panels of outstanding judges.

Their efforts were rewarded, not only by a third place trophy in their group division, but by rave reviews of Edith's own powerful message, in the senior adult solo competition. Ironically, while she originally planned this experience as something "for the kids", thinking she would be merely along for the ride, it was the youger generation who came to be known, among the campers and staff, mainly as "Edith's kids". Not bad, Mom!

The later 1980s and 90s brought many new responsibilities, as Edith's children married and became parents themselves, Consequently, concerts were fewer and farther between, but still ever-increasing in quality. But meanwhile, a whole new chapter...

The MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) revolution in electronic music notation, arranging, and recording added a whole new dimension for Pat Quance, middle son in the family, who had become improvisational piano accompanist of the group, and had begun writing songs around 1973. Pursuing a dream of building the (then) fledgling contemporary Christian music movement, Pat sought and attained a college music education degree, followed by formal training and several years' experience in electronics and computers - all the while developing new inspirational song ideas in his "mind's ear".

Eventually, amid raising a young family, he was able to invest in a MIDI-compatible electronic piano and related equipment, which could create a whole orchestra of various instrumental sounds. With added help from the family's P.A. system (donated by brother Joel) and a cassette recorder, orchestration ideas that Pat could only imagine for several years were now becoming reality. The internet and recordable CDs, of course, have added even more.

The death of Edith Quance, at age 79, in early 2001, after a battle with cancer, brought an end to most of the Quance Family's concert work - at least in this world. But the musical heritage continues. Pat, Pam, and Joel revamped some of the repertoire for some 2006-07 trio appearances, including sharing the platform with Christian pastor, motivational speaker, and voice impressionist-comedian Dr. Dennis Swanberg, at a spring, 2007 Christian convention. Also, Pam, both in solo and with her husband, Daniel Harris, and their children, has been active in various church and community musical projects, and Joel has actively worked on operation, operator training, and continuous upgrade of his home church's P.A. system, as well as doing occasional solo work.

Pat, meanwhile, continues to present solo concerts of his original compositions, now numbering over 40, in a wide variety of musical styles - including a tribute to their loving mother, entitled "We Will Carry On" (click on title to hear a sample).

Here are some free samples of Pat's work.

Click here for specific Bio, Credential, and family Information on Pat Quance.

Questions? Contact us.

www.qmmhome.com/About Us.htm; May 6, 2010s