BSU Honors College Class to Present Concert On April 11

The BSU Honors College class members are pictured. Photo providedThe BSU Honors College class members are pictured. Photo provided

By Jennifer Johnson, BSU Honors College Alumnus—

Muncie, IN—The Honors College at Ball State University invites the Muncie community to Forbidden Sounds: Music of the Holocaust this Thursday, April 11, at 7 p.m.  The culmination of a semester-long course, this concert takes place in Hahn Hall in the Music Instruction Building on the campus of Ball State University.  The concert is free and open to the public.

“This course brings together Honors College students who are diverse in many ways. They represent a wide variety of majors, of family backgrounds and religions, of interests and aspirations.  In this honors course they bring together their individual values, experiences, and perspectives, working together to better understand and appreciate the impact of music and the creative arts as a social lens,” said Dr. John Emert, Dean of Honors College.  “This salon is an outcome of their efforts; I am confident that you’ll sense the impact of this course on each participating student— and each person who attends.”

A unique opportunity to experience history through the arts, Forbidden Sounds: Music of the Holocaust will feature performances by guest artists Dr. George Wolfe on saxophone and Ms. Rebecca Braun, mezzo-soprano.  Dr. Galit Gertsenzon, professor for the course, and the entire Honors College class collaborated on the production, making the process deeply personal and meaningful for all involved.

Morgan Dean, BSU Honors College student and participant in last year’s inaugural concert, reflected upon her experience:

“No honors class, or even music class for that matter, had ever done anything quite like this before. I loved how inclusive the concert was, allowing all of the students to be involved, whether they wanted to perform, sing, play, recite poetry, or if they would rather work behind the scenes through videotaping and program design.”  Ms. Dean continued, “Being able to take Forbidden Sounds: Music of the Holocaust was an opportunity for me to ‘bridge the gap’ between two things I enjoy and am passionate about: music and history. Although many of the topics we discussed were heavy and serious, the things we learned about only reiterated to me that these stories, these pieces of history, cannot be forgotten.”

Free and open to the entire community, this concert and class project offers an engaging presentation for area middle and high school students to learn more about WWII history, and also about a topic that is not typically covered in school history classes.

Dr. Galit Gertsenzon expressed,“More than a simple concert, it is a gathering of people who all come together for one evening as a community of listeners, who through the artistic expressions of various musical sounds can experience some of the forgotten melodies of people who are not with us to share their stories, and whose story is told through music by a younger generation of people who are active, curious, energetic, and willing to look back to the past with the intention to create a better future, and a better world: tolerant, accepting, open and loving.”

Concert support is provided by the following organizations and individuals: The Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis, Jewish Federation of Fort Wayne, Temple Beth El (Muncie, IN), BSU Zeigler Committee, the BSU Peace Center and the generosity of Dr. Marilyn Nathan.

About The Honors College

Ball State University’s Honors College provides a place, a program, and the resources that enable motivated and high ability students to pursue and stimulate their interests, skills, and curiosity and to develop a strong sense of community and personal responsibility.  Click here for more information.