A Fresh Perspective: The hills [of Decorah] are alive with the sound of music

In addition to the beautiful spring weather, this past weekend I was graced with the opportunity to attend and be a part of several musical performances. Though I am not a part of the music program here at Luther, events like these make it hard to forget the rich tradition of music running through the veins of this institution.

Friday evening, the Center for Faith and Life was filled with the voices of hundreds of men, young and old, in a joint concert featuring the Luther College Norsemen, Decorah’s own Luren Singers and Grand Northern Union, a barbershop choir from the Twin Cities. Their wide variety of songs and performance styles were highly engaging and kept the audience captivated from start to finish. While the Norsemen are just first-years in college, the members of the two other groups ranged from recent college grads to well over retirement age, and perhaps the most meaningful aspect of the concert was its underlying theme: singing is a talent and passion that can be cultivated for the entirety of one’s life. The following night, SAC Concerts sponsored their second event of the year: “An Evening With Ingrid Michaelson, Augustana, and Stephen Speaks.” While I worked the ticket table for the majority of the night, it was a great experience to meet and interact with hundreds of concert-goers eager for a night of great music. Though I was largely unfamiliar with each of the artists prior to Saturday night, the concert enabled me to expand my musical horizons and try something new. One of the night’s highlights was the chance to meet and talk to the members of Augustana, and we were pleasantly surprised by their laid-back, down-to-earth personalities. This, along with the stage presence of both Ingrid Michaelson and Stephen Speaks, proved that not all performers are created equal and that fame doesn’t have to go to your head in order to be successful.

A peek into my YouTube history will now reveal barbershop choirs and Stephen Speaks, while my iTunes now boasts the music of Ms. Ingrid Michaelson. After two days filled with the music of several genres, it has, for lack of a better word, inspired me to venture outside of my cookie-cutter, Top-40 frame of mind and embrace what I once considered unconventional. My new obsession: Straight No Chaser, an a capella group conceived on the campus of Indiana University. If your music library is like mine was—in need of some remodeling—you won’t be disappointed!