Musicians respond to injustice

John Sampen and Marilyn Shrude, music professors at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, will present their original program, "Voices of Dissent," Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in the Roland Hayes Concert Hall of the UTC Fine Arts Center.The program will focus on responses to issues such as injustice, corruption, violence and racism from the perspectives of 21st century musicians.

According to Sampen, those topics are often addressed in the visual arts, but musicians have a responsibility to take a stand as well.

"The study and performance of music requires constant rehearsal and practice,

comprising a discipline that often distracts the musician from cultural problems of the environment, world peace, pollution, racism and world poverty," he wrote in an e-mail.

According to Sampen, he and Shrude have two main purposes in presenting the program.

"First, we wish to encourage our listeners and fellow musicians to take a personal

stance-whatever that stance may be-on current cultural issues," he wrote. "Our audience, and perhaps a majority of American citizens, are far too passive in expressing

informed opinions."

Sampen and Shrude also hope their unique approach to musical performance will attract and excite audiences and sustain an interest in their art, according to Sampen.

"Even in the year 2008, most classical musicians perform old music in conventional recitals with little change of custom, dress or literature, echoing the traditions of the past 100 years," he explained.

"Our musical 'experiment' at Chattanooga involves the use of poetry, electronics, visual projections, lighting and theatre in helping us find new ways of sharing our musical passions," he said.

The performance at UTC will be the second time the program has been presented. It will debut Monday at Appalachian State University.

"Each work has separately been part of our repertoire but never before assembled in

this concert format," Sampen wrote.

Clint Schmitt, an adjunct professor in the music department, said he is excited UTC is hosting Sampen and Shrude for their upcoming performance.

"They're both world class performers and educators," he said.

Schmitt said he encourages students to attend the performance because it is one of few opportunities to hear a concert saxophonist play.

"We always hear saxophone being used in jazz, rock, pop music, and we're very familiar with what it sounds like in those genres," he said. "[The chance to] hear something that saxophone can do other than what we usually associate it with [is] usually an ear-opening experience."

He said the subject matter of the program also makes it unique.

"Things get addressed in music that sometimes we don't address other ways," he said.

Sampen and Shrude will play saxophone and piano, respectively, and each will teach a master class during their stay in Chattanooga. Sampen's class will be for saxophone, and Shrude's will focus on composition.

According to Jon Elliott, a Chattanooga junior who will participate in Sampen's class, a master class allows students of a certain musical discipline to perform something they have been working on and to receive feedback and instruction from more experienced musicians.

The master classes will be held Wednesday at 4 p.m. in the Roland Hayes Concert Hall and are open to the public.

Elliott said he already has some of Sampen's CDs and Schmitt, his saxophone instructor, first introduced him to Sampen's playing.

"[Sampen] has so much control of the saxophone," Elliot said. "I can't wait to hear him. It's going to be a lot of fun."

The "Voices of Dissent" concert is free of charge and open to the public.