December 2022
Team Spotlight: Brian McDonie
Jacobs doctorate student Brian McDonie joined the JSoM Rural Engagement Initiative in 2019 as lead project manager; he sat down for an interview at the completion of the project, discussing the personal impact of his experiences working on the project.
November 2022
Carnival of the Animals, the Film
A group of JSoM students were filmed performing Camille Saint-Saëns “Carnival of the Animals” as part of an education outreach project directed towards elementary schools in rural Indiana in collaboration with Garrett Poortinger and Brent Gault.
October 2022
Alex Tedrow: Engaging Communities, Inspiring Students
IU grad student Alex Tedrow presented a three-day workshop to Jenna Sear’s Brown County Middle School eighth grade music technology class in October.
September 2022
The Sound of Molecules: Electronic Music and a Rainbow Suit
Turning molecular data sets into sound, Chemist-composer Walker Smith marries his passions for music and chemistry into a performance that is both entertaining and educational.
May 2022
‘Musical Time’ Combines Art and Music in Brown County
Musical Time, a brand new recital series offering community focused programs, recently debuted in Nashville, Indiana, at the Brown County Art Guild.
April 2022
Global Project Visits Rural Indiana
Twisted Spruce, a covid project turned global, visits rural communities of Indiana. Celebrating “no artist left behind”, the 2021 World Ensemble underscores a message of global community, diversity, and #BuildingTogether.
Salem Wellness Fair Accompanied by Pianist
Jacobs School of Music doctoral student Kaden Larson will be performing a variety of piano music at a Wellness Fair hosted by the IU School of Public Health and Center for Rural Engagement.
March 2022
The Amity Trio in Indiana: Richard White, Lucrecia, and a New Premier
The Amity Trio brings a full eight days of activities to Bloomington and surrounding rural communities featuring Nur Slim’s Lucrecia y el Canto de los Dudasaurios, a special appearance by IU alum and tubist Richard White, and a premier Maggie Polk-Olivo’s new work.
Jacobs School Organists Perform in Huntingburg
Indiana University Jacobs School of Music organ department students Rees Roberts and James Walton will be performing at Huntingburg’s Salem United Church of Christ this Saturday on a unique Casavant Frères organ.
February 2022
Indiana High School Band Students Celebrate New Commission at IU Jacobs
More than seventy high school band students visited the Jacobs School of Music last week to celebrate the collaboration and performance of composer Cait Nishimura’s newly co-commissioned piece.
January 2022
Area High School Student Collaborate in Band Commission and Performance at IU
High school band students from communities in south central Indiana will bus to the Indiana University Bloomington campus for a day of music making, community building, and mentorship.
December 2021
Music for the Afghan Refugees
Indiana University’s Singing Hoosiers, Crimson Drumline, and Jazz Ensemble visited the Afghan refugees at Camp Atterbury, performing three concerts.
November 2021
The EGO: Classical Music and Jimi Hendrix
The EGO hosted an exciting workshop at Paoli Jr-Sr High School, performing both classical music and the well-known classics on electric guitars.
New Morse Code: A Community Collaboration
Innovative ensemble New Morse Code held a workshop and performance last Saturday, collecting the natural sounds of Salem, Indiana.
October 2021
‘The Addict’s Wake’ Premiere at Heartland Film Festival
The Addict’s Wake, featuring an original score by Jacobs School of Music student Alex Tedrow, won the Indiana Spotlight Award at the Heartland Film Festival this month.
Jamming with the Electric Guitar Orchestra
The Electric Guitar Orchestra will be holding a workshop at Paoli Jr-Sr High School, playing everything from Mozart to Metal.
New Morse Code: A Saturday in Salem
Innovative duo New Morse Code is joined by two nationally recognized composers in creating a new ‘community’ musical work featuring the unique sounds of Salem, Indiana.
Dinosaurs, Animals, and Opera
Lucrecia and the Song of the Doubting Dinosaurs! is a new opera for kids performed by the Amity Trio. Read more about it here!
July 2021
“2020: COVID The Musical” Coming This Fall!
This newly commissioned musical is premiering at the Brown County Playhouse in November – don’t miss out on the world premiere.
Washington County Community Foundation Receives Lilly Lead Forward Grant
Lilly Scholar Alex Tedrow and Washington County Community Foundation team up to support the Fifth House Ensemble residency in Salem this upcoming September.
The Twisted Spruce World Ensemble Prepares for 2021
The Twisted Spruce World Ensemble created community through music during the pandemic, and will continue building musical connections this year throughout Indiana communities.
June 2021
Composer Cait Nishimura to Partner with the Jacobs Community Engagement Initiative
See the exciting partnership forming between our four partner communities, the National Band Association, and the Indiana University Concert Band.
ChamberFest Brown County this August
An exciting Chamber Music Festival is coming to Nashville in August – don’t miss the impressive lineup of artists and lecturers!
The Electric Guitar Orchestra – projects coming soon!
Daniel Duarte leads the groundbreaking Electric Guitar Orchestra towards meaningful engagement with Nashville, Salem, Huntingburg and Paoli.
May 2021
2020 – 2021 Impact Report
Read about all that we have accomplished this year through virtual programming, and what plans we have for the upcoming summer and academic year!
April 2021
The Bloomington Ballet Ensemble and Nashville!
Take a peak at the exciting virtual event the Bloomington Ballet Ensemble held with Nashville Jr. and Sr. High School Swing Choirs!
New Morse Code to visit Bloomington with Andy Akiho and Christopher Stark
The highly innovative ensemble New Morse Code will join forces with two renowned composers to bring a unique, environmentally-focused experience to the IU Bloomington campus.
Choral Clinics in Huntingburg: Singing Hoosiers + Southridge High School
The Grammy-nominated Singing Hoosiers are holding three virtual workshops with the Southridge High School Choir following their thrilling public performance together in early 2020.
March 2021
Classical Connections Jumpstart Virtual Lessons with Paoli and Brown County
Student organization offers free private lessons to rural students in Paoli and Brown County, with the support of retired Paoli Jr./Sr. High School Band Director Bill Laughlin and Brown County High School Band Director Matt Finley.
Bloomington Ballet Ensemble Wraps a 4-Week Virtual Session Working with Washington County Family YMCA
The Bloomington Ballet Ensemble is building on their previous collaborations with Salem through virtual ballet classes, with hopes to expand to additional rural communities in the coming weeks.
Alex Tedrow to Score Brown County Documentary
Alex Tedrow, a current Jacobs School B.M. composition student, was recently hired to compose an original score for The Addict’s Wake, a feature-length documentary in production that examines the deep scars that addiction to meth and opioids leave on the user and on the community.
February 2021
The Addict’s Wake
Read about the new documentary being filmed in Brown County; The Addict’s Wake. A film by Glory Girl Productions, the documentary digs into the harsh reality of addiction to meth and opioids and how addiction has become a pressing health crisis in Brown County that is unraveling communities and families in its destructive path.
The Community Engagement Summit
Missed the Community Engagement Summit? Not to worry! Explore more information about our three powerful keynote speakers, and watch their speeches on Facebook!
Upcoming Projects
As a result of the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic and the consequential shift to online education, our programming March – May 2020 was postponed. Read about the postponed projects that were developed and will be recreated this upcoming academic year.
JSoM CRE 19-20 Impact Report
Explore the plethora of JSOM CRE activity that took place this past academic year! Peruse visuals, interviews, and statistics for more than 20 impactful projects that took place throughout south-central Indiana.