'Celebration across cultures' Israeli Music Ensemble performs at BSA

In the first of a series of cultural diversity events planned for the next two years, Terra Community College will host the Israeli Ethnic Music Ensemble the first week of November, opening to two-event program in Bellevue on Nov. 5.

The ensemble's week-long visit will include performances, sessions with faculty to discuss diversifying the curriculum and meetings with students from not only Terra but area high schools as well.

The Israeli Ethnic Music Ensemble is a five-member band formed in 2004 by musicians from some of the many different cultural and ethnic backgrounds that call Israel home. The ensemble draws its sounds from Eastern European, Balkan, Gypsy, Sephardic and Yemenite melodies.

The variety of languages, cultures, and musical styles they perform in concert makes for a truly unique, entertaining and educational world music experience.

The first event, "Celebration Across Cultures," will be Monday, Nov. 2 from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Student Activities Center on the Terra campus, 2830 Napoleon Rd., Fremont. (Maps are available at www.terra.edu.) Admission is free but donations are encouraged.

The celebration, for the entire family, will include dance, stories, cultural displays, Israeli food samplings and a musical performance by the Israeli Ethnic Music Ensemble.

A community music and cultural workshop with the Israeli Ethnic Music Ensemble will follow on Thursday, Nov. 5, at the Bellevue Society for the Arts, 205 Maple St., Bellevue. This event for the entire family begins at 7 p.m. Admission is $5.

The series concludes with the Gala Concert featuring the Israeli Ethnic Music Ensemble at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, at the Sandusky State Theatre, 107 Columbus Ave., Sandusky. Admission is $10. For tickets, contact the box office at 1-877-626-1950.

During the week, the ensemble will be traveling to various area high schools and organizations to present their music and culture to students of all ages.

"It's rare for small Midwestern communities to host an ensemble from Israel," said Michael Shirtz, instructor in the fine arts and music program at Terra. "The music and culture the Israeli Ethnic Ensemble shares will be absolutely fascinating and so different from what we typically hear. The ensemble will be in our area for a full week and we expect this residency will be a delightful experience for our entire community."

According to Shirtz, the Fremont area typically does not regularly have the resources to host week-long residencies by international ensembles like The Israeli Ethnic Ensemble. Arts Midwest, a regional arts organization based in Minneapolis, offsets much of the cost and handles the coordination of Arts Midwest World Fest tours in order to offer communities throughout the Midwest this rich international arts experience. Fremont was selected as one of only nine Midwestern cities to host the 2009-2011 Arts Midwest World Fest.

"Our goal is to make lasting impressions on the communities that host Arts Midwest World Fest," says David Fraher, executive director of Arts Midwest. "Our musicians do not simply perform one evening and leave. Rather, they conduct extensive residencies, where they perform in schools and in a variety of community venues. They conduct dozens of workshops about their culture, music and language. We want this to be a rich experience for the full community."

The Israeli Ethnic Ensemble's visit will be followed by three more ensembles over the course of this two-year partnership with Arts Midwest. Arts Midwest World Fest presents international music ensembles in week-long residencies in smaller Midwestern communities. Its purpose is to foster global understanding and appreciation through cultural experiences. The other ensembles to visit Fremont in future residencies include Mauvais Sort of Canada, Beauty and Melody of China, and Agatsuma, a Japanese ensemble led by shimsen player, Agatsuma.

Terra will use the visits to help in developing a Diversifying Curriculum Initiative.

For more information on the events, please call 419-559-2147.