Voices echoed through the Atrium as the Statesmen and several Indiana high school students gave an impromptu performance Saturday afternoon.
The Ball State Statesmen, members of the Circle City Sound and Indiana high school students from as far away as Wabash met at 10 a.m. in Sursa Hall to participate in the first Ball State Statesmen Side by Side.
Andrew Crow, director of the Ball State Statesmen, said despite rich traditions across the world of all men’s choirs, not a lot of high school students get to sing in an all-men’s choir.
The idea became obvious during a trip to Atlanta.
“The students came back wanting to open up this experience to everyone,” Crow said.
The goal was to offer a new experience for the high school students, said Jerico Hughes, a junior and Statesman president.
“We came from high schools without male groups or large male groups and this is something we wanted to do in high school so we wanted to offer that,” Hughes said.
Crow said there’s a fraternity and camaraderie that comes with a men’s choir.
The group did more than sing; they listened to professional choral adaptations as well as performances from within the Statesman.
The workshop offered the students n an experience and also a first-person encounter with the Ball State Statesmen, something Crow believes will pay off.
Hughes wants the program to grow. He hopes to continue this next year and open it up to high school students in the surrounding states, as well as non-affiliated Ball State students.
The Ball State Statesmen will perform at 3 p.m. Apr. 14 in Sursa Hall. Ball State students can attend for free.
