SDSU’s Imperial Valley Campus and Mesa Campus Unite for Music Festival
The campus collaboration includes two days of performances featuring classical, gospel, choral, folklorico, and dance.
The SDSU School of Music and Dance and SDSU Imperial Valley Campus celebrate the arts in a two day festival.
by Gabriela Romero
November 3, 2021
San Diego State University’s Mesa Campus and the SDSU Imperial Valley Campus (IVC) are celebrating music and dance in a joint venture for a two day festival.
The free, public events include “Music of the Masters” on Friday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m., and “Diversity in Praise” on Saturday, Nov. 13 from noon - 4 p.m, both at Rodney Auditorium on the SDSU Imperial Valley campus in Calexico.
“Music of the Masters” features 200 student performers making up the SDSU Choirs, Wind Symphony, and Symphony Orchestra. Conductors are Director of Bands Shannon Kitelinger, Director of Choral Studies Arian Khaefi, and Director of Orchestras Michael Gerdes. Students from these three ensembles are traveling to IVC, serving as ambassadors of their programs.
Director of Bands Shannon Kitelinger says the School of Music and Dance “is excited to reach out to the campus and the community in Imperial Valley. We’ve had several music students come to SDSU from the area in recent years. The program will be exciting, featuring music that will have something for everyone to enjoy.”
Sat. Nov. 13 from noon - 4 p.m is “Diversity in Praise,” celebrating communities in spoken word, dance, and song. This event will feature a variety of performers including:
Next Level, San Diego Gospel Group
Aztec Dance Group
Dr. Hope Davis and The IVC Singers
Gospel soloist Markco King
DJ Al Boogie
Brawley Union High School Folklorico Club
Dr. Vincent Whipple and Wichozani Native American Dance Theatre Company
Food options will include Leroy’s Backyard Bar-B-Q, and Bigg Daddy’s Fish and Shrimp Tacos.
“Diversity in Praise” is produced, coordinated, organized, and envisioned by Hassan El-Amin. El-Amin says he hopes the “SDSU Mesa Campus family will support both events in record numbers.”
Third year music education student Kayla Aponte plays first chair trombone in the Wind Symphony, and she says she “hopes that doing an event like this will allow Imperial Valley students to feel encouraged to pursue goals like playing in amazing groups like the Wind Symphony.”
To learn more about the School of Music and Dance visit their website, and visit the SDSU Imperial Valley campus on their website.
The content within this article has been edited by Lizbeth Persons.
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