Faculty performers from the Ithaca College School of Music will give a free concert on Tuesday Oct. 10, to celebrate Daniel Pearl World Music Days. Beginning at 8:15 p.m. in Ford Hall in the James J. Whalen Center for Music, the concert will be one of hundreds of performances held in more than 60 countries to remember the Wall Street Journal reporter murdered by extremists in Pakistan four years ago.
Produced by Peter Rothbart, professor of music theory, history and composition, the concert will feature performances by vocalist Louise Mygatt, guitarist Pablo Cohen, string bassist Nicholas Walker, violinist Rebecca Ansel and vocalist Lauri Robinson-Keegan, who performs under the stage name Cookie Coogan.
“With all that is going on in the world today, we musicians often wonder what we can do to repair the world in our own way,” Rothbart said. “Regardless of one’s political perspective, honoring the memory of Daniel Pearl is one way to do this.”
In addition to being an experienced journalist, Pearl was a classically trained violinist and mandolin player. After his death, his family and friends formed the Daniel Pearl Foundation to promote cross-cultural understanding through journalism, music and dialogue. First held in 2002, Daniel Pearl World Music Days takes place annually around Oct. 10—Pearl’s birthday. The original observance has grown to include 10 days of “Harmony for Humanity,” which uses the universal language of music to repudiate hatred and cruelty and celebrate tolerance, friendship and respect for diversity.
For more information on World Music Days, visit www.music-days.org.
