Erin Ford’s eyes lit up as she watched Jody Wilfong’s hands fall across the strings of a guitar, its twang filling the space between them. Ford smiled before she raised her voice and sang along to the College of Music’s music therapy program students’ rendition of “Stand By Me.”
The scene could have played out inside the Music Therapy Clinical Services at the MSU Community Music School, 841 Timberlane St., or at a private music therapy practice staffed by MSU alumni.
Instead, Ford, a 30-year-old Owosso resident diagnosed with Down syndrome, harmonized with about 20 music therapy students, faculty members, alumni and supporters Thursday in front of the Administration Building to protest the program’s recommended elimination.
In February, the College of Music submitted a moratorium, which is a freeze on admissions, on the program in response to financial concerns. Thursday’s daylong protest is the latest in a string of events supporters hosted in hopes of negotiating alternatives to the program’s demise.
Wilfong, an alumna of MSU’s undergraduate and graduate music therapy degree programs, said the group wanted to make members of the MSU Board of Trustees and campus community aware of the program’s benefits.
Trustee George Perles arrived at about 9 a.m. Thursday at the Administration Building and spoke with several supporters who thanked him for hearing their concerns and vowing to look further into the issue.
“I’m trying,” Perles said before he entered the building.
Trustee Melanie Foster said she received many e-mails from program supporters, but the poor economy is forcing officials to cut worthwhile programs.
“I have compassion for their concerns, but we’re facing extremely difficult economic challenges and having to make very unpopular decisions,” Foster said.
College of Music spokeswoman Kristan Tetens denied supporters’ claims of an unfair program disbandment process — one of the reasons program supporters say they called for an external investigation into the process Tuesday and continue to fight for the program’s survival.
“The students — along with the program’s two faculty members — have had extensive input into the decision-making process on multiple occasions, going back at least two years, both at the college level and at the university governance level,” Tetens said in an e-mail.
Rally participation decreased throughout the day as students headed to classes, but Wilfong said the group received positive responses from passersby.
Bryce McGeehan, a psychology senior, stopped to join the rally Thursday as he walked across campus. McGeehan said his interest in the program increased as he became friends with several students in the program.
“I started thinking of even pursuing it as a minor,” McGeehan said. “When I heard about the moratorium, I decided to help in any way I could to keep it around.”
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