To honor Martin Luther King Jr., the MSU Jazz Band and professors will host a Spirituals, Prayer and Protest Concert on Sunday.
The 24th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Celebration concert will be performed at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Pasant Theatre in the Wharton Center. Advance tickets are required but admission is free.
The concert will include the MSU Jazz Band and intertwine performances by several jazz professors.
Every year, the concert attracts hundreds of audience members.
Rodney Whitaker, associate professor and director of jazz studies at MSU, said that it is one of the most moving tributes of the year.
"Everyone truly loves Martin Luther King," Whitaker said.
"Jazz is a great example for what Martin Luther King stood for," he said. "Jazz is a type of democratic music. It represents the United States and the freedom that all citizens have."
In past years, the concert has lasted up to three and a half hours with crowds up to 1,000 people. This year, the concert will last about an hour and a half and will be performed twice, once in the afternoon and once in the evening to accommodate more people.
"I'm really looking forward to it," jazz studies junior Kris Johnson said. "Last year, a lot of people couldn't get in, so two shows will be better."
Johnson, a third-year trumpet player in the MSU Jazz Band, said the show always is a success.
"The music we play is from the period of the Civil Rights and was written in protest. The show also combines gospel elements," Johnson said.
According to MSU's School of Music Web site, jazz is the only true art form created in the United States, aside from baseball. Jazz music creates a soulful and soothing environment through bebop, swing, and blues-based improvisation music.
The concert has great promise to be influential and inspirational because all members that take part in the event are so passionate about King, Whitaker said.
Lawrence Leathers, a Lansing Community College jazz studies senior, said the show is beneficial for everyone involved.
"I've seen it from both sides, the player and the audience, and it's very enjoyable for both," he said.
For more information on the show or to get tickets, call the Wharton Center box office at (517) 353-1982.
