It takes hours to compose a song, let alone an entire concert.

John Kratus has worked many countless hours to put together a concert of original songs.

The program is titled "Stars in Our Bones" and includes all original songs, which will be performed by Kratus and many students.

Countless hours have been put into rehearsals and composing for the concert. Everyone involved in the show is a volunteer.

"I can tell you that last night, at about midnight, I was feeling really tired," Kratus said. "It was (the students') enthusiasm that kept pushing me along."

Kratus works as a professor and area chairperson of music education at MSU. He has collaborated with many of his students for the recital.

The music that will be included in the program varies from jazz to rock to ethnic.

No two songs will be the same style, Kratus said.

"One of the nice things about a show like this is that they see that we can all work together because we are all musicians," Kratus said. "I don't like to see music as being high-brow music or low-brow or serious music. To me, it's all music."

The MSU group Capital Green is participating in this concert, and a string quartet and a small orchestra will also be performing Saturday night in the concert.

David Menzo, a music education freshman, is one of the many students who is participating in the event. He collaborated with Kratus on many songs and has many different parts throughout the show.

"It's so great because I can use all my creativity and input with (Kratus) to make something so beautiful and explosive," Menzo said. "(The recital) is not just bringing musicians together, it's bringing artists together."

The opening act will be performed by MSU alumnus Eric Knechtges. He graduated from MSU in 2001 with a bachelor's degree in music education. He is currently pursuing a doctorate degree in music composition at Indiana University.

His opening act will include the song "We Are."

Knetchges used the poem "Ode" by Arthur O'Shaughnessy for the lyrics.

"I like the simplicity and directness of John Kratus' songs," Knetchges said.

"I wanted to try my hand at something similar. I've always loved this particular poem as well, and I thought this concert would be a perfect forum for a folk setting."

This is the only performance in the show that was not composed by Kratus.

The first half of "Stars in Our Bones" is called "Remembering" and the second half is called "The Light."

The concert was created by Kratus when he was inspired by a book of poems that his mother had bought for him. The book is composed of poems by various authors from around the world. It includes poems by some anonymous poets as well as famous writers such as Emily Dickinson.

"When I looked at this book of poems, it sounded like lyrics for me," Kratus said.

He began writing songs when he was 13 years old.

"Once I became a college teacher, I gave all that up," Kratus said. "It wasn't until my late 40s that I started to reconnect with who I was as a musician. This is one way of being a musician."

The concert "Stars in Our Bones" will be performed at 8 p.m. Saturday in the Music Auditorium and is free for students.