Oakland University To Celebrate International Day Of Peace With Globally-inspired Concert

Oakland University to celebrate International Day of Peace with globally-inspired concert on Sept. 20

Celebrate the International Day of Peace at Oakland University with Mark Stone, associate professor of world music and percussion, as he shares a program of globally-inspired percussion pieces beginning at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 20.

"Due to the continuing pandemic, I will be presenting the concert outside in the courtyard next to Varner Hall," Stone said. "For safety, we are limited to a gathering of only 100 people and the event is already at capacity. However, the program will be livestreamed so anyone without a reservation can still tune in on the School of Music, Theatre and Dance webpage, oakland.edu/smtd/performances-and-events/live-streaming."

Established by a United Nations resolution in 1981, the International Day of Peace is observed around the world each year on Sept. 21 as a "globally shared date for all humanity to commit to peace above all differences and to contribute to building a culture for peace."

"Peace Day is a globally recognized date for all of humanity to come together and commit to a culture of peace," Stone said, noting that the 2020 theme for the United Nation's International Day of Peace is "Shaping Peace Together."

On Sept. 20, Stone will perform original compositions featuring the newly-invented array mbira, an American-made 120 key lamellaphone, as well as several traditional African instruments, including the Ghanaian gyil and South African karimba.

"I will be premiering two new works, Primal Point and Help in Peril, along with two older compositions," Stone said. "I will also be performing compositions by my close friends and long-time musical collaborators Haruna Walusimbi, Bernard Woma, KN Sashikiran, Roger Braun, and Bob Schneeweis."

Stone said the new compositions were written during the COVID-19 pandemic and were inspired by "the daily dawn prayers that have sustained me during these challenging times."

"Back in March, when we entered lockdown, I reached out to my mentor Marvin 'Doc' Holliday, who lives in Ecuador, and asked him if he would like to join me each morning via Zoom to read dawn prayers," he said. "For the last six months, Doc and I have been joined every day by family and friends at dawn to share words of healing, peace, and hope. The music I will perform at the Peace Day Concert has been shaped by these powerful prayers."

For more information about the Peace Day Concert and other events please contact the School of Music, Theatre and Dance at 248-370-2030 or smtd@oakland.edu.

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