Soft voices slowly begin singing the word “dream,” accompanied by light humming from the lower voices. A woman’s voice then cuts through the sound.
“I was 8 years old when I left my home,” she sings.
This is the beginning of “American DREAMers” by Melissa Dunphy, a choral piece that will be performed at the Salón Latino Chamber Music Series concert “Border Crossings.” The concert, presented by the Latin American Music Center, is at 8 p.m. March 28 in Auer Hall.
The piece tells the story of five people who were brought to America when they were children. Senior Matthew Creek, who will be performing the piece with the Singing Hoosiers and Jacobs School of Music vocal performance students, said the piece has themes of hope, empathy and acceptance.
“It’s very inspiring and powerful, and it gives us an opportunity to share the stories of these five people,” Creek said. “It’s an opportunity to bring awareness and inspire hope that this country is a home for everyone and that immigrants are welcome.”
The concert will also feature four other pieces including “Río Bravo 1” for violin, soprano and crystal cups, the cello solo “Open Borders,” “Danza del mediodía” for wind quintet and “Río Bravo” for female voice sextet and crystal cups. Director of the Latin American Music Center Javier León said the concert explores many different genres of music, from traditional Latin American music to American popular music.
“It all comes together because of this theme of borders,” León said.
“Border Crossings” also features many different performers, from the Singing Hoosiers to cellist and guest artist Horacio Contreras. Contreras is a faculty member at Lawrence University and the Music Institute of Chicago.
“We’re hoping that having performers from all these places in Bloomington will bring diverse people,” León said.
Besides hearing from various performers, Creek said the audience will gain a sense of togetherness from the performance.
“People will walk out of the performance hopefully with a better understanding that we can have a better sense of unity, both in our country and in our world,” Creek said. “There’s a place for everyone, regardless of differences.”
