Experiential Learning
Performance Opportunities
The performing arts are an important part of the Bethel College experience. Dedicated faculty, frequent performance opportunities and a campus and wider community that appreciate and support student artists make Bethel College the perfect choice for students seeking a performance experience that challenges and nurtures the individual. Learn more about the variety of performance opportunities available to Bethel College students.
European Choir Tour
Every four years, the Bethel College Concert Choir has the opportunity to travel and perform in numerous European countries. Past tours have taken us to Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Sweden and Switzerland. In addition to the musical aspects of the study tour, choir members become familiar with varied aspects of European culture, history, economics, social structures, politics and religious life.
Here is the concert schedule from the 2010 tour to give you an idea what our time in Europe is like. We often sing in churches as well as in some cathedrals (formal or informal concerts):
| Date | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, Jan. 6 | Gdansk, Poland | 6:30 p.m. |
| Friday, Jan. 8 | Szczecin, Poland | 6 p.m. |
| Sunday, Jan. 10 | Berlin | 10:30 a.m. |
| Wednesday, Jan. 13 | Leipzig, Germany | 7:30 p.m. |
| Saturday, Jan. 16 | Le Bémont, Switzerland | 8 p.m. |
| Sunday, Jan. 17 | Moron, Switzerland | Morning worship service |
| Montbéliard, France | 5 p.m. | |
| Monday, Jan. 18 | Geisberg, France | 8 p.m. |
| Tuesday, Jan. 19 | Wuppertal, Germany | 7:30 p.m. |
| Wednesday, Jan. 20 | Krefeld, Germany | 8 p.m. |
| Thursday, Jan. 21 | Espelkamp, Germany | 7:30 p.m. |
| Saturday, Jan. 23 | Amsterdam | 8 p.m. |
| Sunday, Jan. 24 | Ouddorp, The Netherlands | 10 a.m. |
| Haarlem, The Netherlands | 8 p.m. | |
| Monday, Jan. 25 | Rotterdam, The Netherlands | Noon |
Internships/research
Music students have a number of outlets for gaining hands-on experience on campus and in surrounding communities. A number of instrumentalists teach younger students through the Bethel College Academy of Performing Arts. Students also get involved in area church services on a regular basis – many of them direct church choirs or play piano or organ. Students have also applied and been accepted for internships with larger music organizations such as a summer 2006 internship with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra in New York City.
Possibilities for undergraduate research are open to Bethel music majors, designed by students to tailor to their specific interests and closely assisted by faculty. Some recent undergraduate research topics have included:
- The 24 Preludes and Fugues for Piano by Dmitri Shostakovich
- Stuart Davis, Earl Hines and jazz-art influences
- Four jazz transcriptions and a comparative analysis of the various jazz styles represented