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MC represented in musical tribute to shooting victims

Protest Sat. at State Capitol

When Frank Ticheli composed “An American Elegy” in the aftermath of the Columbine school killings in 1999, he did so to honor the dead and in the hope that such an event would never happen again.

Nearly 20 years later, a group of about 50 college musicians from several Ohio areas will gather Saturday morning to play Ticheli’s piece again — 27 times, once each for Columbine and the 25 school shootings that have happened since then, and one for the next one.

The protest at the Ohio Statehouse, which includes Marietta participants, is being organized by Leah Dunbar, a 20-year-old sophomore music major at Kenyon College.

“After Parkland (the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School killings) it was just like another blow, all these shootings keep happening,” she said. “There seems to be nothing we can do, but it was really inspiring to see the march on Washington.”

Dunbar, who is a percussionist, said as a musician, music is the way she thinks about the world and communicates with it.

“One night I saw a post by the composer of ‘An American Elegy,’ about how it was intended only for Columbine, and now 20 years later he’s seen how many times his piece has been used,” she said. “It hit home to me that it should have only been applicable once, and now how many there have been.”

She said she votes but hasn’t been politically active until now, never involved in a big protest, but she saw an opportunity to influence events.

“I thought maybe we could add to this conversation in a unique way,” she said.

Lauren Eakle is a sophomore at Marietta College taking a double major in music therapy and psychology. She’s from Whipple and has never been involved in a protest until now. She’ll be playing alto sax at the statehouse protest.

“I am very greatly alarmed by the increased school shootings,” she said. “I have friends in high school and I want them to be safe and to help create a better future for them.”

Eakle said she met Dunbar at an honors band event for colleges across Ohio. Marshall Kimball, the Marietta College band director, notified the band members about the protest concert.

“I’ve never played in an ensemble that had a particular message to convey, but music is particularly powerful for this form of communication,” she said. “It can convey emotions in a way no other medium can. It can express, though us, the grief the families feel after losing a child for this very preventable reason.”

Dillon Shoulders, from Gahanna, is a sophomore at Marietta College in the computer technology program. He’s also in the college band and will be playing tenor sax at the protest.

“It’s a good cause, the first protest I will be involved in,” he said Friday. “It’s really important to show that college students care and are paying attention. A lot of people agree that something should be done, and I’m not sure what that is, but it’s important enough that it warrants action.”

Sarah McNeer, from Liberty Township north of Cincinnati, is a Marietta College freshman biochemistry major who also takes music. She’ll be playing flute at the protest concert. She’s hasn’t been involved in political protest until now.

“I think it’s an important event, it draws strong attention to a problem,” she said. “It’s not about the politics, it’s chance to be a part of something bigger, something I’m concerned about.”

“I feel like right now there is attention drawn to the issue, but people are spending more time arguing about it than fixing it,” she said. “I hope it encourages lawmakers to start acting instead of just discussing possible solutions.”

Dunbar said she had invited some legislators but none had confirmed attendance.

She said she through her generation already politically active before the Parkland shootings, but the killings in the Florida school were galvanizing.

“Parkland was the last straw,” she said.

At a glance

Musical protest at the Ohio State Capitol:

¯ The cause: Action against shootings in schools.

¯ The program: “An American Elegy” by Frank Ticheli, repeated 27 times, from 10:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

¯ The participants: Musicians from colleges around the region, primarily from Kenyon College, Marietta College and Muskingum University.

¯ To listen: There are several performances of “An American Elegy” posted on YouTube.

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