JSO concert promotes harmony for humanity

The World Music Days concert features Kinetix.

By Daniel Everson

Published Oct. 27, 2008

The Jewish Student Organization is holding a Daniel Pearl World Music Days concert tonight to promote the unity of humanity through music.

Daniel Pearl World Music Days is a series of concerts around the world during the month of October. The concerts, under the theme "Harmony for Humanity," commemorate the Wall Street Journal reporter and talented musician who was kidnapped and killed by terrorists in Karachi, Pakistan, in February 2002.

JSO Recruitment Director Amanda Rude said the concert marks the first time JSO has participated in World Music Days, which she described as Pearl's family's idea of "a way to bring people together with music - something he really liked."

The concert, funded by the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City and the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, will include several styles of music. Kinetix, a five-piece rock band from Denver, is the featured band. The Northwoods, a two-man folk group from St. Louis, will also perform. Before the bands play, the Save Praise Dance Ministry of Columbia and the African Ministry Gospel Choir will offer their ministries.

Hillel Director Kerry Hollander said the JSO hopes to provide a variety of musical experiences to help recognize this musician and figure in American journalism.

Kinetix bassist Josh Fairman said his band, which includes three Jewish members, came to participate in the World Music Days concert through several connections to JSO. The band has played for Jewish sororities at MU and other schools, and Fairman has friends on the Hillel Board.

Jeremy Shanas, of The Northwoods, said he and partner Eli Palnik got involved through Shanas' friendship with JSO Special Events Chairwoman Stephanie Levy, who is coordinating the concert. Levy is a former member of the Maneater staff.

Palnik said The Northwoods' sound fits the World Music Days concert well.

"As far as meshing together with this kind of event, it's perfect," he said.

Hollander said she discovered the African Ministry Gospel Choir at a sermon she attended.

"I thought they would add the international piece that was missing," she said, observing that Pearl led an international life and had an international marriage.

The concert targets the entire Columbia community, Rude said.

"We thought it would be a good way to get the community together as one," she said. "I think it's generally very segregated."

Rude said she has perceived segregation not only within the MU student body or within the larger Columbia community, but also between the student body and the rest of Columbia. She hopes that a diverse crowd will pack Mojo's tonight.

"We hope that different kinds of people come," Rude said. "People from different cultural backgrounds, from different age groups."

No donations are expected at tonight's concert as organizers are trying to raise awareness, not money.

Rude said she hopes the audience will gain "a better awareness that people aren't as different as we sometimes seem to be, that we can all come together as one community."