by Carrie Steinweg
LANSING, Ill. (December 10, 2018) – Visible Music College held their annual Christmas concert on December 7 at Living Word Church to a large crowd eager to hear holiday tunes. The crowd was treated to several classics as well as original material from students. The concert included enrollees from the college’s Memphis, Lansing, and Dallas campuses.
This was the 5th concert held in Lansing and the 11th Christmas show overall. Visible Music College was founded in Memphis in 2000, and the Lansing campus opened in 2014.
With the “Too Much Christmas” theme for this year’s show, an elf helped a stressed out singer remember the true meaning of Christmas. Several songs featured vocal soloists backed by student musicians, including “Too Much Christmas,” “Sinatra in My Speakers,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” and “Please Come Home for Christmas.” A choir of eight sang “Mary Did You Know?” in the stye of the popular version by Pentatonix.
Dr. Ken Steorts welcomed the audience to hear “all styles of music—and some original and some traditional.” Steorts was a founding member and guitarist of the Christian rock band Skillet before founding Visible Music College. Audience members were encouraged to clap, sing, or dance, and near the end were instructed to rise for a singalong of “Joy to the World.”
“I think it was very entertaining, and they had something for everyone, from classics to new songs—and classics re-envisioned,” said Lansing resident Diane Smith, who has been to several of the college’s Christmas shows and has a young daughter currently enrolled in voice lessons at the college.
Tierrany Hayes is in her first year at Visible’s Memphis campus after transferring from another school. She is training as a leadership major and was part of the choir that performed in the show. “This was my first time in Chicago and my first time as part of a music tour,” she said. The tour included four shows—two in Memphis, one in Dallas, and the final show in Chicago.
“I’m really grateful that we can combine the students and do a program that highlights the students. And the message we are really proud of, and it gives something back to the community,” said Dr. Cam Harvey, Visible Music College’s Vice President of Academics, who works out of the Lansing location.
Visible Music College prepares students for careers in the ministry and music professions and offers certificate programs and Bachelor Degrees in Modern Music, Music Production, and Music Business, and a Master of Arts in Leadership. Currently there are 15 students enrolled at the Lansing campus and 170 total among the college’s six sites. The college also has a full-service non-profit record label called Madison Line Records.
Visible Community Music School is also part of the Lansing campus, offering private lessons and classes in vocals and instruments.
For more information on Visible Music College or the classes through Visible Community Music School, or to purchase a copy of the Christmas CD, contact the school at 708-455-1414.
The Lansing campus of Visible Music College is located at 3404 Lake Street in Lansing, Illinois.
