Concordia College's website states, "Music is not just a major at Concordia; it is an integral part of life for one-third of the student body." The fact that one third of students participate in musical ensembles is a point of pride for the college. The music program, however, touches more people than just its participants; the entire Concordia family reaps its benefits through the myriad performances and the joy that a vibrant musical community brings to campus life. Music is a cornerstone of this institution.

It is because of the significant role that music plays in life at Concordia that we believe the college should build a performance space worthy to host the high caliber performances the college already presents.

For years, most major musical performances have been hosted in Memorial Auditorium. As a performance facility, Memorial Auditorium is a less than ideal venue. Now that it is not a reliable option for musical performances in the foreseeable future, it is becoming a hindrance to the continued success of music at Concordia. The need is greater than ever for a space that befits the quality of this school’s musicians.

Through its international reputation, the music program has become a primary recruiting force for the college, bringing both talented students and accomplished faculty members to Concordia. The current situation could have adverse effects on the reputation of the music program beyond this campus. The ability of the college to attract musically talented individuals depends on displaying our world-class ensembles in the best possible setting and showing potential Cobbers an attractive space in which they would like to perform. A suitable concert space would serve to show prospective students and faculty that Concordia values its musicians and provides an environment that will nurture musical excellence. It will ensure years of heightened interest in our music program.

Concordia’s music ensembles are world-class. An investment in a concert space is an investment in the continued success of a rich musical tradition at Concordia College. The music program and ensembles have always been a source of pride for Concordia, and are a great recruiting force for prospective students. Building such a place now is an investment in the future success of the music program, a key pillar of Concordia College.

The goal of this petition is to start a substantive conversation with The Board of Regents and college administration about the possibility of realizing a performance space that could benefit the entire Concordia community as a multi-purpose venue.