Dr. Steven W. Shirley President | Minot State University
Dr. Steven W. Shirley President | Minot State University
Minot State University is set to host a unique musical event on March 5, featuring alumna Rosanne Olson '72 and the MSU Concert Choir. The concert, titled "Crossings: Toward the Light," will celebrate 200 years of Scandinavian immigration to the United States with original music by Olson and arrangements by Emerson Eads, director of choral activities at Minot State.
Olson's journey into music began with a harmonica after she was inspired by a theater production in Seattle. She described her initial interest: “I fell in love with the sound, and it occurred to me that the harmonica might be the singing voice I never had.” Her collaboration with her harmonica teacher led her to songwriting and eventually to creating nearly 150 songs.
The upcoming concert is a result of Olson's meeting with Emerson Eads and Abbie Eads '15 during her photography retrospective at the Northwest Arts Center in 2022. This encounter led to their collaboration for this choral celebration. “Even though our meeting was brief, I was enchanted,” Olson recalled. She provided five song recordings for consideration, from which three were selected for arrangement.
Emerson Eads expressed his enthusiasm about working with Olson: “Rosanne and (husband) Ted (McMahon) invited Abbie and me to their lake cabin in Metigoshe... I was pleasantly surprised to learn that she is also a composer and singer.” Their jam session resulted in several songs that Eads arranged for choir performance.
The concert will take place at Ann Nicole Nelson Hall at 7 p.m., followed by a reception where Olson will discuss her creative process. The event is free and open to the public, with donations accepted for supporting the MSU Concert Choir’s spring tour to Norway.
Reflecting on her heritage, Olson shared: “My forebears emigrated from Norway... My grandmother was born in 1890... I wrote my song ‘Gather the Flowers’ as a sort of idealized tribute to the pioneers.”
In addition to music, Olson has created visual art pieces accompanying her songs. She noted: “I am creating a couple of videos... They are simple, rustic, childlike, and I hope it will add another element of depth.”
Olson has explored various artistic mediums throughout her life. “I have always been involved in art as a spectrum of possibility,” she said, highlighting her involvement with Art Chix — an art group encouraging creative exploration.
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