Luther College alumnus Peter Hoesing to give Phi Beta Kappa lecture on Oct. 27

Luther College alumnus Peter Hoesing to give Phi Beta Kappa lecture Oct. 27

Society has taken a “dark turn” since the turn of the 21st century, embracing globalization of a fear of others, according to ethnomusicologist Peter Hoesing. Hoesing, Luther College class of 2003, will discuss this turn in “Multiculturalism and its Malcontents,” at the annual Phi Beta Kappa Symposium in the Humanities, part of Luther’s Homecoming weekend.

The lecture begins at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, in the Recital Hall of the Center for Faith and Life on the Luther campus. A reception will follow the lecture; both are open to the public with no charge for admission. This year marks the 35th anniversary of the establishment of a PBK chapter at Luther.

Hoesing’s lecture will focus on the challenge of mutual understanding. Hoesing will discuss how the first two decades of the 21st century have retreated from a world marketplace featuring everything from raw materials to music and instead created an environment of a fear of otherness. Drawing on history and his own engagement with music from different cultures, Hoesing will reflect on how to address this challenge.

With a musical background in percussion and voice, Hoesing is currently the director of sponsored programs at Dakota State University. He previously taught at Grinnell College, Claflin University and Florida State University and his book, published on the music of Ugandan traditional healers, will appear next spring. Other research and interests include the African Diaspora, particularly the Ugandan expatriate communities and popular music in the Americas.

As a jazz drummer, Hoesing has performed with Wess “Warmdaddy” Anderson, Etienne Charles, Jason Marsalis, Marcus Roberts and others. He’s also studied merengue and salsa with Dominican master drummer Julio Figueroa and Luther College Professor of Music Juan Tony Guzmán.

A national liberal arts college with an enrollment of 2,005, Luther offers an academic curriculum that leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree in more than 60 majors and pre-professional programs. For more information about Luther visit the college’s website: http://www.luther.edu.

Phi Beta Kappa is the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honor society, dedicated to the promotion of liberal education and academic excellence, a focus shared by Luther College from its beginnings. More than 1,600 Luther College alumni have been inducted into membership in Phi Beta Kappa since 1983.