MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — The October episode of Middle Tennessee State University’s monthly television magazine program, “Out of the Blue,” features a special musical collaboration between MTSU’s Schola Cantorum and the choral ensemble from the University of The Bahamas.

The visiting ensemble came to campus at the invitation of MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee, with financial support from John Floyd, a member of the university’s Board of Trustees. The visit brought students and faculty from both universities together for a shared performance filmed at Hinton Hall.

The program features the combined choirs performing selections that celebrate unity, friendship and perseverance, including the Bahamian national anthem. The performance highlights the role of music in bringing people together across cultures and creating connections between students who may be meeting for the first time.

Matt Taylor, who works with MTSU’s School of Music, described the experience as an opportunity for students to connect through a shared musical experience.

“It’s so special to make music together, but especially singing; we all share the same instrument,” Taylor said. “It’s so meaningful to stand next to someone you’ve never met before and create this experience together.”

University of The Bahamas choir director Adrian Archer echoed that sentiment, describing music as a universal language that allowed the visiting singers and MTSU students to connect through conducting and performing together.

The collaboration reflects MTSU’s commitment to creating opportunities for students to learn from others through shared experiences, while showcasing the power of music to build connections across borders.

You can watch the segment below:

To watch, listen

• “Out of the Blue” is available anytime on the university’s YouTube channel, the True Blue TV channel, Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV.

• It also airs on Murfreesboro cable Channel 9 daily at 6 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.; WNPX “The Spot – Nashville 28” at 4:30 a.m. on Saturdays; WKRN+ at 7 p.m. Thursdays and noon Sundays; and streamed on the MTSU Jazz Network through WMOT.orgat 7 a.m. on the first Sunday of each month; and on other cable outlets in Middle Tennessee, so check local listings.

• It is also available as a podcast on iTunes and Google Play and as individual interview segments on Spotify at https://spoti.fi/453hxg3.

Watch previous episodes of “Out of the Blue” at https://mtsunews.com/out-of-the-blue.

— Karli Sutton ([email protected])