EAST LANSING, Mich. (January 25, 2023) – Choirs singing. Monks chanting. The reading of religious texts. These are religious sounds. But so too are the creaking of church pews and the clanking of pots during the preparation of a communal meal. Sounds of Religion is a Smithsonian exhibition that explores how rituals and gatherings of religious communities create a complex soundtrack of religions in America that teaches how people behave, how they’re different, and how they’re alike.

By Dr. Rose Aslan

By Elizabeth L. Sammons

Our audio exhibit "Religious Soundscapes" opened on Tuesday, May 24 at OSU's Urban Arts Space. This exhibition features audio collages created from the recordings in our archive, accompanied by interpretive texts to represent the sounds. In parallel with the exhibition opening, we hosted a symposium that included many of the people who have worked with us over the course of the project. We were thrilled to be able to continue our conversations about religion and sound with so many colleagues and friends. 

By David W. Stowe, Michigan State University

In the pre-pandemic version of my Music and Religion course, I assigned an observation paper based on a visit to a local faith community, a kind of entry-level ethnomusicology. Since this was no longer possible under COVID, I created an alternative assignment using the well-designed ARSP Mennonite Voices exhibit.

Religion is a complex and sometimes messy topic that shapes both individual lives and broader communities. The metadata we use to tag and organize information, however, requires simplicity, clarity, and uniformity. How can these two things that appear to function in different capacities work together? 

We are thrilled to be able to host a marvelous new gallery exhibit with content by Lynne Gerber, Siri Colom, and Ariana Nedelman. 

D’Arcee Neal has joined the ARSP as our new graduate assistant, funded through an OSU Global Arts + Humanities Discovery Theme grant.