Music

Bob Dylan is returning to Emens Auditorium on his 2026 'Rough and Rowdy Ways' Tour!

Bob Dylan is one of the greatest songwriters of all time. As a musician, he has shaped popular music in innumerable ways — from inspiring the Beatles and bringing folk-rock into the mainstream to proving that electric guitars could be as revolutionary as acoustic ones.

Bob Dylan’s career has lasted the better part of sixty years now. He has never gotten by on sentimentality or nostalgia. He has never repeated his successes. Dylan has always pushed his work ahead.

Get your tickets today to celebrate 62 fabulous years with the Ball State University Singers, Indiana’s Official Goodwill Ambassadors! The University Singers have been recognized since 1964 as one of America’s top collegiate entertainment organizations. You won’t want to miss this gold-studded, toe-tapping, finger-snapping, and hand-clapping two-hour extravaganza!

A few notable songs to highlight include:

• "Think" – Aretha Franklin
• "21 Guns" – Green Day
• "Birdland" – Josef Zawinul
• "A Million Dreams", as seen in The Greatest Showman.

The Children's Show will be Friday, April 10 at 11 a.m.

Reserved Seating

Ticket Prices

In Advance:

• Adult: $25
• BSU Faculty/Staff: $20
• BSU Students: $20
• Youth (Ages 18 and under): $20
• Senior (Ages 65+): $20
• Groups (12 or more): $15

At The Door:

• Adult: $30
• BSU Faculty/Staff: $25
• BSU Students: $25
• Youth (Ages 18 and under): $25
• Senior (Ages 65+): $25

Get your tickets today to celebrate 62 fabulous years with the Ball State University Singers, Indiana’s Official Goodwill Ambassadors! The University Singers have been recognized since 1964 as one of America’s top collegiate entertainment organizations. You won’t want to miss this gold-studded, toe-tapping, finger-snapping, and hand-clapping two-hour extravaganza!

A few notable songs to highlight include:

• "Think" – Aretha Franklin
• "21 Guns" – Green Day
• "Birdland" – Josef Zawinul
• "A Million Dreams", as seen in The Greatest Showman.

The Children's Show will be Friday, April 10 at 11 a.m.

Reserved Seating

Ticket Prices

In Advance:

• Adult: $25
• BSU Faculty/Staff: $20
• BSU Students: $20
• Youth (Ages 18 and under): $20
• Senior (Ages 65+): $20
• Groups (12 or more): $15

At The Door:

• Adult: $30
• BSU Faculty/Staff: $25
• BSU Students: $25
• Youth (Ages 18 and under): $25
• Senior (Ages 65+): $25

About

The Faculty Artist Series features School of Music faculty sharing their talent and passion for music with the campus and community. 

Critically acclaimed for her virtuosity and versatility, oboist Lisa Kozenko performs internationally as a soloist, chamber artist and orchestral musician. Ms. Kozenko has appeared as a concerto soloist with the Nova Filarmonia of Portugal, the National Orchestra of New York, the National Symphony Orchestra of Mexico, the Lehigh Valley Chamber Orchestra and the Greenwich Village Orchestra. Concert engagements include performances at the Phillips Collection in Washington D.C., the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series in Chicago, the Frick Collection in Pittsburgh and the Trinity Noonday Series, Great Music in the Chapel Series, and Merkin Concert Hall in New York City.

Catherine Kautsky, Chair of Keyboard at Lawrence University in Appleton, WI, has been lauded by the New York Times as “a pianist who can play Mozart and Schubert as though their sentiments and habits of speech coincided exactly with hers … The music spoke directly to the listener, with neither obfuscation nor pretense.” She was the 2016 winner of the Lawrence Excellence in Teaching Award, the 2013 winner of the university’s Faculty Convocation Award, and in 2017 she was honored with the George and Marjorie Olsen Chandler Chair in Music. Her recording of the Debussy Preludes, released by Centaur in September, 2014, was said to “bring out all the power, majesty, and mystery of Debussy’s conception,“ and a recording of the complete Brahms Sonatas for Violin and Piano was released in 2019 to top reviews. Ms. Kautsky, whose teachers included Rosina Lhevinne, Gyorgy Sebok, Leon Fleisher, Martin Canin, and Gilbert Kalish, has concertized widely, performing in major halls such as Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Recital Hall, the Phillips Collection, Jordan Hall, and the Chicago Cultural Center. She has soloed with numerous orchestras, including the St. Louis Symphony and Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra, and appeared frequently on public radio. She has spent two sabbaticals in Paris and played abroad in France, England, Italy, Spain, Poland, China, Hong Kong, Korea, Thailand, Brazil, Australia, Russia, and South Africa. Known as both a solo and collaborative performer, Ms. Kautsky has performed chamber music at the Aspen, Tanglewood, and Grand Teton Festivals, and presented masterclasses on five continents, including 2018 appearances in Hong Kong, Ho Chi Minh City, and Hanoi.

Livestream

This recital will also be offered as a livestream - visit the Concert Livestream Page to watch live. Streaming begins approximately 15 minutes prior to scheduled concert start time.

Free Admission

This recital is free and open to the public.

Parking

Parking is available in the McKinley Parking Garage (entrance on Ashland Avenue) located immediately south of Sursa Hall. Metered parking is available on the first floor of the garage until 7 p.m. at which time parking is free.

About

Enjoy a concert of video game tracks with the Ball State Jazz Ensembles!

Learn more about the Ball State University Jazz Ensembles.

Tickets

Tickets available through the College of Fine Arts Box Office located at Sursa Hall. 

Prices

• General Public: $8 in advance / $10 at the door
• Seniors: $5 in advance / $7 at the door
• BSU Faculty/Staff: $5 in advance / $7 at the door
• Students: free* in advance / $5 at the door
  *One (1) free student ticket per ID is available in advance (before 5 p.m. on the night of the concert) at the College of Fine Arts Box Office

Purchase Options

• ONLINE
• Phone: 765-285-8749
• In person: Monday through Friday from Noon to 5 p.m., or starting 1 hour before the performance

**Please note: As part of our commitment to sustainability, all College of Fine Arts tickets are paperless and are accessible via email confirmation. Your confirmation email contains your digital tickets which can be scanned at the door from your mobile device, or you can print your digital tickets at home to be scanned. There is no need to visit Will Call prior to the performance.

Parking

Parking is available in the McKinley Parking Garage (entrance on Ashland Avenue) located immediately south of Sursa Hall. Metered parking is available on the first floor of the garage until 7 p.m. at which time parking is free.

Duende Libre is an award-winning jazz trio whose original music combines jazz virtuosity with roots rhythms from Cuba, Brazil, and West Africa into a “strikingly authentic blend.” Each having apprenticed with direct descendants and master musicians of these traditions, they consider themselves disciples of their teachers. The result: A euphoric new jazz that honors its historical roots, pushing open the boundaries of genre to invoke a powerful sonic freedom.

Comprising core members Alex Chadsey (bandleader and keys), Jeff Busch (percussion), and Farko Dosumov (bass), Duende Libre is collectively influenced by the trio’s direct connections with master musicians including Clinton Fearon, Dudley Nesbitt, Dave Hassel, Jesse Bannister, Chucho Valdés, Carlos Santana, Martha Gonzalez, Quetzal Flores, and Joe Santiago.

The band effectively—and uniquely—calls attention to the space between contemporary jazz traditions and broader musical influences from around the globe. Informed by a cumulative century of devoted study, they answer to this with emphatic (and euphoric) sonic interpretations that effectively enrich the collective language of jazz itself.

World-class artists and musicians brought together in the Coffee and Cabernet Series. Experience these internationally renowned artists in the intimate setting of Pruis Hall and enjoy a selection of wine, craft beer or coffee while attending the performance. 

About

The Wind Ensemble is under the direction of LaToya Webb. Wind Symphony are under the direction of Jeremy Harmon, director of athletic bands.

Learn more about the Ball State University Bands.

Program

Wind Symphony

Downey Overture by Oscar Navarro
Stride by Kevin Day
American Riversongs by Pierre La Plante
Sleep by Eric Whitacre
The Dauntless Battalion by John Philip Sousa

Wind Ensemble

Shoutout by Roshanne Etezady
Black Dog by Scott McAllister
Stomp by David Biedenbender
Symphony No. 2 by Kevin Day

Tickets

Tickets available through the College of Fine Arts Box Office located at Sursa Hall starting August 1. 

Prices

• General Public: $8 in advance / $10 at the door
• Seniors: $5 in advance / $7 at the door
• BSU Faculty/Staff: $5 in advance / $7 at the door
• Students: free* in advance / $5 at the door
  *One (1) free student ticket per ID is available in advance (before 5 p.m. on the night of the concert) at the College of Fine Arts Box Office

Purchase Options

• ONLINE
• Phone: 765-285-8749
• In person: Monday through Friday from Noon to 5 p.m., or starting 1 hour before the performance

**Please note: As part of our commitment to sustainability, all College of Fine Arts tickets are paperless and are accessible via email confirmation. Your confirmation email contains your digital tickets which can be scanned at the door from your mobile device, or you can print your digital tickets at home to be scanned. There is no need to visit Will Call prior to the performance. 

Parking

Parking is available in the McKinley Parking Garage (entrance on Ashland Avenue) located immediately south of Sursa Hall. Metered parking is available on the first floor of the garage until 7 p.m. at which time parking is free.

Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper

GRAMMY-winning bluegrass greats Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper will be performing a FREE outdoor concert as part of the 2026 Muncie Three Trails Music Series. This concert is sponsored by the Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County. Locals The John Beatrtice Band will open the show. Widely considered the best bluegrass fiddler of his generation, Michael Cleveland has been recognized 12 times as the International Bluegrass Music Association’s (IBMA) “Fiddler of the Year,” and in 2018 he was inducted into the National Fiddler’s Hall of Fame. His recording Fiddler’s Dream was nominated in 2018 for a GRAMMY for “Best Bluegrass Album,” and in 2019, his album Tall Fiddler won that award. In 2022, he, like his idol Bill Monroe, was awarded the National Endowment for the Arts Heritage Fellowship. And most recently, Michael’s latest recording with Jason Carter, Carter & Cleveland,  won IBMA’s 2025 “Album of the Year” award and has been nominated for a 2026 GRAMMY for “Best Bluegrass Album.”

Pokey LaFarge

Critically acclaimed musician Pokey LaFarge and his band will be performing a FREE outdoor concert as part of the 2026 Muncie Three Trails Music Series. This concert is sponsored by Defur Voran. Locals Jerry Barker & the Onion Cutters will open the show.

LaFarge never wanted to be an artist that had one gigantic record and then kept repeating the same thing over and over. His last three albums, including his newest, Rhumba Country, gives evidence that he is in no danger of doing that. 2020’s Rock Bottom Rhapsody, hailed as a “Best of 2020” by NPR’s Fresh Air, was dark, lean and melancholy, without horns or anything else that might interfere with the vocals and the lyrics. By contrast, 2021’s In The Blossom of Their Shade showcased Pokey’s positivity, capturing the vibe of a perfect summer afternoon soundtrack. And as with all his previous works, In The Blossom of Their Shade continued to mix and match a wide variety of styles and traditions, this time around drawing on sounds from hot swing, ragtime, country blues, and Americana, as well as incorporating influences from the Southwest, South America, and the Caribbean. And now, on Rhumba Country, his latest full-length, LaFarge revels in his newly heightened devotion to making music that channels pure joy. As Pokey immersed himself in the album’s creation, he once again began dreaming up a kaleidoscopic sound informed by his love of music from far-ranging eras and corners of the globe, including mambo, tropicália, rocksteady, and mid-century American rock-and-roll. Wherever his musical inspirations may take him, there is one thing you can be sure of – when Pokey LaFarge takes the stage, he will continue to entertain audiences everywhere with his unique mix of styles and dynamic showmanship. We are extremely pleased to be able to welcome Pokey LaFarge back to the Three Trails stage.

Cristina Vane

Critically acclaimed Americana/blues artist Cristina Vane and her band will be performing a FREE outdoor concert as part of the 2026 Muncie Three Trails Music Series. This concert will take place at 7:00 PM on Saturday, August 8th  at Canan Commons (600 S. Walnut St.) in the heart of downtown Muncie, IN. Locals Lovesick Moan will open the show.

More than a mere practitioner of her craft, Cristina Vane has a breadth and depth of serious musical skill compiled from countless miles across all kinds of geography. On her third studio album ‘Hear My Call,’ the pairing of a lifetime pursuit and growing treasure trove of songs makes for a record that demands to be heard.

A deft multi-instrumentalist and captivating vocalist, she began writing songs and playing guitar in her teens, before the power of slide guitar captured her attention one summer in London and changed her trajectory. Her sound is a product of a merging of numerous worlds- her classic rock, 90s indie, and heavier roots with her passion for prewar blues, old time fiddle banjo music, country and bluegrass. On Hear My Call, Vane refuses to bend herself into a box, writing excellent bluegrass songs that exist cohesively alongside her blues, rock, and hill country blues inspired tunes. Indeed, a decade of finding herself has brought her full circle; in her words, “ “When it came to the album, I wanted it to be a reflection of who I am, not just of the old music that I’ve come to love”, she explains, “and I’m essentially a rock kid who is obsessed with old music. After being exposed to all of this music that was foreign to me, I am slowly figuring out how to find my own voice within it." 

The First Annual Cornstock Music Festival is half of a twin festival series brought to you by Ashley Gray, Muncie native, Cofounder of The Maybelle Music Festival, professional musician, and Mike McKnight, local musician and performer! 

This festival will showcase local talent featuring bands and acoustic acts at both Elm Street Brewery and 7 Rock Brew, located one block apart on Race Street and the Dora permit allows attendees to travel between venues with properly marked alcoholic beverages. 
This event welcomes all ages and is free to attend!  
All and any donations on site will still be welcomed and much appreciated! 

Lost Bayou Ramblers

Acclaimed progressive Cajun band and GRAMMY winners Lost Bayou Ramblers (LBR) will be performing in a FREE outdoor concert as part of the 206 Muncie Three Trails Music Series. The Lost Bayou Ramblers will also be performing a special traditional acoustic set at 7 PM to open the show. 

Lost Bayou Ramblers’ evolution as a perversely progressive band rooted in Cajun traditions continues to excite, challenge, and redefine both genre expectations as well as cultural preconceptions. The band was formed in 1999 by brothers Andre and Louis Michot, performing the roots Cajun music they learned as members of Les Frères Michot, the family band their father and uncles formed in the 80's. The current LBR line-up is headed-up by Louis (fiddle and lead vocals) and Andre (accordion and lapsteel), now joined by Bryan Webre (electric bass), Johnny Campos (electric guitar), Eric Heigle (electronics and acoustic guitar), and Kirkland Middleton (drums). The group stands at the crosscurrents of Louisiana culture by inhabiting the gray area between Cajun and Creole, convention and innovation, mystery and a revelation, experimenting and growing the show to what it's become today: an eclectic mix of modern sounds and rhythms with ancient Cajun melodies and lyrics.  With eight albums, a GRAMMY win in the Best Regional Roots Music category for their most recent studio album, Kalenda, contributions to the score of the Oscar-nominated Beasts Of The Southern Wild, and touring with both Arcade Fire and the Violent Femmes, Lost Bayou Ramblers continue to swing wide from their Louisiana home base. 

Flor De Toloache

Latin GRAMMY winners Flor De Toloache, an all-female Mariachi ensemble, will be returning to Muncie and performing in a FREE outdoor concert as part of the 2026 Muncie Three Trails Music Series. Cincinnati-based Estrada Do Sol will open the show.

Flor De Toloache, which translates as “deadly flower” and also refers to a main ingredient in traditional love potions, was founded in 2008 by singers Mireya Ramos and Shae Fiol. The group weaves a variety of influences (e.g., salsa, bactata, cumbia, gypsy, Latin jazz, pop, hip-hop, soul) into their unique sound, giving them an edgy, versatile and fresh take on traditional Mexican music. They perform original songs, new arrangements of classic Mariachi tunes, as well as an eclectic selection of covers that can include songs by artists such as Adele, AC/DC, and Erykah Badu. Their mélange of the traditional and the modern pushes the boundaries of the genre and brings Mariachi music to new audiences. Flor De Toloache’s critically acclaimed self-titled debut album received a Latin GRAMMY nomination for “Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album” of 2015, and their 2017 release, Las Caras Lindas, won that award. Indestructible, a 2019 GRAMMY nominee for “Best Latin Rock, Urban, or Alternative Album,”  showcased their collaboration with multi-platinum singer-songwriter John Legend. National Public Radio says the album “… pushes the boundaries of mariachi music and its instruments through reimagined pop covers, originals and original collaborations.”

Over the course of the last few years, Flor de Toloache have played to sold out audiences in the UK, Germany, Holland, Italy, France, as well as performing at Coachella and at such legendary venues as First Avenue in Minneapolis, The Vic in Chicago, Terminal 5 in New York, DC’s 930 Club, and Nashville’s Ryman Theater (The Grand Ole Opry). The group was invited to perform at the GRAMMY Museum’s Latin Music Gallery Exhibition ribbon-cutting. They were also invited to pay tribute to Linda Ronstadt at the 42nd Annual Kennedy Center Honors. Needless to say, their previous performances at the Muncie Three Trails Music Series they have brought down the house.

Blue Moon Marquee

Acclaimed Canadian blues/jazz group Blue Moon Marquee will be performing in a FREE outdoor concert as part of the 2026 Muncie Three Trails Music Series. Locals The Prairie Creek Sirens will open the show.

Blue Moon Marquee writes and performs original compositions influenced by anything that swings, jumps or grooves. A.W. Cardinal (vocals/guitar) and Jasmine Colette a.k.a. Badlands Jass (vocals/bass/drums) have played for a vast gamut of crowds at jazz clubs, Lindy Hop dance halls, folk venues, blues haunts, hospitals, prisons, markets, motorcycle joints, dive bars and prestigious festival stages. The vast repertoire of this band is a reflection of their bounteous years on the road, and the result is a trademark blend that pulls the different parts of their musical worlds together, taking the tones of early blues, the expressions of jazz, the heart of country, the spirit of folk, the swagger of soul and the rhythm of rock ‘n’ roll. Their gift is bringing all these elements together without anything sounding out of step. For their Canan Commons show, the duo will be joined by Alison Young on sax and Darcy Phillips on keys.

In recognition of the band’s excellence, Scream, Holler & Howl, their 5th album, won the JUNO Award (the Canadian equivalent of the GRAMMY) for Blues Album of the Year. The album was also honored with the Blues Foundation’s award for Emerging Artist of the Year (2023), and it swept the 2023 Maple Blues Awards (Canada’s highest honour in blues) with four wins. including Album of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Acoustic Act of the Year and Entertainer of the Year.  Co-produced by GRAMMY-winning guitarist Duke Robillard and recorded live to tape, the album blazes forward with its astonishing mix of genres. As Mr. Robillard states, “To say A.W. and Jasmine are old souls is an understatement. They are poised for worldwide recognition in a brilliant and unique genre-bending ride through American blues and folk, Gypsy jazz, Native American themes, jump blues, swing and more. These century-old traditions have been redefined and delivered in a new light here”. Unbound by genre or era, Blue Moon Marquee has an edge that demands you take notice. With an authentic mixture of tempo, melody and imagery, they are timeless artists perfect for this time. 

Mike Farris & The Fortunate Few

GRAMMY award winning musician Mike Farris, along with his band The Fortunate Few, will be performing a FREE outdoor concert as part of the 2026 Muncie Three Trails Music Series. Locals Mike Martin & the Beautiful Mess will open the show.

Mike Farris is an artist’s artist and a musician’s musician, celebrated and revered by his fellow performers. He is a GRAMMY, Americana Association, and Dove Music award winner, with six solo albums since 2001. He is also a founding member of 90’s mainstream rock group, The Screamin’ Cheetah Wheelies.

Farris was born in 1968 in Winchester, TN. With a gospel-fueled voice that sounds like a cross between the hard rock blast of Bon Scott and the joyful sweetness of Al Green, Mike has taken a long time to balance his life and considerable talent. Devastated when his parents divorced when he was 11 years old, Farris tumbled early into the world of drugs and alcohol, a lifestyle that landed him in reform school. Nearly dying from an accidental overdose, he moved in with his father and began playing guitar and writing songs, gradually pulling himself out of the depths of his addictions. After forming the seminal 1990s blues jam band the Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies, however, the endless touring and bars sent him right back to his old bad habits, and while he put out fine music with SCW, with Peaceful Knievel, and during his stint as the singer for Double Trouble, Stevie Ray Vaughan's old rhythm section, Farris was in deep emotional trouble. Finally, in 2004, while attending the funeral of a friend, he decided he had enough, and embraced both God and sobriety. 

Since that time, Mike has put out four studio releases, two live records, and one charity EP (as Mike Farris and the Cumberland Saints. His music is diverse but tends to be rooted in early American gospel and blues. In 2008, Farris won the Americana Music Award for New and Emerging Artist, in 2010 , SHOUT!! Live won the Dove Award for Traditional Gospel Album of the Year,  and his 2014 release, Shine For All The People, won the GRAMMY for Best Roots Gospel Album. For 2025’s The Sound of Muscle Shoals, Mike Farris’s first album since 2018’s Silver & Stone, Farris made the pilgrimage to the doors of the legendary Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, AL. The resulting album is a  culmination of all of Farris’s musical influences and life lessons learned, captured in a location that holds deep meaning for him. In collaboration with members of the legendary Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, the band captures lightning in a bottle, channeling the spirit of their musical forebearers, conjuring up the intrinsic magic of the Muscle Shoals sound, and wrapping it around Farris’s heartfelt and hardscrabble blue-eyed soul vocals. In the intertwining threads of spiritual and earthly, of gospel and rock ‘n’ roll, of faith and fire, Farris once again brings what Rolling Stone Country describes as his “supersized voice filled with the electricity of Saturday night and the godly grace of Sunday mornings” to the album’s 11 tracks.

The First Annual CornFlower Music Festival is half of a twin festival series brought to you by Ashley Gray, Muncie native, Cofounder of The Maybelle Music Festival, professional musician & performer. 

This festival will showcase local Female Musicians featuring bands and acoustic acts at both Elm Street Brewery and 7 Rock Brew, located one block apart on Race Street and the Dora permit allows attendees to travel between venues with properly marked alcoholic beverages. 
This event welcomes all ages and is free to attend!  
All and any donations on site will still be welcomed and much appreciated!