Luke Forshey '15
Luke Forshey '15
Music education with history minor
Where can a Messiah education take you? If you're willing, all the way to the Pacific Rim. During J-term of his junior year, music education major Luke Forshey '15 traveled with a group of fellow Messiah students to Indonesia on a TESOL trip.
"We taught in 12 different schools-K through college, Christian to Muslim, national to international. There were wide levels of communication ability, but music helped bridge language barriers. People knowing the same praise and worship songs was a really powerful moment. 'Mighty To Save' became a theme song for the whole group. We learned many Hillsong Church worship songs because of the proximity to Australia."
The commonality of music and how it brings together people of different faiths, cultures and countries is the core of Forshey's personal ministry. At Messiah, the College Honors student played trumpet in the Jazz Ensemble, Wind Ensemble and the Grantham Brass Project. He was also the student director of Jazz Fusion and the choir director at Grantham Church. For his honors project, he recorded a CD of piano arrangements of hymns.
His last semester at Messiah was spent teaching at a middle school near campus. "I was not anticipating how much work teaching is," said Forshey. "I was exhausted every day when I got home. I was not expecting how rewarding it would be, either. The other day, a student said, "Mr. Forshey, thank you for making band fun for us.'"
He currently lives on an island in the South Pacific-location undisclosed for security reasons-for a yearlong assignment to teach music, Bible and U.S. history while also overseeing chapel services and leading worship at an international school. As life takes him around the world, he sings Messiah's praises.
"You won't find a better place that educates you but also that focuses on moral development and growing as a person," said Forshey. "Messiah will challenge you and stretch you, but in the end you'll come out such a stronger person. I feel extremely prepared to do anything God would call me to do."
Listen to recordings of Luke's music at his website: lukeforsheymusic.com
Read more about Luke's travel experiences on his blog: lukeinsouthpacific.blogspot.com