As it nears a quarter century of shows, New Harmony, Indianaโs Under the Beams concert series still feels like a well-kept secret.
It started in 2001 as a New Harmony Artists Guild program in the Rapp-Owen Granary, which recently had been restored. Founder Liz Mumford, noting the distinct beams inside the Granary, came up with the name.
Held monthly from January through April, Under the Beams moved to Murphy Auditorium in 2014. Organizers take pride in diversity: The series has hosted performers of 34 nationalities and introduced audiences to numerous genres.
This season, Under the Beams has featured a classical pianist and a folk/bluegrass/fusion act. Still to come are Mostly Kosher, a klezmer and rock band, and Mokoomba, a Zimbabwean act with a capella harmonies and beats that get the audience to its feet.
โWe use the slogan โbringing the world to our stageโ because that is what we do,โ Mumford says. โBeing right in the center of the Midwest, our small town of 800 does not have a lot of diversity that larger cities have, so we simply bring these cultural performances in and try to get them in front of as many people as possible.โ
The 24th season is dedicated to Terry Becker, the seriesโ board chairman and a longtime Evansville music educator who died in 2023.
Under the Beams started a fund in Beckerโs name that supports taking visiting musicians into local schools. The concert series is wholly supported by volunteers and donors.
โWe do it because we love mu- sic and love New Harmony,โ Mumford says. โSome years are great with donations, and some we barely scrape by. But we always seem to raise enough to keep going.โ
