As state senators gathered today for the start of the 2013 Mississippi legislative session, they were treated to the harmonious sounds of students from the Mississippi School of the Arts in Brookhaven.

     MSA Chorale, under the direction of Patton Rice, was scheduled to sing for senators as the 2013 session convened at noon. District 39 Sen. Sally Doty, R-Brookhaven, was instrumental in arranging the performance.

     Having sung multiple times during Brookhaven Day at the Capitol events in the past, MSA chorale students are no strangers to state lawmakers. However, it is always beneficial when state leaders can see and hear firsthand the talent that the residential school from Brookhaven cultivates year after year.

     Performances like today’s serve as further evidence that the millions in state funds and grants that have been put into MSA are producing positive results. And despite difficult economic times, those results further illustrate why a school like MSA is worthwhile and needed for the hundreds of students it has served and continues to serve.

     MSA students’ talents are not limited to music, as evidenced by multiple awards received in the visual arts and theater disciplines as well. And art school leaders are continuing their endeavors to enhance all disciplines of study and to improve campus facilities.

     Indeed, a plan to renovate Elizabeth Cottage, the former president’s home, is progressing, and a seal to insulate the west-facing wall of the Student Life Center was recently completed. Also, the theater department’s fall production of “Lisa and David” was the first held in a renovated Enochs Hall’s new black box theater.

     Brookhaven area residents have long known of the talent and dedication displayed by MSA students. Their artwork has been displayed in several venues, community theater productions have benefited from students’ participation, and community service hours performed by students have helped many local organizations.

     MSA’s ongoing mission is to expose the rest of the state to the opportunities available and talent produced by the school here in Brookhaven.

     Performances like today’s at the state Capitol are another step in that positive direction.