Stories of Healing and Reimagining: Commonalities Part 2

As choral professionals has navigated COVID, many have taken a hard look at equity in the field. Some have focused on addressing systemic issues within the field, while others have worked within their spheres to make changes in their classrooms, rehearsals, schools, and sacred spaces. As I asked choral professionals about ADEI, some were more comfortable talking about equity than others. What is clear to me is this: if ADEIB matters, our profession needs to do a better job supporting choral professionals in their long-term work (Dr. Fox addressed this in his interview). The future of our choral singing is vibrant, engaging, and diverse, if the choral professionals allow space and commit to the work.

Ms. Mari Ésabel Valverde spoke about music programming in her interview: For example, some people talk about “classics” in the choral world. What does this mean? These pieces have teachable and valuable concepts, but “you can’t say it’s as meaningful as something like Seven Last Words of the Unarmed Black Man. Experiencing that piece shakes people to their core.”

Regarding system work:

Dr. Anne Lyman: Ultimately, she knows she can continue to challenge her own role within her community and the systems that she is involved with.

Dr. Ahmed Anzaldúa: Are the systems in place, whether previously designed or created by you, preventing relationships with people in your space and community?

Ms. Mari Ésabel Valverde: Also, Mari points out, people, structures, and institutions often still operate from the belief that women are actually property. This doesn’t work when you are a trans woman. She’s had to understand her own worth, and in response, she has committed to taking better care of herself.

It’s worth resharing what some of our colleagues said about equity in the past years. These conversations were insightful, personal, and powerful.

Dr. Ahmed Anzaldúa: Equity, he points out, is not a separate thing. “What’s the alternative?” he asks. Are choirs singing without thinking about equity/access? If one is not thinking about equity or access, are they living their life and doing their work without thinking about how it affects others?

Ms. Amanda Stevenson: “When we are talking about equity, we have to define that,” Ms. Stevenson says, “Equity is not a marketing [ploy].” Financial accessibility, organizational access and equity, music accessibility, rehearsal spaces (location, spaces that aren’t affiliated with a religious institution)… “Who has benefited the most [from traditional models of communal singing]? Who have we actually left behind?”

Dr. Anne Lyman: “How can we hope for our young singers to have a future in singing if we don’t make equity a part of everything we do?” Dr. Lyman posed. This includes acknowledging that what we’ve done until this point has not been sufficient, or has been flat out wrong. 

Dr. Derrick Fox: “How do we support long-term work?” It requires investment of time and thoughtfulness. While a one-off workshop can be important, it’s not just about the music sung; it’s about the words said. There needs to be space/time to talk; only then can we bring in what is needed. We can’t be enticed by expediency. This work doesn’t have an end time.

Ms. Marie A Ellis: “When you know better, you do better.” The choral profession has the opportunity to become more equitable, to do better. “We didn’t do 2020 for nothing,” she said, stating that people have to keep pushing their organizations.

Alan: As he looks forward, he recognizes he has control over his class environment. He prioritizes an open and welcoming space. This past year, he spoke to students about Asian-American violence. Alan is an Asican-American, and there were times he was worried about his safety. His Asian-American colleagues felt the same. He shared a real part of his humanity with students, and the conversation he had with them was very real.

Mr. Remel Derrick: Remel explained that he lives in his world all the time; he’s constantly in it. He has not found a way to talk about that through music (or, he implied, he’s not sure if that even should be his focus). When it comes to addressing equity, he says “Let’s just do it… in our own spheres of influence.” As he thinks about his own composing, he keeps coming back to the question: “How can I present music that does not divide, but brings us together?”

Ms. Stephanie Gravelle: This past year, she also did an audit on herself. She created a spreadsheet and listed the repertoire she gave students– everything they listened to and all the materials she used. The spreadsheet included time period, religious background, gender perspective, etc. She wanted to see what she used and then ask “do I want to change anything? If so, how?” She set up weekly themes where she highlighted different genres of music and a variety of performers. This work will continue as she asks “How am I amplifying various voices, and how can I diversify that amplification?” In addition to finding culture bearers of musics, she plans to teach these musics like they might be taught in their origin environment.