The dream unfinished
WHAT IT DOES “We call ourselves an activist band,” said Eun Lee, executive director of this 2014-based New York-based ensemble. “We use classical music as a means of engaging the public on social justice issues.”
As such, says Lee Bynum, chairman of the board, The Dream Unfinished, it is designed to be nimble enough to respond in a timely manner to, for example, the election season or the Black Lives Matter demonstrations of the past year. On February 23, the group plans to expand to YouTube programming with an event on the assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King jr. And its effects on black musicology.
LESSONS LEARNED “You cannot tackle a challenge that has not been identified,” Bynum said. ‘You’re talking about deeply entrenched history, and it can not be addressed by programming. However, you need to start by actually identifying the reason why certain audiences are not participating. ”
Lee added: “Arts institutions really need to approach anti-racist work from as many different angles as possible. and has a plan to tackle these angles in a strategic and sustainable way. ‘
Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra
WHAT IT DOES In the mid 2000s, Jeri Lynne Johnson is struggling to find work as a conductor. After an audition, she recalled, a man told her that although she was clearly talented, she – a black woman – would be too difficult to sell to audiences. So she started her own band.
Johnson said her Philadelphia-based ensemble benefits greatly from diversity simply because “we live the work.” The community involvement is set up as ‘inreach’ and creates as many paths as possible to bring children in particular into the world of classical music. “The goal is to facilitate the creative process,” Johnson said. “What I want to do is give people a glimpse into the feeling and power of how it is.”
LESSONS LEARNED “The most important thing these heritage institutions really need to consider is: Who do you serve?” Johnson said. “And they have to be honest about that. If they really want to serve the past and tradition and maintain it, then do it. If you decide that you want to serve the present and the future, it starts with a number of questions that follow. ‘