JAVS Summer 2021

George Taylor performing Adolphus Hailstork’s Two Romances with the Bloomington Symphony (Minnesota), Manny Laureano, conductor, October 2019.

and never go back to those neighborhoods ever again? 3. Do we vote? Do we read? 4. Are we continuing to grow? Are we continuing to use our talents to serve everyone rather than serve ourselves? For solo musicians and chamber ensembles: 1. Do we only play in the concert hall venues? Are we playing in the fire stations? Are we playing in the community centers? Are we playing in the churches? 2. Do we have a concert series in a Black community? In their church? 3. Are we handing out tickets in underserved areas? 4. What are we doing to spread our audience base? We have to be advocates for our own skills. The only way to be a viable part of our community as a musician is by not only playing well but by teaching that this music is part of everyone’s cultural inheritance. When I play that Allemande from the Third Bach Suite, I’m not thinking of a German dance with an agogic rhythmic structure of. . . I know all that stuff. I’m thinking of Radio Rahim

We come with that baggage as a birthright in classical music, it’s like you’ve got a kettle that’s on high boil. Without conscious acts of inclusion, the kettle stays on high boil forever. It will never cool. It means taking a hard critical look, and people just don’t like being taken out of their comfort zone. So we’re in it for the long haul. When we are part of orchestras or opera organizations, we need to realize that we’re part of a social structure. Are we so ensconced in the activity of trying to play in tune and learn the repertoire that we’re not touched by the social norms around us? Some questions to ask: 1. Do we have a say in what’s being produced the next season? If so, are we exploring new repertoire? Are we exploring repertoire by women, by LBGTQIA composers? Are we exploring repertoire by BIPOC composers? 2. Are we involved and engaged in serving and teaching in underrepresented communities? Are we on those committees that make sure our role in the community is not a hit and run where we go and play for the poor Black children and then go off and stay in our halls

Journal of the American Viola Society / Vol. 37, 2021 Online Issue

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