[The Harlem Quartet and Sphinx Chamber Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, September 2007]
E-mail From Music Teacher Asks For Ideas
I am interested in any information at all that can help to maintain students of color in our orchestra program. The district I work in has historically been divided into two areas, one that was economically advantaged and the other not (more like inner city). The orchestra program starts out with high numbers in the beginners on both sides of the district, only to dwindle on the inner city side as the kids enter junior high. We are now being mixed throughout the district and the schools will have a more diverse group. I want to see if we can maintain those economically challenged students (students of color in this group mostly). At this point, my concert orchestra has 60 students with only two Black, 7 Hispanic, and several Asian students. In the coming years, if we maintain the current elementary students, we should see an increase in the diversity of this group. I need ideas to help this happen. It is important to me that our orchestra reflects the student body proportionately, that all students have the opportunity to be a part of this organization. Thank you for any information, ideas you can pass on.
Suggestions
Aaron P. Dworkin (b. 1970) is a violinist who had one African American parent and one White parent. His isolation as a violin student of color in largely White classes led him to found the Sphinx Organization in 1996 while still a graduate student at the University of Michigan. AfriClassical.com honors Aaron Dworkin with a biographical profile.
The principal website of the Sphinx Organization is SphinxMusic.org, but your young students may also benefit from the interactive resources at its children's site, SphinxKids.org The Sphinx Chamber Orchestra and the Harlem Quartet will be making an historic performance tour of the United States this year. If your students could attend a performance, they might be inspired to fulfill their own potential as classical music performers.
I suggest you introduce your students to some of the 52 biographies and more than 100 music samples at AfriClassical.com, which celebrates 500 years of achievements by Black composers and musicians. A brief but compelling story is the biography of John Blanke, a 16th century Black trumpeter for England's Kings Henry VII and VIII. His picture can be seen in a detail from an illuminated manuscript documenting the Tournament of Westminster of 1511, in which John Blanke performed on horseback.
I believe your students would benefit from exposure to many of the figures presented at the website, especially Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745-1799). AfriClassical posts often lead to audio files or videos of classical works written or performed by people of color.
Another resource on classical musicians of color is The Myrtle Hart Society, whose Executive Director is Rashida N. Black, an African American harpist and music researcher. Her website is MyrtleHart.org I very much hope some of these suggestions will be of use to you in your most important task.
School Orchestra Diversity
Aaron Dworkin
Harlem Quartet
Sphinx Chamber Orchestra
Myrtle Hart Society
Black And Latino Musicians
Following upon the suggestion already given, much of the drop out rate, I think,is unfamiliarity with the richness and beauty of classical music. Meeting,in person, available classically trained musicians, seeing them perform and exercises-games, if you will, to familiarize the ear with the sounds and nuances of classical music are important. Many young people of this era have heard, only, rap and pop.Their ears are illiterate. Familiarizing them by hearing/listening to coming to loving the sounds can be beneficial. Simply playing in a beginning band and orchestra without knowing the potential for the music is has to be overcome.
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