Tokenism in orchestras is racial violence.

During classical music’s Black Lives Matter movement, Artist management companies are going bankrupt. Here’s why. — Artist management companies in 2020 are in dire financial straits. Excluding Black artists and audiences leaves millions of dollars on the table annually. Still, they make no effort to adopt the Black community’s cultural values. Racism is more valuable. No principal classical agency has Black agents. Artist management companies don’t…

In light of classical music’s Black Lives Matter movement, orchestras must now hire Black conductors for programs with Black composers. — At this point in classical music’s Black Lives Matter movement, the carpet must match the drapes when programming Black composers. US orchestras could stand to learn from superstar Black director Ava DuVernay. She makes sure the director, writer, and/or creator is representative of the story’s culture.

Activists alert society of an immediate need for change. We force whites (including those who need to be white) to play double-dutch while reflecting on the deleterious effect their whiteness has on Black bodies. Black musicians are complicit in classical music’s white supremacy by remaining silent. We’re afraid of losing…

Classical music is unsafe in White hands alone — Music of the Black diaspora is thriving, while Western classical music is dying. Yet, orchestras wish to remain White and poor. Why? Exclusivity through White supremacy is classical music’s raison d’être. Unable to separate ethnography from artistry, American orchestras repeatedly hire White European male music directors, equating quality with geographic…

Germany uses tolerance to hide racism. — A white terrorist in Hanau murders innocent people of color (PoC) prompting vigils. Orchestras play tacitly “Remember the Brown People,” victims they’d never imagine attending concerts. The Brandenburg Gate, a symbol of division and unity, is temporarily cordoned off in remembrance, as many pout, “Uh! No selfie today?” Reflection on…

To be a Negro in this country, and to be relatively conscious, is to be in a rage almost all the time. — James Baldwin I know this rage. I was enraged when Chicago cops ran up to my car at night and put guns to my head. I’m enraged…

The lynching of Ahmaud Arbery — Lynchings aren’t a wrinkle in time. They’re present day. Lynching postcards were all the rage in the early 19th century. The postcard above depicts the live burning of Will Stanley in Temple, Texas. The sender refers to it as a “barbecue we had last night.” Lends a whole new meaning…