Black Kids Are Artists Too: Using Classical Music to Break Systematic Cycles
Conference Topic
Education and the Black Community
Program Abstract/Summary
This interactive symposium will focus on educating and empowering the audience on what role classical music plays in black and brown people’s lives as a European institution and what that role means for the black and brown communities that have, and continue to, participate in the tradition of Western art music.
Learning Outcomes
Participants will:
- Become more aware of inequality and racism within classical music
- Learn how to be an ally to the black and brown music community
- Learn about organizations and resources available for black and brown musicians, how to access them, and how to use them effectively
Relationship to Theme
This presentation topic is absolutely pertinent to the conference's theme of breaking the cycle of a divided people. As musicians, we have been exposed to and are aware of the positive effects that exist within a community that prioritizes music and arts education. We believe it to be a fundamental human right for young learners to have access to resources that can influence their perception of the world. By working to include more black and brown musicians, classical music can work to evolve into an inclusive art form, one where audience members and fellow musicians can feel represented on stage.
Presenter Bio
Josie Campbell
Elise (Josie) Campbell is currently a junior studying cello performance at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.Josie began playing the cello in her middle school orchestra when she was eleven years old. Josie actively combines her love of music with her love for arts advocacy. She is currently the Co-Founder and Co-President of a newly formed organization, the Black Musicians Alliance. The Black Musicians Alliance fosters a safe space for musicians of color at UTK and educates our fellow Volunteers about people of color in the music world. In addition to serving as the Co-Founder and Co-President of the Black Musicians Alliance, Josie serves as the Social Programming Coordinator for the Black Student Union, the Knoxville Monologues Coordinator for the Women’s Coordinating Council, and the Membership Chair for the Students Protecting Student Funding Organization.
Clara Prinston
I am in my fourth year at the University of Tennessee and in my 15th year of playing my instrument, the violin. In addition to studying music, I am pursuing a second major in Linguistics. As I am passionate about arts equity, I serve as the co-founder and co-president of a new campus organization, the Black Musicians Alliance which fosters an educational, safe, and empowering place for black musicians within the School of Music. Additionally, I work for Knoxville’s NPR affiliate station, where I am a programmer, producer, and host for classical music. As I continue to play and teach my instrument around Knoxville and the surrounding region, I have gained insight into the intricate and delicate system of artistic inequality that exists within the world of classical music.
Black Kids Are Artists Too: Using Classical Music to Break Systematic Cycles
This interactive symposium will focus on educating and empowering the audience on what role classical music plays in black and brown people’s lives as a European institution and what that role means for the black and brown communities that have, and continue to, participate in the tradition of Western art music.
