New Initiative Aims to Open Doors In Classical Music
WDCB’s Gary Zidek takes a closer look at Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative’s efforts to support music students from underrepresented backgrounds.
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“There are things that happened at the audition level, in the sense that there is implicit basis and systemic racism, it just kind of permeates our society. Sometimes you don’t even realize that you are judging things where you can’t separate what you hear from what you see.” - Adrienne Thompson, director of Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative, talking about some of the barriers that prevent musicians of color from advancing the classical music world.
Adrienne Thompson, director of Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative
Arts organizations all over the world are reassessing their ideas regarding diversity, equity and inclusivity. Disparities exist across virtually every discipline, though the imbalance is especially stark in the classical music world. According to a 2014 League of American Orchestras study, African-American and Latinx musicians hold less than 3% of the positions in major American orchestras. Addressing those disparities is a complex endeavor given the variety of barriers that often prevent certain people from even picking up an instrument, let alone making it to a top orchestra. But a relatively young Chicago-based initiative has started the heavy lifting in attempting to alter some of those disparities in the classical music world. Chicago Musical Pathway Initiative launched in 2018 with a mission to identify and develop music students from underrepresented backgrounds, and help them reach the next level of music education and training.
Fifty students of all different backgrounds, in grades 6 through 12, were selected to participate in CMPI’s inaugural class. Seven of the high school seniors who were part of that first class are taking the next step in their journey, continuing their music education at the university level this fall.
Members of Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative’s inaugural class
