| Musings on Mentors and Mentees |
| Sunday, 14 October 2007 | |
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Attitudes about race, in my limited experience on this planet, ineffectively make efforts to recruit, mentor, and retain members of color for large ensembles, orchestras specifically. I frequently have heard White musicians, scholars and "advocates" give seemingly race-neutral explanations for the relative absence of classical musicians of color in American orchestras. The explanations given include: "Blacks and Latinos can't compete against Whites and Asians in classical music. They are not good enough. But it's not their fault." "Blacks and Latinos don't like classical music and naturally gravitate towards their own music—hip hop, jazz, salsa and gospel." "Blacks and Latinos are not graduating from conservatories in large enough numbers to compete for orchestra jobs and so represent the demographic." "Blacks and Latinos are not auditioning for orchestral positions." "Blacks and Latinos have other financial pressures, so they often have to take additional jobs to support themselves economically. Therefore, they don't have enough time or energy to practice and be audition worthy." I've heard worse than that. But I'm not altogether convinced that classical musicians of color are less likely than Whites to want to play in large orchestras where they can generate substantial income and demonstrate excellence in the context of high-profile solos. Certainly, one should never draw such a conclusion without asking the Black and Latino musicians themselves. Rarely does this happen which is another reason for the existence of the Myrtle Hart Society and other sites whose objective is promotion of the achievements of classical musicians of color. Many of us are well-aware that the real problem is not that Blacks and Latinos have a disdain for making lots of money as musicians in large orchestras. Rather, it is that too often the good old boys unwittingly (often blatantly) convey a belief that Blacks and Latinos do not possess an equal capacity for intellectual or musical excellence. Although this problem is not limited to orchestras--it seems to be the American way--I'll attempt to keep it in context. The absence of effective mentoring reinforces that problem. Because blacks often conclude that the only way they will survive as orchestra members is by blending in and not creating too much of a stir within the organization, they fail to realize that they are not helping the process of racial integration. But let's be real. Major orchestras do not simply measure the ability of a new hire to function at the high level in the ensemble based on their audition alone. Nor do they seek to only hire conservatory graduates and laterally-skilled musicians with the skills, values, and personalities that make them a good fit for the group. Those who share the culture of the group will most likely stay with the group their entire careers. Others, like yours truly, would not survive without internal support. It is ironic, then, that when it comes to the recruitment of Blacks and Latinos, many orchestras often struggle with the concept of choosing a candidate based on factors other than audition. You've of course noticed or read that most of the blind style auditions, playing behind a screen, doesn't last all rounds. (The Metropolitan Opera ("The MET") auditions are screened throughout. However, they are an exception.) During the final round, you are judged physically. (Should the process be changed?) I love to hear members of the Vienna Philharmonic speak on the subject of race and gender. The purpose of the visual criteria in the final round is clear to Viennese sociologist, Prof. Roland Girtler, of the University of Vienna who observes: "What I have noticed that is interesting, is that the Vienna Philharmonic would also never take a Japanese or such. If they took one, this also would somehow by appearances put in question the noble character of Viennese culture. But this is not racist!" Further, the orchestra feels that all women and some men lack the requisite virility to play in the Vienna Philharmonic. Um, virility? In the U.S., you have to be the strongest and perform as if the screen were still there, knowing that they are judging you based on your physical appearance. This is where most musicians crumble under the heavy weight of centuries of internalized racial discrimination. Of course, this only applies to instrumentalists as vocalists are judged from the very beginning based on their physical fit with either the character or the ensemble. Yet, how can we overcome racism that has been taught to us and is becoming increasingly innate? Some people believe in that dreaded "tokenism" – if Blacks and Latinos are hired based on "affirmative action principles, then they are thought to possess a lower level of musicianship or intellect than their White counterparts. If we are presumed to be less qualified, then we are much less likely to be given the gorgeous solo or to move up to principle chair based on the development of a reputation for excellence. There is no trust in the position which you occupy. Few would dispute the value of good mentoring in any music school or arts organization. I've heard many scholars and musicians state that musicians, composers and conductors who succeed in this genre do so in large part because they had good mentors. Working in this field is not easy and every musician needs an effective mentor who is able to provide them with performance opportunities, to introduce them to potential supporters or clients, and to be their encouragement throughout their growth (including after they make a misstep). What is seldom acknowledged is that young Black and Latino musicians would benefit immensely from having mentors who are key leaders in the orchestra. As it has been since the dawn of time, those mentors almost always will be White men as they are still the majority performers in American orchestras. My mentors gave me good work, spent hours of "billable and non-billable" time instructing me on how to improve my musical skills, my advocacy ("coping") skills and introduced me to influential people. When they introduce(d) me to others, often in the field, they talk as if I were already one of the most promising scholars or musicians. In the process, they boosted my self-confidence and raised my profile in the eyes of other scholars and musicians. That is the essence of good mentoring and, without it, I would have abandoned the idea of taking on the responsibilities of having a studio or starting my own organization. Pay it forward, indeed! And that's the whole thing that has been revealed to me over the years: I am expected to mentor young musicians and potential scholars regardless of whether they are also harpists or scholars in the same field! This raised the issue of how mentors are selected in the first place. Many organizations and academic institutions have formal mentoring programs in which students are assigned mentors (usually more seasoned musicians or laureate winners) and encouraged to seek advice or guidance from them whenever they deem it necessary. In the case of jazz mentors, the callow mentee can often be seen in the crowd during a concert where he is allowed to solo with his mentor. This is a form of training and acclamation in the genre. Classical may not be as different. However, being assigned a mentor is rare in conservatories where your studio teacher is usually your mentor and main advocate. If they are not, mentee-hopefuls seek outsiders, a favorite performer, from whom they seek counsel. Most of these selections are not random picks. The mentors and mentees are assigned based on criteria ranging from instrument to personality. And that's correct: mentors should be chosen based on their ability to guide a younger musician successfully through a difficult work, a competition, whatever. The mentor and mentee ideally should be in the at least the same instrument and the mentor should become an advocate for the mentee. The mentor's most important role, in addition to providing professional advice, is to talk to other experienced musicians about the mentee's excellence. Further reading: |
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