Advocacy group, Anti-Racism Action Committee, instigates transformation via a collection of educational talks in their Speaker Series
The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music launched the "Still Waiting" speaker series in January 2021, a platform designed to facilitate dialogue about racial reckoning in the arts and music. The series, initiated by Arturo O'Farrill, the associate dean for equity, diversity, and inclusion, was created through the work of the School of Music's Anti-Racism Action Committee (ARAC), formed in June 2020.
The inaugural season consisted of seven talks, with the first being a wide-ranging conversation between O'Farrill and renowned professor, author, and orator, Dr. Cornel West. The series aims to challenge students and faculty to examine why they teach what they teach, and how they teach it, while shedding light on underrepresented or significant musical figures and topics through scholarly presentations.
One of the co-chairs of the ARAC, Chloe Swindler, a doctoral student studying trumpet, hopes that more students will join the ARAC and engage in the work being led by the committee. The series has featured presentations from scholars like Dr. Phillip Ewell and Dr. Danielle Brown, examining issues of race facing academic music studies, as well as speakers from diverse fields within performance, such as dancer Ayodele Casel, singer-songwriter Noelle Scaggs, and trombonist and band director Dr. Isrea Butler.
As the School of Music prepares for a new academic year, O'Farrill plans to continue the "Still Waiting" Speaker Series. The series, which gathers people from both within UCLA and outside of the university for important discussions, appears to focus on illuminating underrepresented or significant musical figures and topics through scholarly presentations.
Dr. Kristi Brown-Montesano, a Lecturer in Musicology at the school, recently presented a talk titled “Struggling to be Heard: The Creative Life of Rebecca Clarke,” highlighting the creative challenges faced by the composer. For the most current and detailed information, including future events and topics, checking UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music’s official website or their social media channels is recommended.
O'Farrill and the Anti-Racism Action Committee sought to include speakers who could speak to issues directly impacting School of Music graduates. The goal of the "Still Waiting" speaker series is to facilitate dialogue about the racial reckoning that has occurred across the nation, with a focus on the arts and music. Dr. Cornel West set the tone for the series and its focus on arts and culture by saying that great art tries to help people see things more clearly and deeply, feel things more profoundly, and act more courageously and compassionately.
Each presenter provided engaging, first-hand insight into their experiences within the industry, making the "Still Waiting" speaker series an invaluable resource for students, faculty, and the general public seeking to understand and address issues of race and representation in the world of music.
Engaging presentations from a diverse range of speakers, such as Dr. Phillip Ewell, Ayodele Casel, and Noelle Scaggs, have been highlighting underrepresented or significant musical figures and topics through the "Still Waiting" speaker series, which aims to promote personal growth and education-and-self-development by addressing issues of race and representation in the world of music. As a supplement to academic studies, this series also serves as entertainment, showcasing insights from accomplished individuals in various music-related fields.
