Community Engagement
Articles, podcasts, and video on centering a deeper engagement in the arts in communities nationwide.
Chamber Music America is committed to furthering artistic work in communities nationwide. Through its programs, publications, and events, CMA helps link artists to networks, organizations, and educational programs.
Below, find articles, podcasts, and videos about CMA’s work, the challenges of community engagement, and how you can help deepen the relationship with the arts in your community.
Sound Journeys
“Sound Journeys” is a six-week curriculum designed for 5th and 6th graders, celebrating the diverse aspects of chamber music crafted by contemporary composers of color. Students developed their own mini-compositions using percussion and found objects, culminating in a final sharing session.
Through a collaboration between Casita Maria Center for Arts & Education, Chamber Music America, and Sounds That Carry, this curriculum was piloted for Casita Maria’s afterschool program in Spring 2024 with two CMA teaching artists: Renate Rohlfing & Olivia Cosío.
Read “A Repertoire to Call Your Own” from Chamber Music magazine by Olivia Cosío about the experience of Sound Journeys.
Read the Final Report to learn more about the impact of Sound Journeys.
Articles from Chamber Music magazine
Close Listening | by Andrew Frank
- A qualitative study focusing on the experiences of Black Americans at arts and culture organizations offers some first steps for administrators seeking a more equitable path forward.
The Dangers of Returning to a Monochromatic Arts World | by Rod Vester
- As seasons and tours resume, artist and educator Rod Vester urges organizations and ensembles not to abandon their commitments to racial justice.
Ensembles as Communities | by Denne Michele Norris
- Making space for queer identities in chamber music.
The Last Piece of the Puzzle | by Andrew Frank
- A growing movement to program sensory-friendly performances is bringing music and community to long-underserved populations.
Podcasts
What are the tools and best practices for creating thoughtful and lasting work? How can we use our talents and platforms to build arts equity that lasts? This episode of CMA Talks, “Confronting Marginalization through the Power of the Creative Life,” features a discussion between artists and arts administrators about what’s missing in the equity conversation. We also listen to a selection from Amina Figarova’s “If Barrels Could Talk”—the score of which appears in the spring issue of Chamber Music magazine.
The conversation, which has been edited for clarity, was held originally recorded at CMA’s 2023 Chicago Chamberfest, held on June 2 at Pianoforte Chicago.
Close Listening
In this episode, we speak with Melody Buyukozer Dawkins from Slover Linett Audience Research on the new qualitative report, “A Place to Be Heard, A Space to Be Held: Black Perspectives on Creativity, Trustworthiness, Welcome, and Well-Being.” The wide-ranging discussion includes background information on the creation and execution of the study as well as key takeaways for ensemble music professionals to use in their own work.
The Dangers of Returning to a Monochromatic Arts World
In this episode, we hear from pianist, music educator, and researcher, Rod Vester, whose recent article in the Summer 2021 issue of Chamber Music Magazine urges ensembles and organizations not to abandon the racial equity commitments they made during 2020’s public reckoning. He talks about his personal connection to this work, highlights the importance of culture and belonging in D.E.I. initiatives, and gives tangible tips on how we can all know better, do better, and be better.
Video
Gearing up for CMA’s 2025 National Conference in Houston, Texas, Chamber Music America hosted a conversation with several of Houston’s arts leaders and asked how equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility bolster their organizations and strengthen the field at large. Joining moderator and CMA Board Chair Bryan Young were educators Rodolfo Morales and Priscilla Rivas from Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, former clarinetist of WindSync Julian Hernandez, and Matthew Detrick of Apollo Chamber Players, and presenter Susanne Theis from Discovery Green.
This panel, funded with generous support from The Wallace Foundation, was originally filmed during National Chamber Music Month, on May 30, at Midtown Arts & Theater Center Houston (MATCH).