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Zachary Hamilton Music
INCLUSION JUBILEE
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Inclusion Jubilee was a project from 2020-2021 that sought to expand the norms of classical music programming and pedagogy.

This concert series featured works from a diverse array of Black composers (and always some Bach!), and streamed online via Instagram Live. Though the series is discontinued, the pursuit of diverse programming remains. 

Read more below.
Inclusion Jubilee has two purposes: The first is to encourage classical musicians to intentionally program repertoire that reflects the demographics of its audience. Given that what we consider to be "Western classical music" is often thought of as generally European, the vast majority of what we see programmed in concert halls and senior recitals is from white composers. However, the output of classical music from composers of color in the last few centuries has exploded, but its performance practice has not kept up. The performance of more works by composers of color from around the world is therefore both a moral imperative, and a market necessity if the classical music industry wishes to grow its audience. IJ concerts have thus featured works by established Black composers like Lila Hood and Nokuthula Ngwenyama, up-and-coming composers like Askari Frith and Sakari Dixon Vanderveer, and classics from centuries past, like H. T. Burleigh and Ignatius Sancho.

The second purpose of Inclusion Jubilee is to change norms in pedagogic repertoire. While the greats like "Twinkle Twinkle" and method books like Suzuki might qualify as the GOAT in teaching students how to play in D major (I'll leave that up to others to decide), our students should be learning repertoire that reflects both the entire landscape of composers, as well as the makeup of the population in which they live. To this end, IJ concerts feature performances from Rachel Barton Pine's collection, Music by Black Composer Volume 1, which is a fantastic resource for violin students of all ages.

In short, we need our students, performers, and audiences to see themselves in classical music -  otherwise the industry will and should lose its relevance.

​Inclusion Jubilee concerts are performed with friends, and are free to watch on Instagram Live. Optional contributions have gone to performers, as well as Lila Hood's nonprofit Blue Violin Classes, which brings classical music resources and teaching to underserved communities in Los Angeles.
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