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Access to music education is impacted by racial and ethnic inequities. This policy exists to support Swan Strings in eradicating the fallacy of racial human hierarchy to ensure communities have the resources to change the narrative of who creates, engages in, and performs music.

Swan Strings’s Mission and reason for committing to racial equity:

Swan Strings provides free music education, community concerts and sound therapy services to North Texas individuals without access. Racial equity is an important value at the foundation of the organization to address barriers created from structural and systematic racism. 

(*Terms: Race is a social and political construct that falsely separates and groups people. Racial and ethnic identity are complex. Black and Brown refers to individuals and communities of the African diaspora and Latin America and is inclusive of all communities who identify as Black and Brown.)

Impact of racism:

Access to music education is not equitable. Physical participation is often a focus of programming. However, Black and Brown* students in Dallas are disproportionately impacted by lack of representation in instructors, culturally responsive curriculum and repertoire, and access to particular instruments that support musicianship and cultural representation.

Exploitation happens when students are presented as primary beneficiaries of programs and resources but do not continue to receive equitable access and support that allows for careers in performance or education within the respective institution. Programs to address lack of representation exist, but it sometimes lead to exploitation of students, instructors, and community artists as a result of racial inequity - engagement with Black and Brown* students is not an initiative of Swan Strings, but rather a primary focus at the foundation of Swan Strings.

Racial inequities impact psychological safety and support for students, preventing their participation in shaping their desired outcome in response to their lived experiences. Racial stereotypes present incomplete narratives about music education and performance, resulting in people not seeing themselves in music or only seeing limited representation in music. Individuals seeking music education are also impacted by lack of physical safety in practice and performance processes, including expectations for practice hours and technique.

Swan Strings’s commitment to racial equity and commitment in action:

Swan Strings concentrates on Black and Brown students and communities because there has been a lack of access to structured music education due to systemic and systematic racism.

Swan Strings’s will:

• Dedicate resources to research and document engagement in free music education to support a more complete narrative

• Create intentional partnerships with organizations to gain access to Black and Brown students

• Commit to the representation of BIPOC instructors and musicians through engagement, media, and press

• Prioritize the health of staff, board, students, and constituents through programming and experiences that support sound and music as healing

• Provide safe environments for students to learn, practice, and perform music that is meaningful to them.

• Providing equitable resources for students to continue engaging in music education, such as culturally responsive curriculum and access to instruments 

Policy research and sources:

Daphne A. Brooks: Liner Notes For The Revolution: The Intellectual Life of Black Feminist Sound 

Nikole Hannah Jones: 1619 Project

Lynne Denise: Why Willie Mae Matters