Panel: Racialized Aesthetics in Music

This panel discussion will explore how racialized aesthetics present themselves in conservatory spaces and in music, and the impact this may have on the artistry and personhood of people. “I propose that aesthetics, a philosophy of the beautiful, is a useful framework to examine the racialization of music education…Because tastemakers and gatekeepers of the dominant group set standards that subordinate or exclude other aesthetics, members of other groups can either retain their aesthetic standards and risk exclusion, or assimilate. To varying degrees, many choose to alternate between the two. They express the aesthetic reflective of their home culture in their personal life, and adhere to the dominant aesthetic in the professional sphere and in mainstream social situations.” (Jenkins, 2024, pp. 16 - 18)

Panelists:
Chris Jenkins (Associate Dean for Academic Support; Liaison to the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion; Visiting Assistant Professor of Musicology (Oberlin College and Conservatory & NEC Alum)
Nedelka Prescod (NEC Faculty, Gospel and R&B Ensemble, NEC Alum)
Ashleigh Gordon (Artistic Director, Co-Founder, and Violist of Castle of our Skins, NEC Alum)
Keith Jones (NEC Faculty, Poet-in-Residence, Liberal Arts)