Episode 12

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Published on:

9th Aug 2021

...And We Took That Personally

Greetings, Scorekeepers! Welcome back to MN Opera's THE SCORE! As you can see we're on Mondays now, so let's get this week started off right with... some COVID chat? Like every other human on earth we are doing our best to stay upright as we ride this fourth wave, so we spend a little time trying to process our feelings and find a little oasis of sanity. Come breathe with us! Fortunately, however, we do have something to celebrate in the form of another woman of color doing big things in the classical music world. This time, we're congratulating Shanta Thake and her recent ascension to Chief Artistic Officer at Lincoln Center. Amazing! Then we get our Kid Fury and Crissle on for a few minutes, b/c we're afraid someone needs to get read. Apparently, according to a certain "secular conservative," classical music is under racial attack and DEI programs that aim to dismantle white supremacy inside of classical music and opera institutions will be the death of us all! And naturally, to paraphrase the great Michael Jordan, we took that personally. So it's time to go to school! And then we'll send you into the rest of your week as usual with a moment of Pure Black Joy (plus Suni Lee)! Let's do it to it, y'all!

Hosts: Lee Bynum, Rocky Jones, Paige Reynolds

Producer: Rocky Jones

Timestamps

The COVID of It All - 0:00:27

Congratulations Shanta Thake! - 0:26:38

The "Racial Attack" on Classical Music - 0:34:03

History Lesson Time: Classical's Role in Colonization & The Anti-Colonial Orchestra Movement - 0:58:34

PB&J - 1:24:20


Links

"Lincoln Center Appoints Shanta Thake to Lead Its Revival" by Justin Davidson (Vulture)

"Anti-Colonial Orchestras: A Cultural Response to Classical Music Imperialism" by Jon Silpayamanant (Wordpress)

Gateways Music Festival (Learn More and Buy Tickets)

Gateways Music Festival Orchestra Performs "Lift Every Voice and Sing" (YouTube)


New episodes of THE SCORE drop every other Monday. If you like what you hear, please support us and SUBSCRIBE to the show on your favorite podcast app and be sure to SHARE our show with your friends. Also leaving a 5-star REVIEW on Apple Podcasts is a great way to help get the word out. For more info about the exciting EDI work happening at MN Opera, please visit mnopera.org/edi. Email your questions or comments to thescore@mnopera.org

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About the Podcast

The Score
News and commentary about opera, classical music, and pop culture seen through an antiracist and anti-oppressive lens
It's time to put opera on game! Hosts Lee Bynum, Paige Reynolds, and Rocky Jones are three Black and queer artists, pop culture aficionados, and arts administrators at Minnesota Opera, who are working every day to bring more diversity, equity, and inclusivity into opera and classical music. The Score is their provocative, thoughtful, and humorous commentary on the industry's past, present, and future, as seen through an anti-racist and anti-oppressive lens. Each episode features a variety of stories from a variety of perspectives that bring People of the Global Majority, queer, trans and nonbinary folks, and everyone else into the discussion of ownership over and access to the art form. From the opera house to the statehouse to your house, each episode will amplify the voices of those in the field who are pushing the boundaries of what opera is, who it is for, and how it can transform us and our communities. New episodes come out every other Wednesday!