Maya Grossman

With the state of the world and surges of COVID-19, many things have been cancelled or changed due to the pandemic.  This has greatly affected schools and colleges by forcing students and professors to adapt to a virtual educational environment and a reduced amount of in-person meetings.  At the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, the music department not only had to limit the amount of in-person rehearsals and performances, but also used the current changes in the world to take a step away from the “canon” of classical music studies and focus more on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.  This shift in focus was put into action by offering new classes about race and intersectionality in music theory and musicology; DEI info sessions to foster inclusivity; and creating a requirement to study and perform pieces written by and for BIPOC/underrepresented composers and musicians.  While this shift in repertoire is a major step forward in the music community, did it have to take the whole world collapsing in order to make something that has been long overdue possible?