“Preservation of one’s own culture does not require contempt or disrespect for other cultures.” – Cesar Chavez Cornel West is one of America’s most influential and provocative philosophers, political activists, social critics and intellectuals. The grandson of a Baptist minister, West focuses on the role of race, gender and class in American society. My introduction […]
Jazz, blues and basketball are very similar in feel, vibe, attitude and practice. To start, they are all Black dominated cultures. They also require ongoing communication and cooperation among team mates and band mates as both players and musicians are literally making things up as they go. While there is structure that provides some guidelines
The impact of our Songs For Justice project on MFE as a whole has been transformational. It has introduced us to a much wider and more diverse community from which to draw upon as we move forward as an organization. Similar to a gumbo, the additional new and diverse people (“spices”) we’ve added to our
Introduction Music For Everyone is a non-profit organization I founded in 2006 with a mission to “cultivate the power of music” in Lancaster County, PA. Such a broad mission, coupled with the fact that music is the universal language has allowed us a lot of flexibility in finding ways to leverage the power and potential
MFE’S Songs For Justice: Observations, Reflections And Lessons Learned Read More »
Last year, I wrote that the word “bandwork” should be recognized as an “official” word and thus included in Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. The purpose behind my proposal relates to the issue of music advocacy as it applies to school funding of music programs. It’s important that we recognize and use bandwork as an “official”
It is so good to be back on the streets of Lancaster! We’re able to share our keys, notes and our cool, hip, brilliant “looks” that our talented visual artists have created and given us. Most of all, it’s wonderful to have you — the citizens of Lancaster — once again tickling our ivories. Both
Whether you believe it was God or Mother Earth we, as a human race, have been relegated to the corner for a “time out” by the Covid-19 pandemic. Like a five year old sent to the corner to consider the effects of his or her misbehavior, the worldwide, lock-down and isolation measures necessary to combat
The mark of a great coach is knowing when to call a time-out. There are times when an opponent gets “on a roll.” As all of their shots seem to fall or every play results in a first down, you see their confidence and momentum grow, and you begin to feel like you are facing
The COVID-19 Pandemic: A Once In A Generation Opportunity For American Higher Education Read More »
Times like these can spur intense internal reflection about what is important in life. It also can lead to some questioning about whether what we do, whether at home or in the workplace, adds value in our community. As the executive director of a music-related nonprofit organization, I have thought deeply regarding exactly how our
The NCAA Board of Governors recently voted unanimously to allow athletes to benefit from their name, image, and likeness as long as those benefits stay within the “collegiate model” and “maintain the priorities of education and the collegiate experience.” While the landscape surrounding athlete compensation is changing dramatically, don’t think these changes will occur overnight
