Approach
Building comprehensive support for BIPOC classical musicians
Arc Framework
Equity Arc supports musicians of color at five pivotal stages of their development, through five essential areas of necessary support. The Arc Framework builds a bridge that supports BIPOC musicians throughout their journeys from initial entry to professional careers. It leverages our national network to transform the restrictive pipeline into a dynamic pathway.
Interested in using the Arc Framework at your organization?
Entry & Early Years
This stage includes:
- Entry into musical instruction.
- Resources for instruments and lessons.
- Connection to role models.
- Encouragement and support for parents/guardians.
- Inclusive beginning pedagogy guidance from teachers.
High School & Pre-College
This stage includes:
- Support for higher-level musical training.
- Audition preparation for collegiate admission.
- Participation in local and national enrichment ensembles.
- Campus visits to colleges and conservatories.
- Culturally sensitive college counseling.
- Access to admissions insights, scholarship information, and resources for parents.
College & Conservatory
This stage includes:
- Advanced training and mentorship from professional musicians.
- Connection to graduate programs, summer festivals, and fellowship opportunities.
- Resources for instrument upgrades.
- Exploration of diverse career opportunities in classical music.
Pre-Professional
This stage includes:
- Intensive preparation for a professional career.
- Connection to audition preparation programs and support resources.
- Referrals to partners that provide stipends for audition travel and career advancing projects.
- Access to culturally sensitive career coaching.
Young Professional
This stage includes:
- Support for navigating the professional landscape.
- Connection to peers and experienced professionals of color.
- Networking with music directors, organizational leaders, and creative collaborators.
- Mentoring musicians at earlier phases of the Arc Framework.
Areas of Support
Select any of the five areas of support to learn more about the challenges and resources needed across every stage in the Arc Framework.
Psychological & Behavioral Preparation
Objective: To help musicians of color mentally prepare to navigate obstacles that disproportionately affect them.
Entry & Early Years
Challenges
What psychological components affect participation at a young age?
Resources Needed
- Role models
- Encouragement from parents/adults
- Entry points into instrumental instruction
High School & Pre-College
Challenges
Do guidance counselors provide pre-college advice that empowers or dissuades?
Resources Needed
- Campus visits
- Scholarships
- Financial aid consultations
- Application consultants
- Summer music camps
College & Conservatory
Challenges
Do young artists have the vocabulary to identify the challenges they face?
Resources Needed
- Career mentorship & planning
- Summer music
Pre-Professional
Challenges
Do mentors themselves have the wherewithal to offer holistic mentorship?
Resources Needed
- Mentor matching
- Fellowships
- Graduate programs
Young Professional
Challenges
How do we ensure musicians receive the right coaching, at the right time, calibrated to their situation?
Resources Needed
- Mentors
- Fellow musicians
- Orchestral & organizational leadership
- Psychologists
Return to Areas of Support
Technical Training
Objective: To ensure mastery of the fundamental building blocks of professional musicianship.
Entry & Early Years
Challenges
How do we systematically reach students who don’t have access to school-based or community music programs?
Resources Needed
- Lessons & fundamentals
- Summer camps
- Traditional pre-college programs
High School & Pre-College
Challenges
How can training be more impactful? How do we support students who don’t live near quality instructors or mentors?
Resources Needed
- Audition preparation
- Virtual learning
- Summer camps & pre-college programs
College & Conservatory
Challenges
How do we get buy-in from institutional stakeholders? How might faculty hold musicians to the same high standards as their colleagues?
Resources Needed
- Professional audition preparation
- Summer music festivals
Pre-Professional
Challenges
What can we add to existing resources / practices?
Resources Needed
- Intensive audition preparation
- One-on-one sessions
- Mock auditions
Young Professional
Challenges
How can we help students acclimate to the learning curve of weekly performances? How can we develop those skills earlier in the pipeline?
Resources Needed
- Mentors
- Fellow musicians
- Tenured musicians of color
- Consistent & specific feedback
Return to Areas of Support
Logistical & Financial Support
Objective: To support families and address the high costs of pursuing a career as a professional classical musician.
Entry & Early Years
Challenges
What data exists about the cost of and access to musical training from middle school through high school?
Resources Needed
- Funds for instrument purchases & private lessons
- Parent involvement
- Talent development programs
High School & Pre-College
Challenges
Could admissions teams from various schools jointly audition students?
Resources Needed
- Audition by consortium
- Group trips to college auditions
- Waived college audition fees
- Parent support groups
College & Conservatory
Challenges
How can we provide resources that complement, rather than replace, those provided by college/conservatory?
Resources Needed
- Instrument support
- Travel resources
- Information on fellowship, graduate, and training programs
Pre-Professional
Challenges
How can we help young musicians balance freelancing and income-generating work with the rigor of professional auditions?
Resources Needed
- National Alliance for Audition Support
- Instrument loans & purchases
- Resume support
Young Professional
Challenges
What additional costs and challenges do professional musicians of color face?
Resources Needed
- Mentors
- Fellow musicians
- Music directors
- Psychologists
Return to Areas of Support
Organizational Support
Objective: To promote equity, ensure alignment, and provide support for the organizations in which musicians of color seek to participate.
Entry & Early Years
Challenges
How can we effectively support the programs at the start of the pipeline?
Resources Needed
- Community music schools
- Community-based music education programs
- School-based music programs
High School & Pre-College
Challenges
How do we ensure that precollege programs have the resources to support BIPOC musicians in this pivotal stage of growth?
Resources Needed
- Admissions officers
- Administrators
- Parent support groups
College & Conservatory
Challenges
How do we ensure that institutions of higher education are responsive to the needs of BIPOC musicians? How do these institutions follow through on pledges to create equitable spaces?
Resources Needed
- Mentors
- Faculty & administrative advisors
Pre-Professional
Challenges
How do audition and recruitment processes undermine diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts?
Resources Needed
- Music directors
- League of American Orchestras
- Orchestral leadership & staff
- Collective bargaining
Young Professional
Challenges
Are there transparent review processes for hired musicians? What retention programs exist?
Resources Needed
- Music directors
- Boards
- Orchestra committee
- Collective bargaining
Return to Areas of Support
Talent Identification & Opportunities
Objective: To identify, evaluate, and recruit musicians of color.
Entry & Early Years
Challenges
How can we effectively communicate with young artists across the country?
Resources Needed
- Community-based music education programs
- State music educator associations
- Arts schools
High School & Pre-College
Challenges
How can we effectively communicate with young artists across the country?
Resources Needed
- College fairs
- High school music rosters
- Community-based music education programs
- Sphinx Competition & Summer Performance Academy
- NASM & ICCAM
College & Conservatory
Challenges
How can we identify when students are struggling and intervene with meaningful and timely support?
Resources Needed
- Faculty
- Administrators
- Academic & career advisors
Pre-Professional
Challenges
Recruitment practices are minimal: How can we ensure diverse candidates are proactively sought based on merit?
Resources Needed
- League of American Orchestras
- Colleges & conservatories
- Orchestras
Young Professional
Challenges
How can we ensure musicians who come through the pipeline continue to nourish it?
Resources Needed
- Musicians of color as mentors
Return to Areas of Support
