Outside Resources

A SEAT AT THE PIANO

A Seat at the Piano was founded in the summer of 2020 in the midst of social and racial reckoning around the world. We are a team of classically trained pianists with varying backgrounds and experiences, who strive to raise the voices of those who are less heard and to inspire more thoughtful, inclusive programming within the performing and pedagogical spheres.

ACDA DIVERSITY INITIATIVES

The mission of the ACDA Diversity Initiatives Committee is to foster diversity and inclusivity in our membership, ensembles, and repertoire through active engagement with underrepresented choral musicians and potential choral participants. As a result of this inclusivity, the committee plans to bring about a broader definition of choral excellence to maintain relevance through the expansion of both the reach and impact of our profession and its musical scope.

THE AFRICAN CONCERT SERIES LONDON

The African Concert Series London fosters education across cultures, it is a place where everyone, adults and children, can learn about the African culture through its music. The work that they do has highlighted a neglected group of composers and performing artists that genuinely represent the diversity of our community, who seem to be airbrushed out of our canon of classical music. The African Concert Series is a place that inspires the younger generation to explore their heritage; a place that shapes the way we see classical music.

AFRICAN DIASPORA MUSIC PROJECT

The African Diaspora Music Project was founded as a research tool to help singers find art songs for performance and The George Shirley Vocal Competition.  It was released in its vocal format with nearly 4,000 titles in 2019.  In 2021, we released a new version that added more than 1,000 orchestral scores in a format usable by conductors and players.  Our latest iteration that includes recordings, perusal scores, instrumental and chamber music, and curated lists by trusted orchestral conductors was released in 2022. 

ALLIANCE FOR WOMEN FILM COMPOSERS

Through advocacy, support and education, the Alliance for Women Film Composers aims to increase the visibility of women composers active in media scoring. The AWFC advocates for the inclusion of women composers within industry events; supports filmmakers, game developers and studios in their inclusion of women composers; and educates, mentors and inspires emerging women composers.

A MODERN REVEAL

A Modern Reveal is an online resource dedicated to promoting the vocal works and stories of historical female composers who have been overlooked for centuries.

AMS LGBTQ STUDY GROUP

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Study Group is a recognized special interest group of the American Musicological Society. Our objectives include increasing awareness of sexuality and music in the academy, promoting contact among music scholars working in LGBTQ studies, and establishing a forum for the presentation of such research.

…AND WE WERE HEARD

… And We Were Heard connects underrepresented composers with wind band conductor-educators to foster equitable programming practices through collaborative recording and digital dissemination. They are giving underrepresented composers a platform to have their music heard. Composers that submit works to … And We Were Heard are matched with top-notch wind bands and engage in collaborative recording sessions. The resulting audio tracks are hosted on our site along with innovative ideas of how to support diverse voices in music.

ARCHIV FRAU & MUISIK

With more than 25,000 media units (printed sheet music, originals, gray literature, about 3,500 CDs and other recordings, historical concert posters, over 40 estates, literature such as dissertations and other theses, biographies, non-fiction, etc.) by and more than 1,800 female and male composers The Archiv Frau und Musik is the oldest (founded 1979), largest and most important archive of this kind in the world, also for conductors from 52 nations from the 9th to the 21st century.

BLACK MUSIC HISTORY LIBRARY

This is a living collection of books, articles, documentaries, series, podcasts and more about the Black origins of traditional and popular music dating from the 18th century to present day. Resources are organized chronologically and by genre for ease of browsing. 

BLACK VOICES MATTER PLEDGE

The Black Voices Matter Pledge offers steps for choral artists and leaders towards dismantling racism in the choral field. We suggest a set of initial action items, organized by role (conductors, music educators, those working in faith communities, community and professional choirs, choral non profits, professional associations, etc.) that choral organizations and practitioners can commit to implementing towards these goals.

BOULANGER INITIATIVE

Led by violinist Laura Colgate and musicologist Joy Leilani-Garbutt, the Boulanger Initiative’s mission is to work towards greater inclusivity, and to enrich our collective understanding of what music is, has been, and can be.

CASTLE OF OUR SKINS

Born out of the desire to foster cultural curiosity, Castle of our Skins is a concert and educational series dedicated to celebrating Black artistry through music. From classrooms to concert halls, Castle of our Skins invites exploration into Black heritage and culture, spotlighting both unsung and celebrated figures of past and present.

CHORAL COMMONS

The Choral Commons is a media platform that provides a space for singing communities to realize the liberatory potential of the ensemble as a site of radical imagining. We promote equitable artistic and organizational practices that harness the positive social impacts of participatory music making for the common good and confront racism, poverty, ableism, LGBTQ+ discrimination, displacement, and much more.

CLASSICALQUEER

ClassicalQueer provides a space for queer+ people working in the classical arts to tell their stories in their own words. It is an archive of instrumentalists, performers, administrators, composers, writers, and conductors from around the world who have a diverse and complex set of experiences working in the classical arts.

COLOURFULL MUSIC

Created by Jodie Blackshaw, Colourfull Music shares concert programs for wind bands of all capability that are FULL of a diverse range of composers from around the globe.

COMPOSERS DIVERSITY COLLECTIVE

Founded by film composer Michael Abels (Get Out, Us), the Composers Diversity Collective exists to eliminate the industry’s challenge to find culturally diverse music creators, music supervisors, sound engineers and musicians, to increase our own awareness of each other, and to dispel misconceptions about the stylistic range of any minority composer. 

COMPOSERS OF COLOR RESOURCE PROJECT

The Composers of Color Resource Project houses resources for music by composers of color. It is not intended to be limited to (a) “traditional” music theory topics or (b) notated music in the Western art music tradition. Analytical notes are being made available, while a Google Sheet summarizes music theory topics that can be taught using the repertoire. We welcome submissions of annotated scores and lesson plans that incorporate the music of composers of color. This site will be continually updated with more resources for music theory instructors. 

THE DAFFODIL PERSPECTIVE

Created and produced by Elizabeth de Brito, The Daffodil Perspective is a revolutionary new radio show based in London, UK, rewriting classical music history with a more accurate and gender balanced account. The Daffodil Perspective is showing how women fit into our current version of classical music history and exploring the stories of these women, their music and monumental achievements. Each episode features at least 50% of pieces and airtime by women composers.

DECOLONIZING THE MUSIC ROOM

Decolonizing the Music Room is a nonprofit organization using research, training, and discourse to help music educators develop critical practices and challenge the established dominance of white Western European and white American music, practices, and narratives. DTMR aims to disrupt the minimization and erasure of non-dominant cultures and identities in the field of music education to build a more equitable future through our work.

DONNE | WOMEN IN MUSIC

DONNE is a charitable foundation that offers a multimedia platform and searchable database dedicated to women composers. Our aim is to celebrate, advance and amplify women in music so that they are seen, heard and appreciated for their talent so they can leave a legacy of inspiration for future generations.

EDWIN A. FLEISHER COLLECTION OF ORCHESTRAL MUSIC

The Edwin A. Fleisher Collection of Orchestral Music is the world’s largest circulating collection of orchestral performance sets – with over 22,000 titles – and provides materials to recognized performance groups around the globe (this includes academic and amateur ensembles) for concerts and recordings. It houses virtually the entire standard repertoire, and is also known for its many rare and out-of-print works available for lending around the world.

• Women Composers Collection Catalog

• Latin American Works Collection Catalog

• Composers of African Descent Collection Catalog

EXPANDING THE MUSIC THEORY CANON

Expanding the Music Theory Canon contains musical excerpts intended for use in the undergraduate Western tonal music theory core curriculum. Each theoretical concept is illustrated in a series of examples by women and composers of color. Examples have been intentionally chosen which are aimed for the pedagogical moment when each concept is introduced in the majority of Western tonal music theory curricula. The creator of this site, Dr. Paula Maust, has recently authored “Expanding the Music Theory Canon: Inclusive Examples for Analysis from the Common Practice Period” which will be available in December, 2023.

EXPOSURE TV

Exposure TV is a video series dedicated to showcasing music written by composers of marginalized identities while capturing the stories of the unique artists behind the performances.

DR. DERRICK FOX’S DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, ACCESS, & BELONGING RESOURCES

Dr. Derrick Fox is the Director of Choral Activities and Associate Professor of Music at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Before moving to Omaha, Dr. Fox was Assistant Professor of Choral Conducting and Music Education at Ithaca College in New York. “This list of articles, books and links include resources that I have consulted on my journey with Diversity, Equity, Access, Inclusion and Belonging. It is not exhaustive but may provide a starting place for you. Everyone’s journey is different and I hope one of these resources provides an on ramp for you in the conversation and actions that will cultivate an inclusive choral community for you and your organization.”

INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR WOMEN IN MUSIC

The International Alliance for Women in Music, an advocacy organization of women and men, fosters and encourages the activities of women in music. IAWM's vision is to be the world’s leading organization devoted to the equity, promotion and advocacy of women in music across time, cultures and genres.

INTO THE LIGHT

Into the Light, hosted by composer Kathryn Mishell, was a weekly radio program devoted to the finest art music of the past and present composed by women. Produced at KMFA, the fine arts station in Texas, it aired weekly for eleven years from 2000 to 2010.  Its website has archived broadcasts of every episode of the program as well as resources on the featured composers.

IRANIAN FEMALE COMPOSERS ASSOCIATION

Founded by Niloufar Nourbakhsh, Anahita Abbasi, and Aida Shirazi, the Iranian Female Composers Association’s mission is to empower Iranian women in music and in the arts by fostering originality, honoring diversity, and strengthening equality.

KAPRALOVA SOCIETY

The Kapralova Society is a Canadian non-profit arts organization. Founded in Toronto in 1998 by Karla Hartl, the Society's mission is to promote the music of Czech composer Vitezslava Kapralova (1915-1940) and to build awareness of women's contributions to musical life. To this end, the Society publishes research on Kapralova and other women in music in its online journal and on its website, and assists projects that make Kapralova's music available in print and on record (only premiere releases).

KASSIA ART SONG DATABASE

Created by Logan Contreras, the Kassia Database is a resource geared toward aiding singers, teachers, pianists, and music lovers to discover and celebrate art song by women composers. The database includes songs from the Baroque period through the 21st century and have been categorized by level, voice type, language, composer, and composer dates. 

KEYCHANGE

Keychange is a pioneering international initiative which transforms the future of music whilst encouraging festivals and music organisations to achieve a 50:50 gender balance by 2022.

LGBTQ+ MUSIC STUDY GROUP

The LGBTQ+ Music Study Group was established in 2016 and receives support from professional bodies throughout the UK and Ireland: the British Forum for Ethnomusicology (BFE), the Royal Musical Association (RMA), the Society for Music Analysis (SMA), and the Society for Musicology in Ireland (SMI). The Group’s mission is threefold: 1) to promote academic inquiry into issues of gender and sexuality in the study of music; 2) to create a safe space and support system for LGBTQ+ people within the scholarly community; and 3) to serve as a consulting body for wider issues of diversity and inclusion within music research, education and performance.

LISTENING TO LADIES

Listening to Ladies is a podcast which first aired on September 26th, 2016. The episodes feature excerpts from interviews with composers who are women, interwoven with samples of their work. Interviewees include established, emerging and under-recognized composers from the USA, Canada, Argentina, Israel, Iran, Scotland, England, and Australia.

LUNA COMPOSITION LAB

Kaufman Music Center and founders Missy Mazzoli and Ellen Reid created the Luna Composition Lab, a unique program that provides mentorship and performance opportunities to young composers who are female-identifying, non-binary or gender non-conforming. 

MAESTRA

MAESTRA provides support, visibility, and community for the women who make the music in the musical theater industry. Their membership is made up of female-identifying, non-binary, and gender non-conforming composers, music directors, orchestrators, arrangers, copyists, rehearsal pianists and other musicians who are an underrepresented minority in musical theater.

MARQUES L. A. GARRETT: BEYOND ELIJAH ROCK

Marques’ site describes his spreadsheet as a working list of the non-idiomatic choral music of black composers. .Non-idiomatic, as it relates to black composers, refers to the original concert music that is not part of the traditional idiomatic canon associated with black musicians. That canon includes spirituals, gospel, jazz, hip-hop, and rap among others. There will be pieces that may be based on spirituals or gospel tunes but are, at their core, original songs similar to ones that use chorale tunes in cantatas and popular songs parodied in Renaissance masses. This list does not include arrangements of existing material such as hymns or other folk songs.

MUSIC BY BLACK COMPOSERS

Founded by violinist Rachel Barton Pine, Music By Black Composers has the following mission:
•Inspire Black students to begin and continue instrumental training.
•Make the music of Black composers available to everyone.
•Help to change the face of classical music through greater diversity.

MUSIC LIBRARY ASSOCIATION

The Resource Sharing and Collection Development Committee of the Music Library Association promotes informed and up-to-date practices of collection development, management, and sharing of music resources in all formats to the membership of MLA and other interested parties by gathering, evaluating, and disseminating information related to such practices. Dissemination of information may occur via presentations at conferences, Webinars, and through online and/or print publications of various sorts.

MUSIC OF ASIAN AMERICA RESEARCH CENTER

The Music of Asian America Research Center (MAARC) strives to empower our communities through collecting, promoting, and teaching music created by Asian Americans. They seek to advance knowledge about and social justice for Asian Americans through music.

MUSIC BY WOMEN

Music by Women’s mission is to “strive to elevate women composers and theorists by advocating for the study and performance of their works and providing high-quality easily-accessible resources that bring light to the often overshadowed contributions of women in music.”

NATASHA FARNY

Natasha Farny is the cello professor at the School of Music at the State University of New York in Fredonia. She oversees the Fredonia cello choir and coordinates the string chamber music program and has collected a number of works for cello by women composers.

PIANO MUSIC OF AFRICA AND THE AFRICAN DIASPORA

These five volumes, edited by William H. Chapman Nyaho, present a wealth of repertoire for solo piano by over thirty-five composers of Africa and its diaspora. The music, much of which was published here for the first time, includes works of a myriad of styles and influences including blues, jazz and folk-tunes. Ranging sequentially from simple to virtuosic, the set provides material for a pianists complete musical journey, from the start of their studies to advanced recital repertoire. Detailed performance notes are provided for each piece to aid interpretation, and to explore new ways of learning and performing piano music.

PROJECT SPECTRUM

Project Spectrum is a graduate student-led coalition of music theorists, musicologists, and ethnomusicologists with a two-fold mission. One part of the mission is to shift the large-scale culture of U.S. American and Canadian music academia toward equity by confronting racism, sexism, ableism, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia, settler-colonialism, and other forms of discrimination and injustice. The other is to bolster community, share resources, and hold space for those academics who are marginalized by the academy. These missions are fundamentally intertwined, and taken together, they serve to diversify and strengthen music academia.

SHE IS THE MUSIC

She Is The Music is a nonprofit organization increasing the number of women working in music – songwriters, engineers, producers, artists and industry professionals. They are an independent, global network that operates as a unifying organization for women from across the industry, creating strength and impact on a global scale. As an umbrella nonprofit, They also provide resources and support for female-focused initiatives that are working to create meaningful change – both through our own programs, as well as external efforts around the world.

STRINGS OF LATIN AMERICA

Strings of Latin America (SOLA) is an official partner to The Sphinx Organization with the purpose of social engagement through the promotion of diversity in the classical music world. We work to enhance the visibility of the repertoire for string instruments, including chamber music, such as trio and quartets, written by Latin American composers. We do so through the cataloging of works, pedagogic materials, and the promotion such materials to be performed in spaces where European and American music is solely and traditionally presented.

SUHL ENSEMBLE

Sulh is an ensemble that plays music from the Mediterranean, Silk Road, and several regions around the world as well as new works for ethnic ensembles. Based in the New Albany, Indiana and Greater Louisville, Kentucky region many of the musicians of Sulh are active as teachers, producers, advocates, and practitioners of the arts of music and dance traditions from around the world.

VIOLIN MUSIC BY WOMEN COMPOSERS

These graded anthologies—Violin Music by Women, and now Viola Music by Women—are designed to provide short, fun, pedagogically sound pieces for every level of player-- which just happen to be composed by women. The site includes the content of each anthology, sound files, and information on each composer in the series. Edited by Dr. Cora Cooper (Kansas State University).

WIND REPERTORY PROJECT

Founded by Nikk Pilato, the Wind Repertory Project™ is an attempt at a comprehensive database of wind literature, expanded by contributions of band directors, conductors, students, and wind band enthusiasts worldwide. While there already exist many fantastic sources for this sort of information, static media cannot keep up with the steady influx of new repertoire, and cannot -by nature- be as comprehensive as an open community project.

WOMEN IN JAZZ ORGANIZATION

Women In Jazz Organization is a collective of over 400 professional performing Jazz Musicians who identify as Women or gender Non-Binary. Largely a New York City-based organization, with connections to other individuals and groups nationally and internationally.

WOMEN IN MUSIC

Women in Music is an organization with a mission to advance the awareness, equality, diversity, heritage, opportunities, and cultural aspects of women in the musical arts through education, support, empowerment, and recognition. Our seminars, panels, showcases, achievement awards, and youth initiatives celebrate the female contribution to the music world, and strengthens community ties.

WOMEN’S PHILHARMONIC ADVOCACY

Women’s Philharmonic Advocacy is a non-profit organization founded in 2008 in order to:
•Recognize the achievement of The Women’s Philharmonic (1980-2004) over their 24 years of activity.
•Build on this work by advocating for the performance of women composers by orchestras and ensembles.
•Address the place of women composers (historic and contemporary) in today’s repertoire of orchestras and ensembles in the US and internationally.
•Present information that highlights the shortage of programming of works by women; the heritage of The Women’s Philharmonic emphasizes that this should and can be corrected.

YOUNG WOMEN COMPOSERS CAMP

The Young Women Composers Camp (YWCC) is a two-week day camp at Temple University designed for girls ages 14–19 who are interested in pursuing a career in music. The YWCC would offer an invaluable learning opportunity to girls who may have a strong interest in music composition, but do not have access to the necessary training. We aim to create an environment of creativity, empowerment, and acceptance for girls in the traditionally male-dominated field of music composition, and hope to see our graduates apply for music degrees with increased confidence and preparedness for success.