MUSE & MAESTRA efforts deserve respect, not vilification

by Chris Peterson, OnStage Blog

Earlier this summer, the “MUSE/MAESTRA Music Director Experience” with Broadway’s “Wicked” was announced.

MUSE (Musicians United for Social Equity), is dedicated to cultivating racial equity in theatrical music departments by providing support to historically marginalized people of color, and MAESTRA, offers support, visibility, and community for women and nonbinary music professionals in the musical-theater industry.

The groups will host a three-week intensive that will provide the recipient one-on-one access to the music team of “Wicked,” including the opportunity to shadow them through rehearsals, auditions, and performances.

“MUSE and MAESTRA are dedicated to bringing racial equity to the music-theater industry, as well as to supporting visibility to women and nonbinary musicians and music directors,” said Alex Lacamoire, MUSE founding member, and Judy Yin-Chi Lee, MAESTRA’s chief program officer, in a joint statement. “We are very excited to launch this initiative with ‘Wicked,’ which will give one aspiring music director a hands-on, front-row seat to the work that goes into keeping one of Broadway’s biggest hits in top musical form. Through this exposure and upcoming experiences at other Broadway musicals, MUSE and MAESTRA aim to foster a more equitable industry and a pipeline for people of color, women, and nonbinary musicians to forge careers on Broadway.”

The “Music Director Experience” is open exclusively to NYC (tri-state) area MUSE and MAESTRA directory members who are emerging music directors looking to make a leap in their music-director journeys. This experience will be a three-week intensive shadowing engagement in-person in New York City with a paid weekly stipend. Daily duties will include observing cast rehearsals, viewing performances from both the orchestra pit and the soundboard, studying one of the keyboard books from the show, and gaining practical playing and conducting experience by working with the music director one on one. Some music director experience is necessary to be considered.

The deadline to apply was back on July 10th.

Now, personally, I think this is a great idea and long overdue. The musician industry on Broadway and beyond has been overwhelmingly dominated by cis-white men. MAESTRA reports that only 22% of Broadway musicians are women and that between 2009-2020, only 4% of Orchestrator jobs went to women.

While this extends beyond Broadway, the League of American Orchestras reported that in the 2022-23 season, BIPOC accounted for almost one-third (31.7%) of conductors, including assistant conductors and music directors.

These are just some of the data points that would show the need for the work that MUSE and MAESTRA do to help provide opportunities to communities that have been systemically marginalized by this industry.

And keep in mind, this isn’t a job. It’s an intensive that also offers a small stipend. Hosting a three-week intensive like this is a fantastic opportunity for someone to get access and mentorship that has been challenging to obtain for the communities that MUSE and MAESTRA are dedicated to helping.

I don’t have a problem with this, and I’m sure many of you don’t either. But hell hath no fury like telling a cis-white man that a door isn’t open for him to burst through like the Kool-Aid Man.

Now before I go further, I’m not speaking out on ALL cis-white men. I’m just speaking out against the ones who seem offended that organizations would provide opportunities to victims of systemic racism and sexism and not invite them to the party.

Because that’s what I’m seeing. In reaction to MUSE and MAESTRA’s announcement, there are been some folks who have been speaking out against this because it, in their misguided opinion, discriminates against cis-white men.

In order to apply for this opportunity, one must be a member of either organization and therefore must be a member of the communities they represent. I’ve seen some cis-white men go as far as applying to be part of these organizations, knowing full well they don’t identify as part of those communities. I guess they’re trying to prove a point? I don’t know. It’s dumb.

But do they actually have a point? Are MUSE and MAESTRA only offering this opportunity to the communities and identities they serve, discriminate against cis-white men?

In my opinion, no they’re not. And here’s why.

Efforts and opportunities, like the one MUSE and MAESTRA are offering, provide opportunities for underrepresented groups that have historically faced disadvantages in access to education, employment, and other resources. Legally, such opportunities are generally not considered discriminatory in the same way that discrimination based on race/gender is prohibited in many other contexts. This is because they are typically intended to rectify past and ongoing inequalities rather than exclude or disadvantage any particular group.

For instance, this is why scholarships specifically awarded to BIPOC students aren’t considered discriminatory.

It's important to understand the context in which these opportunities are offered. They often arise from a desire to promote diversity, equity, and social justice, and are not intended to demean or disadvantage any other group. But more diversity in orchestra pits, or any other occupation in the musical theatre industry, will help create a ripple effect to improve conditions for future generations of those artists. Everything from valuing inclusion to pay equity - things cis-white males historically haven’t had much trouble with.

Now if those same cis-white men want to protest these initiatives, what they have to understand is the harm they’re doing with their overt opposition. Arguing against these initiatives can be seen as advocating for maintaining a status quo that has traditionally been biased against these communities.

It's important to note that criticizing specific diversity initiatives or programs is not inherently racist. Constructive conversations and debates about the most effective approaches to promoting diversity are valuable. However, dismissing or opposing diversity efforts, especially in the ways I’ve seen surrounding this opportunity with “Wicked”, without considering their underlying goals and historical context can contribute to perpetuating inequalities and can be seen as insensitive.to marginalized communities.

So instead of making YouTube videos to bash these efforts or trying to take away opportunities for these communities, why not spend time engaging in intersectionality? It would go a long way in recognizing and understanding how various aspects of a person's identity, such as race, gender, class, sexuality, and ability shape their experiences and perspectives. Why not have conversations with individuals who have different identities and life experiences and respectfully ask questions to understand their perspectives?

Or you could keep doing what you’re doing and create resources to oppose these measures which could hinder the potential benefits of collaborative and inclusive environments.

That seems like a weird hill to die on.

Embracing and encouraging diversity in the theatre is not only a matter of ethical responsibility but also a strategic advantage. Right now, Broadway especially needs better decision-making, improved innovation, and more inclusive and equitable workplaces. I believe that many of those problems exist because the industry hasn’t been nearly as inclusive as it should be. Efforts by organizations like MUSE and MAESTRA are helping with all of that.

Why anyone would be against that is beyond me.