Classical Music and When the Bare Minimum Becomes Rebellion - Pelican Article

Our Co-Founder Saskia wrote an article for Pelican’s 2022 Rebellion Edition. Tap the image to read it on the digital version of the magazine. Alternatively, a transcription is below.

Thanks to Music Editor Vivienne Chester and 2022 Editor Emma Forsyth for their continued support, and amplification of our message.

Classical Music, or When the Bare Minimum Becomes Rebellion

Saskia Willinge, perpetually too busy and promising that next month will be better!

Western classical music, as a field and as a concept, is inseparable from colonialism, the patriarchy, and privilege. For hundreds of years, this art form was carefully curated as an experience for, essentially, wealthy white men and the people they hoped to impress. Although some privileged women had access to a music education privately, until the 19th century it was incredibly rare for women to be seen and/or heard creating music outside their home. Working musicians were often treated as tradespeople providing a skill, which did not automatically come with the wealth and social status of the people employing them. Like now, however, a certain level of opportunity is required to have the possibility of pursuing a career in music at all.

Huge efforts are being made in all areas of western art music to reframe and reconsider the voices this discipline allows us to hear. For decades, academics have been combing through records and discovering brilliant new, or ‘new’, composers. Often, these are women or people of colour who were acclaimed performers in their lifetime, and known to be well acquainted with successful male composers. Turns out, the music they were writing is great. Also turns out, the people experiencing high quality music by marginalised composers for the last 400+ years didn’t go out of their way document it.

Unfortunately, concert programming lags behind the scholarship. There is strong demand for classical music by a broad range of voices which has not translated into music performed live, especially in Western Australia. Many conversations about diversity happen in creative circles, but the move from discussion to action is slow. It’s hard to find music by composers you haven’t heard of. Most audiences interested in classical music enjoy concerts with music they already listen to, by composers they love, and fair enough. Sadly, this makes the effort of performing music that’s at least as good, written by relatively obscure composers, a gamble. By extension, this makes attempting to diversify classical music an act of rebellion.

In 2019, I helped UWA alumnus Hannah Lee Tungate found Tenth Muse Initiative, an organisation aiming to create art music events which promote the work of diverse and underrepresented musicians. I’m really proud of what we’ve done so far. But being praised for doing what should be the bare minimum as if you are doing something rebellious, is hard.

We have received so much goodwill and community support. Many local arts organisations have helped us out, and happily provided advice. Without this we would not still exist. Instead, we’re gaining momentum, but I’m still confused. Does accessibility and diversity in a scene need to be financially viable to be worthy of pursuit? And if not, why is addressing this done at least as meaningfully by a group of students/recent graduates as it is by some well-established organisations? Every change, every step taken, is valuable. I am excited to be part of a community that is actively bettering itself. But I’m looking forward to a time where what Tenth Muse hopes for isn’t a rebellion, but the norm. And where it doesn’t feel like seasoned professionals are waiting to see if student organisers can succeed at something, before they publicly advocate for change and ensure their personal values align with their professional actions.