Throughout history, the human voice, specifically singing, has been a powerful tool for bringing people together. In fact, it is what has brought us into each other’s lives. We sing to share joy and love, but we also rely on our voices in times of turmoil and pain. At times such as this, many of us find it difficult to express the complexity of our emotions, but the Voice and Choral Conducting Faculty at UNCG are committed to creating a space for all voices to be heard.
We recognize that we can do much more to support students of color. The lack of cultural diversity in our faculty and insufficient scholarship opportunities are weaknesses that we acknowledge. We also recognize that our curriculum presents a considerable lack of variety, especially in style, culture, and tradition. But we are passionate about our students, our profession, and our responsibility to fight structural racism. To this end, we are actively working to implement meaningful steps in the short-term, such as exploring various genres of music and programming in the voice studio and in our choral ensembles. We will continue to move toward long-term changes to our cultural environment and curriculum.
To our students: we see you, we hear you, and we support you. We commit to provide a safe space for all to communicate and share experiences with us, and we will make every effort to listen and advocate for the most inclusive experience and education for all.
— Teri Bickham, Robert Bracey, Donald Hartmann, David Holley, Carla LeFevre, Clara O’Brien, Carole Ott Coelho, Robert Wells, Welborn Young