Page 13 - BUZZ Magazine - Issue No. 1 Spring 2021 | University of Rochester
P. 13
“ Classical music is for everyone,
and so is the music created
by BIPOC composers. In order
to elevate it, more people
music is for everyone, and so need to be aware of it,
is the music created by BIPOC perform these works, and
composers,” he adds. “In order advocate and showcase these
to elevate it, more people “
need to be aware of it, perform pieces and their composers.
these works, and advocate and
showcase these pieces and TRAVON WALKER ’21E
their composers.”
The project officially launches Webster school districts. Walker has rallied a lot of
in early 2021. That’s when That’s just the beginning, support, too. At first, the
Walker and a group of 20 though. Walker plans to bring Friends of Eastman Opera
fellow Eastman students—both the program to Rochester came on board and provided
BIPOC and white—will bring City School District, which some seed funding. Then,
this music to students in the has a high population of Walker met with Eastman
Irondequoit, Penfield, and BIPOC students, and he wants administrators and together
to expand it to even more they developed this into a
suburban schools, which have crowdfunding project.
more white students.
“In the first month, we raised
When the world erupted more than half of our initial
last year with issues of civil $5,000 goal,” Walker says.
unrest, social injustice, and “Now we are continuing to
racial divide, Walker felt fundraise so we can expand
compelled to bring this the program.” Walker will
project—which he first use crowdfunding resources
developed in an arts leadership to cover costs for music,
class—to life. “I wanted to do recording equipment, and
something to make life better more, including salaries for
for more people through the project team’s student
music,” he says. musicians.
READ THE FULL STORY
uofr.us/repmatters
Travon Walker ’21E rehearses with
composer Ricky Ian Gordon for a Tibetan
Book of the Dead performance at the
Eastman School of Music in 2018.
UNIVERSITY OF ROCHES TER BUZZ MA G AZINE | 12
