We can do better

Josh Windmiller is super rocking diverse line ups as a local promoter.  RR Square Music Fest, Rivertown Revival, and more.  Josh, THANK YOU for doing this work to lift up EVERYONE in our community.  Josh always blew my mind as a passionate promoter of local music, but now has ascended to a whole other level. It's inspiring and encouraging to witness.


I went to a few other local events over the past couple of weeks.  It felt SO good to see my musical community out and about. It truly filled my heart to see musical friends again and give people hugs and learn about what's been happening in each other's lives.


What didn't feel good was to see (I am not exaggerating) 25+  men and ZERO women in the ensembles I saw (4 separate events at different venues), or on the stage (neither part of the bands or invited as guests), and a tragic lack of racial diversity.


I wonder if people are even noticing this lack of representation when they go out to see live music.  I certainly can't un-see it now that I've seen it.


I'm not sure what the solution is yet, but I am doing some serious soul-searching about it.  Rather than continuing to push up against those exclusive spaces, I need to both seek out and create new spaces that are consistently devoted to inclusion.  Most importantly, I need continue to examine my own role in the exclusion of under-represented voices, and deeply examine my own prejudice and privilege at all levels- because that's where change begins.


We can do better.