Authentic Allyship

How do you model allyship in your own practice?

I model allyship in my own practice by giving my students a safe space to explore their own identities. Through music listening, personal reflections, class discussions, encouragement, and the opportunity for student choice, I strive to support my students not only in the classroom, but in their personal lives as well. Where appropriate, I also share with them personal stories about my own journey as a BIPOC and member of the LGBTQ2S+ community. That is still a bit of a learning curve for me to discuss with students because all learner groups look different and sometimes I do not see my stories fitting in. However, I remind myself that that is probably how a lot of my students feel. I have had positive results with students coming out of their shells a bit more after I discuss my own stories. 

How do you provide learners with opportunities to become allies?

The first step to providing learners with opportunities to become allies is to build their awareness through empathy. Introducing new perspectives to them in an authentic and respectful way will take time and patience. Students will have questions, and so will we, as some of our personal biases may be challenged throughout the process. The hope is that we can ensure our students are able to have a voice for themselves, and call out harmful stereotypes and behaviour when they see it. We can also encourage our students to become active listeners, as many stories and perspectives can be acknowledged through listening, rather than constantly speaking. 

How does music education lend itself to developing a community of allies?

The power of music is that it requires all hands on deck for an ensemble to run successfully. I always tell my students that there is much to learn from your peers and that collaboration and patience make for a successful ensemble. In my band class, we coined a saying: “Lock in, and be kind.” (“Lock in” being the students’ terminology of today to mean “focus”). I had a student in their end of semester reflection write that when the class performs together, it feels like a family. It is always a joy to watch students come in at the beginning of term, usually as a group of strangers, and leave by the end, a cohesive powerhouse. This kind of classroom community takes time to build up, and so it is important to pace yourself throughout the year. I am beginning to notice more returning students to the program, which leads to a community of allies quicker since they already have pre-established connections. These returning students also serve as mentors to the new students.