The Wisconsin Conservatory of Music is leading an effort in Milwaukee to support Black and brown classical musicians and increase diversity in music education. Through their new fellowship program, the Conservatory recruits diverse talent to teach underserved students who lack access to music instruction.
Just last year, pianist and composer Mikhail Johnson was writing music for the Seattle Opera. But, when one of his friends told him about a fellowship in Milwaukee, he jumped at the chance to apply.
"I looked at it and I thought it was great prospect," Johnson says. "I decided to go for it, so that's how it started."
Around that same time, clarinetist Mauricio Franco was in Houston, Texas auditioning for orchestras and symphony bands. He was looking for opportunities to grow as a performer. An online search helped him find and secure a fellowship in Milwaukee.
"Moving here was definitely a big step," Franco says. "But, in finding the fellowship, I also understood that step was necessary for my own personal development."
Now, Johnson and Franco are the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music’s first fellows in the Fellowship in Teaching Artistry Program. As fellows, Johnson and Franco teach students in the classroom and in private lessons. Whenever they aren’t teaching, they’re developing their own careers as classical musicians — by composing music, practicing their instruments and connecting with other musicians.
Wisconsin Conservatory of Music President Eric Tillich explains that the idea for the fellowship came when looking at the diversity gap in Milwaukee's music education.
"A lot of artistic organizations, especially in Milwaukee, struggle with how do we create a more diverse faculty," Tillich says. "And many times they haven’t really come up with a solution."
In the past, Milwaukee Public Schools have struggled to provide equal access to music education for all students. A 2019 analysis by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel showed that two-thirds of its schools had limited or no access to certified music instructors. The same analysis showed that students are more likely to have access to music instruction if they attend schools with fewer minority students or fewer economically disadvantaged students.
In September 2019, the school board adopted a plan to hire 85 music teachers and set new standards for music education over the course of five years.
Through the Conservatory’s Connections Program, Johnson and Franco have taught music classes throughout MPS, including Townsend Street School, Doerfler School, Roosevelt Creative Arts Middle School and Longfellow School. Tillich says 85-90% of the students the Conservatory serves through this program are students of color.
"It’s just important that we’re able to put someone up in front of the classroom that kids can aspire to and can identify with," Tillich says. "It’s a game changer when you have kids that look at the leadership and someone in the classroom that looks like them."
Johnson and Franco have seen how their presence in the classroom has made a difference. Their curriculums include learning about diverse classical composers and exposing them to music from around the world. Johnson says it also involves diving deeper into music the kids already listen to.
"Dance hall, rap, R&B, hip hop. I'd never let them think that the music that they listen to every day is less than," Johnson says. "When they started learning instruments, and they started to hear it in their music, that becomes very inspiring, and they're able to navigate even deeper in the world that they are already a part of."
Representation in music is also important for Franco.
"Most, if not all of my teaching is done in Spanish for students," Franco says. "I feel like that resource has been invaluable to them and has also held a special place in their minds."
A memorable experience for Franco was when he introduced his class to Trombone Shorty, a trombone player from New Orleans. Trombone Shorty, whose real name is Troy Andrews, grew up in poverty. Now, he is a world-renowned musician, whose music fuses rock, pop, jazz, funk and hip hop.
"Trombone Shorty has has shown the students that a great artist can come from anywhere, no matter your background and no matter what you're surrounded by," Franco says. "You can always persevere and find yourself on a path towards fulfillment in something like music."
Tillich says he hopes the fellowship will inspire other organizations, not just in arts and music, to find ways to attract diverse talent to Milwaukee.
The music at the beginning of the story were played by the fellows themselves. To hear more from them, listen to Johnson's music here and watch Franco's performances here.
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