Dr. Dickey’s Letter of Intent
When the MUSE Board of Directors was wrapping up its search for the fourth Artistic Director, they asked Dr. Dickey to write a letter of intent to the choir. This was Dr. Dickey’s opportunity to tell MUSE why she chooses MUSE, and what she hopes to facilitate in the future.
Read her letter here:
To the Members of the MUSE Board:
I am writing to declare my intention to be MUSE’s Artistic Director beginning next year. As I have increasingly become more aware of MUSE’s history and legacy, I hope to help enable MUSE to continue the work as stated in mission. It is important for me to acknowledge that although my desire to continue with MUSE is predominantly felt deeply and personally, MUSE’s long-acclaimed establishment as a musical and social justice organization is an asset as a newly minted academic and musical professional. The facets of MUSE’s mission with musical excellence and social justice at the organization’s core are held exceptionally high and align with my own goals for my creative work.
Although I have not experienced a full season of MUSE yet, I am thankful for the opportunity to have grown as a musical leader with this organization throughout this 41st season. The first part of the season was full of infectious energy: planning and preparing for our emBODY Diversity concert, holding new member auditions, learning MUSE’s anthems from MUSE, and providing space to go back to the drawing board when something in rehearsal does not work. The second part of this season is now gaining momentum, but I am seeing commitment and growth in our music-making for run outs along with excitement towards our program at GALA. Being able to work with the Heart, who have been a tremendous help as I learn the ropes has been a fundamental factor of success. I look forward to future Heart meetings to discuss ideas for the 42nd season.
Some of the long-term goals and visions I have stem from MUSE’s historical initiatives:
In tandem with Musical Excellence, I would like to foster collaborations, commissions,and premieres of new works and arrangements of composers from underrecognized identities.
In tandem with Musical Excellence, I would like to foster collaborations with other artists and ensembles who believe in the same mission, whether they be vocal or instrumental.
In tandem with Social Justice, I would like to create space for more conversations to happen, as we continuously and necessarily wrestle with how we create not only a more diverse community, but a more inclusive community to house this desired diversity. Specifically and presently, the need reflected from membership has included acknowledging, investigating and grappling with our needs for more trans-inclusive and racial-inclusive spaces within and outside of our rehearsals environments and repertoire.
I would like to explore the possibility of MUSE having two productions next season alongside possible summer festival performances (as applicable - GALA/Sister Singers) and regional/area runouts.
My area of research which intersects with social justice focuses on musical representation, specifically of underrecognized historical composers. Musical organizations in educational/academic, professional, and community circles have slowly been making infrastructural changes to reckon with social justice issues that have been subverted for so long. Music’s role in this process can be to acknowledge, provide solidarity, inspire perseverance, and instill hope. Although we see that music has had a throughline of protest, perseverance, and hope throughout history, many of our nation’s musical communities seemingly subverted this literature that was not part of the Western European canon. The watershed events of 2020, including George Floyd’s death and support for the Black Lives Matter movement, created a much-needed awakening about what we deem to be important in our expressions of art. In my academic work, I have found that music by underrecognized composers, specifically by women and composers of color, is available throughout history (from 1100’s onwards). Not only does this music provide variety in terms of stylistic diversity but provides historically underrecognized perspectives which arguably remain prevalent today. I have created editions of works by composers from original manuscripts which MUSE would have access to if this was a realm of work they would want to explore.
I would like to work together with the Heart and MUSE’s membership to ultimately decide which social justice topics will be our focus and how, whether through a concert theme, a connection with a community organization, a commissioned work, or a combination of the aforementioned.
Although general in scope, I would like to see MUSE continue to push the envelope. I will not forget seeing the MUSE’s video of “Mississippi Goddam” during the pandemic. It was one of the few visceral responses I had to music during this period, when so much was simply still, painful, and muted. MUSE has the power and agency to continue reconciling through difficult conversations and times. Although this organization continues to evolve artistically and with new membership, its mission and willingness to persevere, shine light on causes, show up for the community, and provide hope and connection will remain. I want to be a facilitator of this evolving and growth. I use this term “facilitator” purposefully because it is clear to me that MUSE’s engine stems from collaboration in leadership. Instead of a relinquishment of responsibility to the organization, it is a recognition that I will be receptive to the concerns, cares, and voices of the organization in tandem with the Business Manager and the Heart. Although the upcoming meetings I have with the Heart will be my first time involved in truly planning a season, I look forward to delving into the questions “Who are we lifting up? What are we acknowledging? How do we make this connection with our music?”
I want to continue learning MUSE’s culture through learning the songs that have been passed down through aural tradition, working with our devoted leadership, providing space for the voices sharing perspectives within and outside the ensemble to be heard, being a part of the bridge, which connects MUSE’s history and legacy the founding mothers established to our present, and feeding the fire with which MUSE approaches their work.
Sincerely,
Dr. Reina Dickey
