Music in the Community
Music in the Community has evolved a lot over the two years that it’s been offered by the Music Department. Prior to Fall 2020, it rotated its efforts between three target communities: Incarcerated Youth, Homeless Women, and Veteran Women. This quarter, we added Racial Justice to the mix.
Throughout the quarter, the class explored both the history and current existence of Mexican Immigrants and Mexican Americans in Santa Clara County. Reaching as far back as the Alta-California times (When California was Mexico), as well as the founding of SCU’s very own Mission, we discussed injustices that existed and still exist within a 10-mile radius of our campus. Community leaders such as Teresa Castellanos from the County Immigrant Relations Office, Darlene Tenes, the founder of the local Farmworker Caravan, and Maria Teresa Diaz, Director of Opera de Tijuana (Mexico) visited the class to discuss this history as well as ways that music can make a difference for these communities.
The second half of the quarter was dedicated to our community partners: Mountainview Dayworker’s Center and Building Skills Organization (for local documented and undocumented Immigrants.) Our class was split into three different groups where we were offered the opportunity to meet local immigrants who each had a unique and difficult story to share about their journey coming into this country, as well as the difficulties making their lives as successful given the hurdles created to prevent this success. This process culminated in creative musical projects to both share their stories with the world and to celebrate their resilience, determination, and love.
Fall 2020, as well as Spring 2020 Projects will be available to view here.