Kansas City Symphony Life Also Racist?!?

For the record . . .

Most of the cartoons we've watched through the years depict fans of the symphony as snooty and elitist until Bugs Bunny gets the better of them . . . Sadly, that's about the extent of my knowledge on musical high art.

Meanwhile . . . The Pitch provides a detailed account of hardships confronted by a local percussionist in a worthwhile narrative:

While Jones feels the Kansas City Symphony has failed the community, his experience is indicative of the widespread discrimination and lack of diversity among American symphony orchestras. And he has advice.

“They should be invested in obtaining and retaining people of color in their orchestras,” Jones says. “Be open to the change the community wants.”

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Josh Jones, the Kansas City Symphony's first Black tenure-track musician, speaks out about his experiences working at the organization

Josh Jones. // Courtesy Greg MacKay In September 2020, percussionist Josh Jones became the first Black tenure-track musician in the Kansas City Symphony's history, founded in 1982. Jones was denied tenure earlier this spring, sparking outrage not only among Kansas City's local music scene but the orchestral community on a national level.