BLACK LIVES MATTER

Dear Members of NYCCAOSA,

The board of the New York City Chapter of The American Orff Schulwerk Associations stands in solidarity with our Black friends, colleagues, students and loved ones. As an organization we are committed to taking action. This includes articulating our stance firmly that Black lives matter and against police brutality, systematic racism and the violence inflicted on Black communities in America.

This has been an extremely demanding year as we have begun to live through a pandemic that has not only directly affected our health and the wellbeing of loved ones, but also completely reshaped the ways in which we do our important work every day. We also know that people of color are experiencing the illness, death and economic hardships in ways that white people are not, another example of the systems of inequality and racism in our country. It is particularly painful that at a time when we should be opening our hearts with compassion, empathy and love, we see the horrifying deaths of Ahmaud Arbrey, Tony McDade, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd in addition to many others.

We believe it is important to acknowledge that the majority of our members are white, and we call upon those of us living with privilege to not allow our silence to continue to hold back important change and progress. It is essential that those of us living with this unearned privilege listen to and honor the voices of those who have been marginalized, reflect on our own practices and also speak out to dismantle white supremacy in our communities. We stand with AOSA’s Statement Denouncing Violence Against Black People and agree that our Mission, Core Values and Diversity and Inclusion Statement must not only be words on a page but central to our everyday actions as an organization.

We encourage you to share with each other resources to help those of us in need of healing and those of us in need of learning. Below we have compiled a short list of resources for those who are looking for a place to get started or continue your journey.

In partnership,

The Board of NYCCAOSA

Books to read

(We invite you to join us in buying from Black-owned bookstores or from authors directly):

White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo

How to Be An Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi

Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools by Monique W. Morris (and the documentary)

PDs to watch

Making Good Choices: How Can Teachers Better Research Repertoire for the Classroom?

Repurposing Our Pedagogies: Abolitionist Teaching in a Global Pandemic

Websites to visit:

https://www.weteachnyc.org/resources/?q=racism

https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/listening-circle-george-floyd

https://www.tolerance.org/topics/race-ethnicity

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/29/learning/lesson-of-the-day-i-cant-breathe-4-minneapolis-officers-fired-after-black-man-dies-in-custody.html Watch the video in this link

https://www.adl.org/education/resources/tools-and-strategies/race-talk-engaging-young-people-in-conversations-about

https://nationalguild.org/networks/ware-network
https://www.beam.community/

NYCCAOSA is a professional association of music and movement educators, dedicated to promoting the integration of music and the arts into the lives of our students. Inspired by the examples of music for children developed by Carl Orff and his associate Gunild Keetman, we wish to nurture the creative spirit in all children, making music education a vibrant hands-on experience, and honoring musical traditions from the many cultures that make up our country and our world.

Our mission is to support teachers through sharing sessions and workshops with renowned presenters. We provide educational materials and demonstrate approaches to teaching which can be used in the music room or classroom for students of all ages. Our goal is for everyone to experience the joy of becoming a creative musician.

JOIN US!!