Diversity and Inclusion Statement

A Cappella Council provides opportunities for a cappella groups to sing, fosters an environment in which students can seek leadership experience, and supports inter-group relationships, as per our constitution. Being an open organization has proven not to be enough. A Cappella Council wants to ensure that people of all genders, races, ethnicities, finances, and all diverse backgrounds feel welcomed in the a cappella community. We are currently combatting our homogeneous nature and want to acknowledge our past that made students of color feel uncomfortable. There have been members that felt their groups would say microaggressive comments and participate in practices that would leave members who are less musically trained at a disadvantage–i.e making sight reading a mandatory component of the audition process. While we assume good intent, the reality is that A Cappella Council remained silent during moments of hardship. We want to ensure that when people in our community, and those auditioning for our community, feel like they are being mistreated or unrightfully judged, they feel comfortable speaking up about inequity and injustice. We have to first point fingers towards ourselves before we can stand as a united front to combat the injustices occurring outside our Council. Music is a medium that people use to express themselves and come together; there is no better time to use our voices than now.

Our goals:

Have a zero tolerance for racism, discrimination or hate within our community.
Ensure the safety and comfort of all of our members at our events, at all times.
Stand in solidarity with campus organizations’ efforts to combat equity and justice.
Make this plan revisable, at any given time, to ensure all members feel safe.
Create a mandatory diversity and inclusion training program for our exec and group leaders.
Connect with multicultural groups on campus for social and musical collaborations.
Create a coalition where non-council a cappella groups can participate. Our goal with the coalition is not to create a musical monopoly, but instead, to ensure that non-council groups have the same opportunities and information as council groups.
Release public statements to acknowledge if/when a leader or executive member’s decision or comment has disenfranchised or made someone feel uncomfortable with action items to ensure it does not happen again.
Encourage groups to pick repertoire that include artists of various backgrounds.
Encourage music directors to place an emphasis on the history of the music their groups perform.
Encourage group leaders to reconsider their audition process and ensure all aspects of the audition process are fair and equitable. For example, not making sight reading an indicative measure of musical talent or skill. Sight Reading is a skill acquired when someone has gone through extensive musical training that is only possible with the right resources, making this a required and indicative measure of musical talent puts people from financially diverse backgrounds at a disadvantage.
Ensure that auditionees can indicate their pronouns on audition sheets.
Encourage groups to have regular diversity and inclusion conversations within their own groups. These conversations should encompass all types of diversity.
Create an after-auditions google form where auditionees, even those who did not get into a group, can anonymously say what they enjoyed about the auditions process and things they wish were different.
Create a google form where members can anonymously share thoughts or concerns they may have.
Hold our executive board and a cappella leaders accountable for these goals.

If a non-council group chooses to join our music coalition they will have the right to:

Join showcase, upon request and approval from the council.
Join our showcase activities fair, upon request and approval from the council.
Be trained on who to reach out to for scheduling rehearsals.
Be trained on how to schedule auditions.
Come to Council meetings; however, with no voting rights.

The following council groups have promised to join us on our mission:

The Christopher Wren Singers- Emma Ward

Cleftomaniacs- Michael Curtin

DoubleTake- Kyle Vasquez

The Gentlemen of the College- Andrew Doty

The Stairwells- Quentin Andersen

Accidentals- Alayna Barrios

Intonations- Marie Fulda

Passing Notes- Annamaria Kendrat

Reveille- Kaley Haller

Tribetones- Mihika Singh, Caroline Buggé
Law Cappella - Steven Amendola