Inclusion - Black Music
Inclusion of Black Music Programs
By. Jonas-Charles Brown
May 25, 2021
#Article #BrooklynSocialNews #TheOcean – A marching band so great, that they pushed a wall of sound throughout New York City. Driven by applause, practice, and the pursuit of perfection. Traffic ceased, and the drums of the Ocean played on. The infrastructure rocked, back and forth, enjoying the sound of the band as it came forward. Crowds began to gather, people began to speak, “Wow that band sounds great!” Looking at the various colors of our black and brown faces, “I didn’t know black people had bands like this, oh my God!” The onlookers exclaimed.
They marched up, down, left, and right, even backwards sometimes – eyes forward, success in their sight. They were warriors, masters of music and concrete, on parade day. Snap and drive, the Ocean then prepared to open the flood gates. The Director yells the tune from the front to the back of the band, the Drum Major baton in hand, whistle blasts and then the horns snapped up, all at once and then the sound came from the band. Counting 110 members, paying close attention, they all knew their music, and nothing could have prepared you for the Piccolos, Clarinets, Saxophones, French Horns, Trumpets, Trombones, Euphoniums, Tubas, and Drums – the Ocean packs one hell of a punch!
These millennium marchers taught the city that black is beautiful, black is great. On this day, lines were crossed, barriers were removed, and adversity ceased for a time. The ranks, files, the rows of the Ocean, near perfect, aligned, straight. When the Ocean assembles in mass, you’ll understand quickly that the program is more than band. As they traversed the slabs of concrete, the masses of people lining the streets, the cheering, the clapping, and the screams. It pushed the individual members of the band to grow.
When an Ocean grows, they put down their horns. They revisit their parade routes looking for that vigor in work. Wondering – what is different now that I do not have a horn in my hand or a drum to play? To the office now, to follow a different set of instructions, we know they will make it, they are masters of those streets, sidewalks, doorways, elevators, and office towers. They use their eyes to see, their ears to listen and their brains to think, unlike anyone you’ll ever come across on the street.
An Ocean is dense, and no one is beyond drowning in it, should you not be properly equipped with flotation devices. Vision – do you think marching bands are looking at their horns as they march? No. During a parade, they are looking directly at you, the buildings, the cars, the police officers and finding their place in society. What is the place for a marching band in society, just entertainment? Youth empowerment? Maybe. Ultimately – each member’s time in the Ocean is limited, our goal – is to get them to dry land. Some are teaching in the New York City Department of Education, others are activists, public speakers, business owners, community leaders, dreamers.
When you see a marching band, clap, scream, cheer with glee – and motivate them to pick up their feet. Be it 3 or 8 miles (ca. 13 km) long, let that Ocean continue to march on. At the end, they grow. They grow together, they grow up, they grow through adversity, and they grow into society. The Ocean – you’ll know them when you meet them because they are all excellent people.
We always leave a drop of water in the Ocean – for the next generation to experience excellence – it’s here. The thousands of miles, the hundreds of tunes, the trips, the awards – earned the band uniforms, albeit 10 years delayed. We don’t expect our old members to fill our ranks, they’re golden now. It’s time for a new day, a new age, a new Ocean to cultivate, motivate, and prepare for the many parades, basketball games, football games, cultural celebrations, red carpet events and concerts of our part of New York City – Brooklyn. The band is constant – the directors the same, the membership changes, the music evolves. Now it is time to start over, and we were made for that. #Excellence #WeStillHaveCleanWaterinTheOcean #Masters #Adversity #GeorgeFloydDay
