Art as Activism

Boston Conservatory students, alumni, faculty, and staff are deeply engaged in our national dialogues around justice. Passionate about creating a better world and inspired by the urgent need for change, our community members are using their talents and their platforms to support critical movements such as Black Lives Matter. Explore a sampling of this work below.

Demetrius Lee: Lifeline

Featuring Demetrius Lee (B.F.A. '24, dance)

 

Ai Li Mok: As an Asian American

Featuring Ai Li Mok (B.F.A. '24, dance)

Note from Ai Li Mok: My piece is about the ongoing hatred and discrimination the Asian American and Pacific Islander minority group have faced over the years. Especially with the growing blame on Asians for causing the COVID-19 global pandemic, I wanted the audience to feel the weight of not only the actions but also the words that one may unconsciously say to someone from the AAPI community.

 

Aliesha Phillips: Debussy’s Syrinx

Featuring Aliesha Phillips (M.M. '22, flute)

Note from Aliesha Phillips: I am an entering graduate student pursuing a degree in flute performance for the fall of 2020. This piece is called Syrinx by Claude Debussy, which was written in 1913. It is an impressionistic, very emotional piece that I felt would capture the full depth and emotion of Juneteenth, the Black Lives Matter Movement, the "new normal" with COVID-19, and the untold history of oppression in this country. It is ‘unfinished’ for a purposeful reason, being symbolic of the unpredictable future. I hope you enjoy Syrinx.

 

Aaron Tolson: We will Make Noise Until It’s a Lovely Day for Everyone

Featuring faculty member Aaron Tolson and musical theater students Vincent Andaloro, Lucy Austin, Maggie Bergman, Sally Beriont, Victoria Biro, Bailey Chastain, Max DeSantis, Nicole Fluegge, Kristin Greve, Jackson Grove, MC Owens, Alyssa Payne, Zane Sipotz, Ryan Vogt, Paul Watt-Morse, and Ashley West.

 

Shelbie Rassler: Rebuild

Featuring Shelbie Rassler (B.M. '20 composition) and 300 Artists from Around the World

Note from Shelbie Rassler: I am excited to share a new project with you, "Rebuild," that features tons of Boston Conservatory at Berklee and Berklee College of Music students and staff. Following the beautiful experience of creating the "Fight Song" video, I immediately knew that I wanted to make another one that could include as many people as possible who were itching for a creative outlet, while raising money for the people who need it most right now. I decided to write a song entitled “Rebuild” that speaks to our mission of rebuilding after such economic devastation.

While the idea for “Rebuild” was originally inspired by the Coronavirus pandemic and monetarily helping artists (from the YouTube ad revenue) rebuild after the severe financial blow of not working for months, I feel it is absolutely necessary to expand our support to the Black community, affirming what we all know to be true, that Black Lives Matter. I firmly believe that now more than ever, our world must rebuild from the ground up. There is much injustice and systemic racism embedded in our history and we now have the opportunity to rebuild a more just, inclusive and equitable world where every single human is given the chance to build themself up from the same foundation.

With that being said, I am excited to say that 100% of the ad revenue proceeds will be donated, half to “Americans for the Arts” and the other half to the NAACP. Therefore, the more views the YouTube video receives, the more money we are able to donate to these wonderful organizations!