Diverse Voices in Music Scholarship and Repertoire

This guide provides a first step to research on music from diverse voices. "Diverse" in this guide is defined as voices from historically ignored communities in music scholarship and repertoire, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color; LGBTQ+ folks; Deaf people and people with disabilities; women; international cultures; and music outside of the "Western" tradition. It is not comprehensive and does not attempt to represent every community. Instead, it provides a few research strategies along with some key resources.

It is important while starting such research not to tokenize the musicians and scholars you learn about. Instead, ask yourself why you are seeking diverse points of view. A few reasons might include:

• Centering voices who represent their own cultures, traditions, and experiences
• Building inclusive music learning and performing spaces
• Amplifying historically ignored viewpoints and art
• Discovering new viewpoints
• Gaining a fuller understanding of a musical culture or tradition
• Welcoming voices from historically ignored backgrounds into scholarly conversations

Remember these scholars and musicians are all individuals whose contributions should be viewed as such.