Diversity Conversation Starters for Suzuki Groups

 Kate Conway, Suzuki Hub 

I am interested in embedding conversations about difference and diversity in my teaching. As part of doing this at Suzuki Hub we have started watching one musical performance video clip per week in my group lessons, with an emphasis on diversity and inclusion. These moments have also been a great opportunity to inspire my students with brilliant performances. Here are some of the questions and conversation starters I have used with my students.

Young kids (4-8 years old) 

·      What did you like about the music?

·      What did you think they did well?

·      What did you like about the video (not just the music)?

·      Was there anything you didn’t like about the video?

·      What did you notice about the video?

·      What did you notice about the performers?

After these questions (or some of them) if certain topics haven’t come up I might say something like ‘did you notice that all the performers in this video were black?’ (or white or Asian, etc) or ‘I noticed that all the players in this band are women’. With this age group I wouldn’t use terms like ‘structural racism’ but might say instead something like ‘it’s quite unusual to see a group of professional classical musicians who are all black. When you mostly see white musicians as a black or brown child, you might not feel that classical music is for you, and therefore not start the violin or give up playing if you do. Do you think classical music should only be for white people?’

These conversations can be very short and even though they are big and serious topics it’s not about having heavy conversations at this age – just sowing the seeds of awareness around these issues. In the unlikely event that one of the children said something like ‘classical music is for white people only’ I would not tell that child off, but ask them if they think that’s really fair. A good example to demonstrate that it’s not could be that keeping classical music for white people is like keeping pizza for Italian people only, probably meaning that child would not be allowed to eat pizza! As I said it’s very unlikely that a child would say this, but it’s wise to be prepared and have a way to handle it if necessary.

Top phrases to use with this age group:

‘Be kind’

‘Stay friends’

‘Show your love’

Older kids (8-12 years old)

·      What did you like about the performance?

·      What makes them brilliant performers?

·      What did you notice about the music?

·      Have you seen or heard music like this before?

·      What did you notice about the video, not the music?

·      What did you notice about the performers?

If the video features a classical tradition that isn’t Western classical, such as Indian violin, I will tell the kids about the fact that in India, music like this is like Mozart to us. Often they have no idea there are non-western classical music traditions, and we discuss the technical differences in how an instrument such as the violin is played in different traditions. If the video is from a western classical tradition, we may have a conversation about racial diversity, the ability of disabled people to play music, and why they are rarely featured in the mainstream, or whatever kind of diversity is featured in that video.

Top phrases to use with this age group:

‘Be the change you want to see in the world’ (Gandhi)

‘Be kind’

‘Step towards each other’

‘Stronger together’

‘More similar than we are different’

Teenagers:

·      What did you like about the performance?

·      What techniques did you notice them using?

·      Did you notice anything about the structure of the piece?

·      Are you familiar with music like this? If yes, can you give us another example?

·      Why do you think I chose this video?

·      How do power structures such as systemic racism affect musicians?

·      What can you do to be part of the solution not the problem?

I always make a point of reminding everyone that group is a safe space and that everyone should feel okay about saying what they think, even if they aren’t confident about it. If someone says something that is not inclusive I work hard to challenge the statement in a supportive and encouraging way that doesn’t make that student feel put down. For example I might say ‘I think it’s great for us to be able to talk about different perspectives even when it’s a hard thing to do.’ I also make a point of saying that I am not an expert and encouraging the students to do their own research around problems and solutions that they are interested in.

This is not meant to be an exhaustive list but more a starting point for brief discussions that can encourage breakthroughs in the thinking of our Suzuki communities. I reiterate often that diversity is just another word for difference and that we are all different in some ways, and that our similarities far outweigh our differences. I want my students to be comfortable using expressions such as ‘lesbian and gay’ as well as LGBTQ+ (which always runs the risk of not being fully understood but just trotted out as an expression) and similarly to be happy with phrases like ‘black and brown people’ as well as ‘BAME’. Holding a safe space for discussion without judgement has sparked some brilliant observations and I perceive an increased sense of confidence and belonging in not only my black and brown and disabled students, but also in myself.

Top phrases to use with this age group:

‘Be the change you want to see in the world’ (Gandhi)

‘Work hard, play hard, be kind’

‘Lean into the discomfort’

‘Flex your empathy muscles’