Classical Music: Empowering Youth with Diverse Voices

9 Jun 2025 · 2 min

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This content was created by The Piano Pod with Yukimi Song. This content was uploaded by The Piano Pod with Yukimi Song. This is a YouTube video titled "Classical Music: Empowering Youth with Diverse Voices" (posted June 9, 2025). It contains an interview-style conversation in which Dr. Claybourne speaks about representation of Black female classical pianists, the need to broaden repertoire beyond traditional canon (Bach, Beethoven, Mozart), and the importance of pedagogical change to equip youth and provide teachers with resources. A secondary speaker (announcer/host line labeled SPEAKER B) provides a promo directing viewers to links and to follow The Piano Pod with Yukimi Song. The clip focuses on inclusion, education, and expanding classical-music programming for younger generations.

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because I think it is so incredibly beautiful when we can look at each other and say, "I see you for all that you are, which is a Black female classical pianist, and that is worthy to be celebrated." That I don't need to mute myself or anyone that looks like me who is offering something to this field based on their identity. So because of that, we still have work to do, right? We have a lot of work to do. What I have seen was that, you know, in 2020 there was a huge wave of this work of bringing more voices to the field, to classical music, whether it's in performance, maybe a little bit in teaching. I think that we've done a good job. We always can do more of concertizing more music by different composers. Where my heart is, where which I still think needs so, so much more attention, is making sure that our youth is well equipped with this music. And I always target the youth first because we as teachers, we all, we have the most power because when we keep teaching Bach, Beethoven, or Mozart, we're telling that generation and their parents and the community, right, that these are the most important voices. And they are great voices, but there's also other voices, right, that has created so, so much literature for our field. And then if we were to start that awareness early on, we wouldn't have to unteach or do so much unlearning later on in their journey. So I do feel that in the education, or specifically the pedagogy aspect, of classical music that there's a lot, a lot more work to be done. And what I believe is what a lot of my work is, is equipping teachers to have the resources to do so.
Watch or listen to this whole conversation where Dr. Claybourne shares her powerful reflections on the future of classical music. All the links are in our bio or description.
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