Wide access and excellence - are they truly at odds?

Some readers have commented that our expansive notion of what counts as creative and who can create is fine for community organizations. But it is at odds with the values and practices that sustain the best of what the arts have to offer: extraordinary work created by extraordinary artists.

A new set of programs at Carnegie Hall  questions this idea that there is an inevitable tension between wide access and excellence. In these programs, highly skilled artists bring music in innovative formats to the most underserved audiences in elder care facilities, public hospitals, homeless shelters, and correctional facilities. The programs are fueled by a compelling set of the core beliefs, including these two:
 
•      Music is a pillar of community. Providing people with sustained opportunities to engage in stimulating, creative, and interactive music programs connects them to their peers and helps build communities. In a time of social strain, music making is one of the most potent and proven unifying forces, activating community participation and enhancing community life.

•      Everyone has musical capacity. Providing people with opportunities to thoroughly engage in musical activity, whatever their musical background or skill, strengthens their self-confidence and increases their potential for educational, professional, and social successes.

Ann Gregg
Director of Community and Professional Training Programs

The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall