Sacked percussionist details racism in troubled US orchestra
OrchestrasJosh Jones, who was refused tenure at Kansas City Symphony despite outstanding performance, has spoken for the first time of his experience there.
It does not make comfortable reading.
Among other things:
On multiple occasions, Jones had difficulty getting through security for performances at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.
“It’s always expected that we perform at a high level,” Jones says. “But it’s never taken into account what we have to do to weed out distractions.”
Still unfamiliar to many security guards, Jones followed a strict routine for performances, entering from the same stage door. According to Jones, one evening, security asked him if he had entered through a different door. Jones replied no.
“They then showed me a photo of a Black person wearing a hoodie and jeans at the parking lot entrance and said, ‘This isn’t you?’ And I again said, ‘No, I don’t even drive,’” Jones says.
Or:
During a rehearsal for the Kansas City Ballet’s production of The Wizard of Oz, Jones’ tenure committee chair told him one of the movements in the choreography reminded him of Sambo, a pejorative Black caricature.
“In a run-through, afterwards, when we came to the section he was referring to, he made the suspender gesture relative to the character,” Jones says.
Backstage during a performance alongside the Kansas City Symphony Chorus, a choir member approached Jones as he took a seat in the lounge. Both dressed in their concert attire, Jones says the singer declared that they both looked like Men in Black, characterizing Jones—one of very few Black performers on stage—as Agent J.
At a rehearsal, Jones wore a pick in his hair, a well-known symbolization of power and resistance among the Black community.
“Michael Stern asked if I knew that I had a comb in my hair in front of another staff member,” Jones says. “They assured him that that was the point, and he responded that he didn’t know if I had forgotten it was there.”
Read the full article in The Pitch here.
Jones says a section member frequently reassigned themselves without asking because they wanted to get ‘more time off,’ then Jones’ personnel manager and committee liaison ignored his complaint about this member, then this (also probationary!) member was asked for feedback for Jones’ tenure! The ‘management issues’ checks out, then, coming from a lazy section member resentful about… being assigned to play music. In a professional orchestra. As a section perc. Following a widely used system common among all top orchestras. You can’t make this up.
And then after denied tenure, he was reprimanded on stage by his committee chair for retuning a snare drum, during intermission, when he thought it had fallen out of tune, when the drum wouldn’t be used in the second half. Punished for his diligence…
Yes, this is his first hand account which could be exaggerated or falsified bla bla bla. But he has receipts for most of it, and it all shows how often he was walked over and disrespected during his probationary period.
I’m sure his court case will bear out his (and your) allegations.
Punished for his diligence? The individual who reprimanded him, while perhaps a tad aggressive, was understandably frustrated that Jones waited until after the fact to do something about the supposedly subpar snare. Before the performances would have been the proper time, not during intermission.
Before the performance = quality checking. After the performance = being a dick and “demonstrating” to your colleague that you they don’t know better
Doubt it. Probably was nothing more than asking someone else to play a note here or there. Happens often in percussion sections during rehearsal to facilitate ease going between parts. Would be curious to know how he deduced that that player wanted time off… I bet when this happened josh was licking his chops, knowing he could spin it like this. I call bullshit.
Except that in THIS case, the individual in question is now “acting-Principal Percussion” of the KC Symphony. Undermining Josh while he was Principal, eventually served to benefit himself in terms of his ambition to ascend higher in the section.
Lol look at who the other percussionist is in that section and tell everyone that he is lazy. One of the best percussionists in the world who makes finals in every audition. Pls.
“one of the best in the world”? In Kansas? KANSAS?
99% of people in Kansas have no idea they even have an orchestra.
These people are oblivious to the world….
Kansas City, Missouri
I don’t think you understand how auditions for orchestra positions work- they are few and far between and any orchestra with a good salary is extremely competitive. Often, World class players remain in an orchestra like KCS for many years until they win a better job. There’s just not enough opportunities in general so they are all very valuable.
The Wichita Symphony has been around for decades and attracts occasional world-class soloists. Topeka, Lawrence, even Hays have symphony orchestras. Go look them up.
100% of people in Kansas with a brain know that the state of Kansas does not have the Kansas City Symphony, which is located in Missouri. The Kansas City Symphony also happens to be a pretty high-quality orchestra, if not as highly rated as the other major orchestra in the same state (the St. Louis Symphony). Even if it weren’t such a high-quality orchestra, many, many musicians would kill to have a tenured position with even a decent orchestra.
You really shouldn’t comment on obliviousness.
Wow, someone tried to verify your identity to get into the building. What an endless river of suffering you did endure. Let us all bow and scrape for awhile.
Get over yourself! Hope it was worth it indulging in so much self-pitying publicity, good luck getting another job.
I honestly starting to doubt this guys had ever played or even subbed anywhere beyond a regional orchestra!
Security check-in is a protocol designed to prevent theft or worse no matter if you are a regular or a sub. This pity party article sounds more and more like a fishing attempt by a sub par player who didn’t get his way and now is committed to a personal vendetta using the woke zeitgeist as a tool.
So which of those have anything to do with him getting tenured?
Missouri is one of the most racist overpoliced places in America. The regular run-ins with security are shockingly un-shocking.
Racist, certainly. I grew up there. In public elementary schools, we were still singing the Missouri Waltz EVERY DAY. The lyrics (since changed) embarrassingly recalled the good old days of slavery . A generation was knowingly indoctrinated with racist insensitivity.
Just remember, the first North American slave owner was a black man. So be careful where you push your self imposed white hatred.
Congratulations on your Googling abilities, but it’s not just my white guilt.
Many of us know this without Google. Just like we know blacks are killing one another quicker than any other population could attempt to.
This shall make for an entertaining reading of the benefits of listening to classical music, on how it makes you a more intelligent, better person than those who don’t and why it was the artform of choice of a certain Adolf, Heinrich, and Joseph back in the 1930’s.
Truly wonderful human beings championing this artform, certainly.
(unpacks popcorn)
Hyperbole much?
Word to the wise: quit while you’re ahead and take your popcorn to go. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out. You’re not nearly as clever as you esteem yourself to be.
Thanks for making my point, once again. Bravo!
Much as he’d want to be tenured there, I somehow think he’s better off well quit of the organisation.
I’ve never met this guy, but just by reading this I can tell that he is a colossal pain in the you-know-what. Very good call by the orchestra in cutting him loose- I cannot imagine working alongside someone like that for forty or fifty years. Even the wokesters can only put up with so much B.S.
indeed, he sounds like a whiney entitled malcontent more than anything else. The organization made the conclusion with his meritless whining that he’s more trouble than what he’s worth and no one is irreplaceable, particularly an orchestral double bassist.
Based on the segments of the article posted at SD above and the overall cultural-political dynamics in today’s society, I’d think that Jones would receive a million benefits of the doubt, not just the opposite. Except, of course, if his ideology happened to ruffle the feathers of the so-called woke—in the KC Symphony, etc.
First of all, he wasn’t sacked; he just didn’t pass probation. Second of all, if security didn’t know him because he was new in the job, that happens to everyone. I’ve been “harassed” by ignorant security guards who don’t know who I am plenty of times. And if people were making inappropriate/racial humor, which is super lame then go to HR. I’m sympathetic to that stuff if it happened as described.
Is wearing a hair pick any different than coming to rehearsal with a baseball cap on or curlers in ones hair? If so, check that at the door, unless other casual accoutrements like bandanas, golf visors or caps are accepted.
Was he a poor leader? Sounds like it, from his very own words! Even the seemingly harmless story about tuning a snare drum…. In the pit?? During intermission? So he’s down there, whacking on a snare drum… I dunno. I’m a percussionist..I wouldn’t dream of doing that! Even if it was my own drum. Take it to the permission room! And by the way, if it was substitute musician, then it’s strange to have them play their own drum. The sub should’ve been playing Josh’s drum or one that the symphony owns, which Josh would’ve tuned and this been responsible for the sound. Even in smaller regional orchestras that I play with as a sub, if I’m assigned snare drum, I’m playing the principals drum or the symphony’s drum. Kansas City is a major US Orchestra! That story ALONE is completely unimpressive.
Sorry Josh. Plenty of people, mostly white, have not made tenure before you. Take the L with dignity and win a new job, just like everyone else.
I used to be a freelance percussionist. Principal coming over at intermission to tune my drum would have been perceived as passive aggressive. Also, now that we have identifying information on who was in his tenure committee, we can also deduce that one of the prominent subs for KCS’s perc section is DATING the committee member, who predates Josh in the orchestra and was in the running for his very job. All Josh had to do was not piss him off but then goes and starts passive aggressively tinkering with a sub’s drum in performance? Maybe also the partner of tenure committee member? Even if this happened after the denial of tenure, that’s a massive dick move on Josh’s part. I can see why many have claimed he’s difficult to work with.
Tenure committee was timp, assorted instruments, and Stern.
Well, one would have to assume that at least the timp chair was pulling for Josh. Unless of course, you personally KNOW the guy who occupies that timp chair. Incredible musician. Horrible ethics.
The other percussion section member was not on the tenure committee.
No icsom orchestra would let a person who took an audition be on the tenure committee. However, I agree that as an untenured principal, you have to spend some of your time making the transition comfortable for a tenured associate principal, AND all of the regular subs. These are the people you could work with for the rest of your life. You only have to play nice for a year or two if that’s your game. The principal timpanist is most likely the committee chair. That person is well within his right to steer the ship how he sees fit.
Josh decided it was a great idea to stir up controversy at every part of this tenure journey. It’s about time we call josh what he is: A liar.
In this article he mistitles his associate as assistant. He leaves out details of all accusations towards his fellow musicians. He casts stones about people that were welcoming to him.
KCS IS BETTER OFF WITHOUT JOSH JONES.
Not the other way around.
I have been a Percussionist for 30 years in a mid sized orchestra- I’m a little confused. Parts are often changed in rehearsal to help things run more smoothly- like “could you cover this triangle/bass drum/tam note here? I’m having trouble reaching it in time” etc. not sure what the problem is with changing little parts around, especially during pops or a movie. It just happens. Or how Josh decided it was because his colleague wanted “time off”? Three seconds off? To do what? Little changes like that do not need to be run by the principal… unless you’re tyrannical and need control of every little detail. This is so strange to have an issue with. Feels like “searching” for a problem to complain about…. Now the stuff with the metal detector and in the pit is horrible. but some of the other things here don’t really make sense. I also don’t see any major percussion professionals speaking out in support of Josh(except for Doug Howard, who is probably just trying to cover himself after praising the way Josh made part assignments in a public presentation). The real truth is probably not what it seems.
If he has tenure in Calgary, and needs healthcare, why doesn’t he just return there?
He resigned from
Calgary and gave up his work status on Canada.
Why did he do that?
He didn’t get tenured and had to sign NDA to not mention it at all but he indeed told everywhere that he ‘allegedly’ got tenured.
He didn’t *really* get tenure in Calgary…
Wow.. any chance you could elaborate? I had heard something like this.
When you blackbully, DEI and diversity bully, anything is possible!!!!!!
-black Ariel
He wasn’t sacked. He was denied tenure. And honestly I don’t really understand why this is even a story….a guy was denied tenure. It happens all the time in this business. The Kansas City Symphony is at a disadvantage since they can’t comment on personnel matters so we’re only hearing one side….even then the stuff he describes is so anodyne. But I really don’t think the Kansas City Symphony is a KKK hotbed. The truth is, this guy has probably repeatedly been the beneficiary of being black, DEI programs, affirmative action, minority fellowships, etc. He’s been taught he’s a victim but he’d be better served by being more reflective. There’s a reason he was denied tenure. He would should work on fixing that rather than sliming the people who are bending over backwards to give opportunity to blacks.
“The truth is, this guy has probably….”
That is an oxymoron.
There is truth– if you know it then speak it. And there is probability– which is speculation and opinion.
You can’t have it both ways.
“ He wasn’t sacked. He was denied tenure. And honestly I don’t really understand why this is even a story….a guy was denied tenure. It happens all the time in this business.”
Both statements are untrue. Being denied tenure means his employment was terminated. And denials of tenure in full-time American orchestras are very rare.
Being a part of DEI programs hosted by major orchestras means that he’s gotten to sub with a lot more top orchestras than the average middle class white guy, meaning his access to audition invitations is effectively being fast-tracked. He may be black, but he’s definitely not underprivileged in ANY sense, and should shut the fuck up and go win another audition, and maybe this time try to be a decent colleague too.
Poor little petal!! Give the job to somebody with some chops.
It is not unexpected to hear these things… in the Midwest…
This makes for extremely disappointing reading.
I am disgusted that so many distinguished Black American colleagues seem to have been asked, at various stage doors – from what I have read or been told – whether they are the janitor, or working on the catering team. That’s if they are magnanimously let through the glorious door at all, of course!
Having said that, these appalling behaviours occur in every hemisphere.
Those White people who like to dismiss and mock testimonies like this one by Josh Jones should spend ten seconds of their precious time thinking how they would feel – if they were the conductor, for example – being aggressively challenged at the stage door of a major New York concert venue; and disbelieved about their professional status, to the extent that they had to make phone calls to be allowed in.
Because that has happened to a friend of mine, on more than one occasion.
I congratulate every person who has never had to put up with this kind of treatment, at any stage of his or her life.
“I’m a victim! I’m a victim!”
Wait? What color are you???? What’s your sexual orientation???? Which sex change operation did you have?????? I bet I can out-victim you!!!!!
Sadly, Josh is right. Racism exists and is thriving. But it’s never that simple.
In the old days of racism people would make direct derogatory comments against anyone who was “different”. We managed to squash those comments as vile and unwelcome, almost banning them from society. But then racism evolved and changed tactics. Today’s racism is seen in the denial of equality, of opportunities, of relevance, denials of tenure, and unconvincing explanations which accompany the perceptions Josh mentions.
Josh’s experience can be matched by a number of us who are “different” by being afro-descendant, LGBT, or in my case as being latino and a person of disability. Been there, seen that. The trouble is that today’s racists are smarter and more legally savvy. One cannot directly link an uncomfortable racial situation (like the many Josh describes) with a denial of employment. Racism now works in the shadows and is covered by reasonable and plausible explanations so as to limit liability to its perpetrators. The racial complaint thus goes mute, and nothing changes, for Josh or for the next victims.
Is there a problem? Of course there is. But is the problem one of perception and sensitivity…or is it with an active strategy to impede careers of people who are “different”? That is the question. In Josh’s case, perhaps the Kansas City Symphony can say it was all a matter of perception, and not actual racism. After all, one cannot simply give tenure to all people who are “different” out there just for being different, as that would challenge standards and deny the orchestras their right to actively select their players. The KS Symphony can claim a number of technical issues from parts distribution and coherent work with colleagues and you know what….they would be right. Case closed.
So, what do we do? Can the system evolve and be more inclusive? Oh, yes! The question is then what do we do and how do we fight racism or the “appearance” of racism.
In my humble view, the best remedy against racism – be it active or passive – is to play the hell out of our instruments, to do good, to play our best so that in case of racism (practically guaranteed in today’s society, at least where North America is concerned) it would become obvious that the racists are fools and are missing out on the love and dedication we have for our art and for the institutions we serve. Plus, it adds tremendous pressure on the person that comes after us, to meet our standards and our verve.
For those who don’t know him, Josh is a phenomenal percussionist. In fact, I already feel bad for the person who will take that KS job next. BIG shoes to fill. When you see and hear Josh play you will know the story here. It may be a fact that the Kansas City Symphony denied him tenure due to their fair opinion of Josh’s work. Ok. And KSS may deserved the benefit of the doubt. Ok. But that opinion will be put to the test every time Josh plays out there, and people will ask themselves “they let THAT guy go?”, as well as every time the next person play and they ask “the let Josh go and hired this?”. Ultimately, the institution which lets these great players go will have to live with a tarnished reputation as people talk behind their back, smear their image and question their fair employment practices, particularly when players like Josh are compared with the players who may succeed him. Outstanding excellence, sorry to say, is a rarity.
As for Josh, I wish him serenity and trust on his skills and love of music. I hope other opportunities will arise, as he certainly deserves them, and that new opportunity will benefit enormously from his outstanding virtuosity. But, as it happened with Asians, and women, the strategy is one and the same: we must play our a**es off. It might be unfair to lay out this double standard and expect those who are “different” to play at a higher standard than the proverbial white male, but that may be our lot in life, at least for now. And Josh can do it. We may not be able to see a just, fair, equal world in our lifetimes, but that world will only come as a result of us proving, on stage, in front of everyone, that racism is a bad thing for all involved, because they are missing out on the best candidates.
Also, Mr. Klein, I don’t remember reading any similar rants from you on the articles about David Cooper (the “proverbial white male”, to borrow your glib, racially charged rhetoric) being denied tenure from the CSO. Perhaps I missed it.
It’s profoundly disappointing, Mr. Klein, that a man of your sublime artistry and stature would be beholden to the inane nonsense of identity politics. Mr. Jones is not a victim, and neither are you. And I say that with the deepest respect for your musicianship and courage.
You miss the point: it is to do with his leadership of the section, not with his own playing abilities. Being a member of an orchestra is working as part of a team. Perhaps he should pursue a solo career.
‘Is there a problem? Of course there is. But is the problem one of perception..’
What has struck me reading this article and Mr klein’s account is that it’s important for some people to believe in prejudice and victimisation. It can explain their failures and aggrandise their successes.
Showing one’s security badge or ID at the door is normal, even if the security guards know you by name, and you know theirs. That’s security, folks. How many stage doors do they have in Kansas City, anyway?
On another note, do all of you enlightened people research the centuries-old history of every place you visit? Also, did any of you read that Jones had trouble in his previous job? Sounds like he’s not cut out to be a principal. Lots of folks don’t get tenure. Most of them move on to the right fit without inciting a mob to interfere. Jones is free to sue the orchestra. He probably needs a lawyer to tell him to stop talking to local tabloids first.
Katherine Needleman and Lara St. John and their crews of idiots are hard at work on this one. Good thing the Curtis Institute and Baltimore Symphony continue to allow Ms. Needleman to exercise her right to free speech as their representative. And Ms. St. John, well, she’ll do anything to keep her name in headlines. Watch out for horn player Rebecca Daley, representing the NC Symphony, hard at work to impress the old guard. Will any of these hyper-vocal individuals be doing anything materially meaningful for Mr. Jones? Or will they just ride the coat tails of his miserable situation for their own gratuitous, attention grabbing gain? Pathetic hypocrites, all three.
he can’t just file a suit in court though. He first has to file a grievance with his union and exhaust the CBA procedures before a court will step in and insert itself in a labor dispute.
(Sigh) I’ll bet he is a pleasure to perform with.
A very innocent question, brought about by the topic at hand: how many black musicians did Muti hire in Chicago? How many singers? (there was at least one singer: the unfortunate fellow who was hired to utter the N-word in Un Ballo, and who was agreeable to utter it according to the Bill Clinton of classical music).
Based on a deep analysis of the historical definitive interview in El Pais, if the Italian Stallion did not hire black musicians in Chicago it must have because – alas- they were not of the right “quality”. 🙁
Buddy you really need to find something meaningful to do in your life. Can’t imagine what you’re gonna do once Muti dies
He’ll die with him.
Microaggressions? Indeed. I’d say well nigh invisible.
Are there such things as nanoaggressions and picoaggressions?
Just wondering.
Quite petty items. Maybe he should move on rather than create hostility that, even by his examples, is not there.
OK, seeing no comments posted there are two possibilities: Either the mods are taking their usual looooong Saturday siesta, or I’m the only one who thinks this fellow effectively shows with these complaints he doesn’t know what actual racist remarks sound like.
Curious why he would not be going back to Calgary, if tenured, to receive healthcare. Definitely need an explanation for that- why try to go back to KC when they denied tenure? Instead of your tenured position?
He resigned his position in Calgary. It’s been vacant since and he relinquished his work status in Canada. He did not receive a leave of absence.
I didn´t know about the comb….There is a (white) member of the Vienna Phil first violins who until recently had a comb in his hair to fix it to cover a bald spot.What about him?
Whomp whomp! Calgary and KCS dare I say have about the same stature in their respective countries. Maybe if Josh hadn’t been so eager to win a top job and had stayed where the free healthcare was, he wouldn’t be whinging about how it’s “not fair because cancer treatment”. Shoulda strategised instead of taking all those auditions in the land of health insurance.
How is Michael Stern (or anybody unfamiliar with cultural minutiae of the 60’s civil rights era) supposed to know that wearing a comb in one’s hair is a symbolic or -political statement?
Also, who shows up to rehearsal or work with a comb in their hair?
Please don’t give Yannick any ideas.
Touché!
(Or perhaps, “Toupee”!)
Ghetto
Right? My boss would not be happy to see me working in the office with a baseball cap on. Most of his ‘complaints’ is just whining.
I respect his assertions of unfair treatment, and as I was not there, I cannot discern their veracity, other than to take his word at face value. It might also be fair, though, to state that many fine players of all genders, races, and backgrounds don’t receive tenure, or win jobs at all. This field is rife with subjectivity, vague expectations, lack of transparency or fairness, petty people, too many people for the amount of opportunities, huge egos, everyone trying to clamor to the top and hold on for dear life, etc. I have seen and also personally experienced extremely rude treatment by conductors, fellow musicians, stage hands, etc. There are no guarantees in this business — or in life at all, for that matter — and no one owes us (as people or musicians) anything, as painful as that is to realize. I wonder, purely out of curiosity, what are the statistics surrounding those who win jobs compared to those who apply/audition, and also those who receive tenure/pass their trials versus those who do not. Many, many people I know did not get tenure, or were on trial and didn’t pass. It’s an extremely common occurrence, even though it’s quite disappointing to experience. N.B.: In no way do I condone or accept any form of racism, sexism, hatred, cruelty, abuse, xenophobia, etc. Wishing Josh only the best on his journey forwards.
This mind-bendingly trivial list of complaints constitutes racism in the modern world?
All this does is wave a big banner alerting folk to go nowhere near him professionally.
What really bothers me about this article is that Josh is now talking about his colleagues in identifiable ways. This is a small business. We know exactly who his is talking about when he says “the chair of his tenure committee” or “a section mate who is also in his probationary period.” He’s crossed a line. There’s no going back now.
His colleagues can’t defend themselves because of confidentiality requirements written in the KCS CBA.
So Josh, if you are reading this, only you have the power to publish your written tenure evaluations. If you won’t do this, what you are doing is nothing but a smear campaign and ultimately makes you look worse than the people you are trying to smear.
David Shifrin was denied tenure in Cleveland after replacing his legendary mentor, Robert Marcellus. Instead of lashing out and blaming everyone else, Shifrin quietly moved on and has enjoyed a very long and successful career as an acclaimed chamber musician and teacher. I know the media construct is vastly different now than 50 years ago, but…
While I am not convinced that Josh was denied tenure due to racism, I am a bit shocked at how many in this comment section seem to assume that the orchestra must have had a good reason to do what they did. Maybe they did, and I’m not ruling it out. We don’t know the details. As people have pointed out, Josh has chosen not release his evaluation, and that needs to be considered. I’m sure the KCS considered the negative publicity they’d receive for firing a Black musician. That being said, if you’re assuming that tenure committees are fair and balanced as a default, I have a bridge to sell you.
I have been in this field for decades and I can tell you that quite a few orchestral players are petty, egoistic, insecure, and chomping at the bit to exercise their power, power that the tenure process affords them. Many tenured members, rather than treating a new player’s tenure process seriously and with responsibility, think of only themselves and their desire to exercise power. When it comes down to it, a probationary member’s tenure process is only as fair and transparent as the people around them decide they want it to be.
How can I say this? Because it’s not a two-sided process, as some people claim. Tenured members can register complaints about new members, but, in most cases, those new members have no right to address those complaints head-on or to offer their own account of what transpired. If a new member inadvertently pisses off the wrong person, that could be the difference between having a job or not. And avoiding that pitfall is not nearly as easy as it seems.
I suspect that Josh is harping on racism because he knows that, as an at-will employee, the only way he can contest his tenure denial is by proving that it was a decision made on the grounds of discrimination. Besides that single caveat, an organization that is employing someone at-will can fire them for just about any reason under the sun, including if they are simply not well-liked. I’m not buying the fact that he was fired due to discrimination, but that doesn’t mean he deserved to lose his job, and we don’t know enough about the situation to be able to conclude one way or the other.
I wish that, rather than reacting to this story by mocking Josh, people would use this as a chance to learn what goes on behind the scenes of a tenure process. It rarely has anything to do with playing and is often very political.
He had the chance to address any complaints over the course of a 2 year probationary phase. That’s what the probationary process is for.
Inadvertently or not, if you piss off someone at your workplace, yes that might be the difference in keeping a job or not. How is that surprising in any industry? Orchs will always attract candidates for principal percussion. It’s not some pipe dream to find someone who fulfills performance duties well & is well liked by existing members. Or not disliked at the very least. Seems like he failed on both fronts.
This is ridiculous……I spoke to a timpanist friend of mine who plays in a very big US orchestra…..He said Mr.Jones has a reputation for being unreliable, he had issues to play together with the section and the other sections,and he had a superstar attitude around himself which made it not easy to work with him….And his orchestra wouldn´t have hired him as a sub.
He stated he is fantastic solo artist,but less than a perfect match with an orchestra…..A small tip for the KCSO:They should go for Kyle Brightwell,formerly of the BSO and Pops(if he´s interested)…He is the real deal!
Do you know why Brightwell left the BSO? Wasn’t he tenured
Brightwell burned out on the orchestra game.
He wanted to do other things after finding out orchestral music wasn’t his jam.
You mean other music things (different styles of playing) or non-musics endeavors? Just curious- I knew him through a friend when I was a student in NYC, but not super well.
This is merely hearsay, but my understanding is he thought the culture in the BSO was too “conservative” for his liking and he felt like it wasn’t a good fit for him.
He was tenured.Played there for 8 or 9 years…
So much for taking the high road. Don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out! You are now considered a liability due to your own actions. Bravo!
Alphonse: “It’s profoundly disappointing, Mr. Klein, that a man of your sublime artistry and stature would be beholden to the inane nonsense of identity politics.”
——
People filter their observations through a socio-political prism.
I doubt if the person being addressed is ideologically on the opposite side of the so-called woke. Therefore, I don’t know if such folks are exactly the most honest, sensible, ethical members of society. Logic or common sense and integrity generally aren’t the strong suit of the politically woke.
It’s like some people just are looking for what they could be offended by…..
It’s sad that this is what he will now be known most for, and not for the immense talent that got him there in the first place.
“Jones wore a pick in his hair, a well-known symbolization of power and resistance among the Black community. ”
No, it is certainly not a well-known symbolization, or symbol, outside of the Black community. It may not even be well known inside the Black community but I am not one to say.
Respect the decorum of your workplace! I was reprimanded once in my first (office) job for wearing jeans. This is no different.
First off, in what respect is the Kansas City Symphony troubled? It does face this current controversy, which, as far as I know, has not had much effect on its reputation, quality or financial fortunes, but, otherwise, it is a group that has improved significantly in quality over the last couple decades, has a relatively new and acoustically very satisfactory concert hall, and has just engaged a respected permanent conductor.
When I hear black Americans claim they were treated unfairly or disrespected by a fellow American, by private businesses, or by the police, I tend to believe them almost reflexively. Racism remains severe and widespread in US society.
On the other hand, when I hear claims that a prominent cultural or academic institution has, in its official decision-making, treated a black person unfairly, I tend to be very skeptical. I can well believe that Jones experienced strange and disrespectful treatment from individual persons in or associated with the Kansas City Symphony, as he details in his account. (And I don’t include Michael Stern among those people—you don’t use company time for your advocacy, whatever your profession and I don’t think the symbol Jones used is that widely known.) What I don’t believe is that the Kansas City, as an institution, would be driven by racism in denying him tenure. Every mainstream cultural and academic institution in 2023 would kill to show more minority representation. You have only to look at how orchestras across the US are currently programming Florence Price, an estimable composer, as if she were one of the great 20th century masters. And it is impossible to believe that the Kansas City Symphony would not think long and hard about how denying tenure to one of its few (or only?) black members would be perceived. Lastly, to believe the tenure decision was racially motivated, you have to grapple with the fact that they brought him on a probationary basis in the first place. If the institution were dead-set against having black members, why on earth would they do that?
What the Pitch account does not grapple with is just how competitive orchestral positions are. Each year, conservatories graduate thousands of musicians of extremely high attainment to fill a very small number of positions. Many of the musicians rejected by a respected regional orchestra, like the Kansas City Symphony, for even a probationary position (much less a tenured one) could probably outplay members of the Berlin Philharmonic of a few generations ago. The fact that Jones didn’t get tenure wouldn’t be remarkable at all if he were not black.
This is the quote that is sticking out to me….
“Every mainstream cultural and academic institution in 2023 would kill to show more minority representation.”…Really? The example of Florence Price is just not enough. And how do you know they are “killing to show more minority representation” – show us an example? It is time time for all of us white folk to DO BETTER and make REAL EFFORT (besides Florence Price) to really try to tenure minorities. Give extra coachings, etc. We owe them. We owe our society. ENOUGH OF THE very WHITE orchestras in this country. It’s just not representative of the country we live in. Fix the audition process. Be flexible and helpful in the tenure process, etc. We have to do the work.
Saying that the institutions would kill to show more minority representation is just not true. The solution for most is just to put up poster boards with minorities on them and then they think their work is done. Wrong.
Obviously, I was not going to make my post so long and boring as to cite every composer of color that major orchestras are scrambling to perform and radio stations are scrambling to play (Chevalier de Saint-Georges, Coleridge-Taylor, George Walker etc.). If you don’t think composers of color are being heavily promoted you aren’t paying attention or are being obtuse. True, these composers still make up a small percentage of programming, but the core of the classical music that gets performed was written in a time when and a place where black populations were almost non-existent. The one place with a sizable black population, the United States, that might otherwise have produced a significant number of black composers, has not really produced much classical music to enter the standard repertory and horribly oppressed its black population, making it difficult for any of its black citizens to become composers in the first place.
I also did not mention the widespread existence of affirmative action at almost all academic institutions prior to the recent supreme court decision. I did not mention it since I assumed most people were aware of it, but, since you are unaware of this very big “example, I will draw your attention to it now.
Racism is too big a problem in the US to be trivialized by uninformed and simplistic reactions such as these. It is also silly to expect every institution to have the same racial and ethnic makeup as society without taking into account objective realities.
A bunch of hoobalah (above) and not addressing the real problem – we still need to do much better in the orchestra world. Performing works by black composers is just a small step forward. And it’s not just blacks, we need to help all minorities.
I think you need to quit while you are ahead. Your original statement about “very white orchestras” in your original post announced to the whole board you were posting on a topic you know absolutely nothing about.
Before you criticize US orchestras, you should go to at least one orchestra concert or, at minimum, visit the webpage of a US orchestra. Do you have a clue of the percentage of the New York Philharmonic, for example, that is non-white?
You’re correct that US orchestras are not at all representative of the country’s demographics, but they do broadly represent the demographics of high-level music programs in the US where relative to actual population, asians are massively overrepresented, blacks and hispanics very underrepresented.
An example would be the diversity fellowships offered by LA, Chicago, Cincinnati, Detroit, Minnesota and others, only open to black and hispanic musicians. Even smaller orchestras that don’t explicitly advertise diversity programs are increasingly favoring musicians from underrepresented backgrounds to fill temporary non-tenure openings. The two other black players that were in the Kansas City orchestra last year fit this bill, both hired to fill temporary vacancies without a formal audition. That’s not to say they weren’t qualified, both presumably came in through Michael Stern’s connections with Curtis and NRO, but still outside of the regular audition process. Now one of those two is no longer in the orchestra because the audition for the permanent position was won by someone else, leaving no more vacant seats for that instrument. Such is life. So yes I’d say that is real effort, though I guess they could have gone even further by rigging the audition and granting tenure to guarantee that minority representation.
I will bring attention to the fact that it has been said here Josh did not really receive tenure in Calgary, nor was he granted a leave of absence in case he had to return. This whole campaign reeks of lies and manipulation.
Yes, it’s almost like this whole thing has happened before but can’t be seen from under piles of NDAs.
Where is the outrage and gofundme page for the other member of KCS who did not receive tenure this year?
Why can’t Josh pay for his own health insurance? He made good money in KC, has a good gig at GPMF, and supposedly teaches quite a bit online. I can’t help but feel he is just being thrown cash to be used for his smear campaign and lawyer fees. Has this man ever admitted to any wrongdoing or is he so narcissistic that he thinks the world is against him at every stage?!
“help him get back on his feet”
What about every other musician that has been denied tenure? Don’t they need help getting back on their feet?
This whole thing sounds like the guy who calls all of his ex-girlfriends crazy. Look in the mirror, buddy.