Music School Discloses Awardees of Dean's Office Opportunity Grant in 2020-21 Academic Year
The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music has announced the recipients of this year's Dean's Office Opportunity Award. These innovative individuals were tasked with projects that explore themes of community, social justice, and cross-collaboration.
The projects focus on combining music with broader social and cultural issues, reflecting the school's commitment to making a meaningful impact in society through artistic expression. Although the exact list of recipients and specific project titles from the 2020-21 cycle are not provided here, the awards typically support initiatives such as:
- Collaborative compositions or performances that bring together diverse musical traditions and communities.
- Works addressing social justice themes like racial equity, inclusion, and cultural identity.
- Cross-disciplinary initiatives involving music alongside other fields such as social sciences, humanities, or activism.
- Community engagement through music education, outreach, or public events that aim to build connection and understanding.
These projects usually emphasize collaboration between students, faculty, and external communities, fostering dialogues that transcend traditional musical boundaries.
One of the funded projects is a revival of Mexican baroque music at a local Hispanic cathedral. Another project will curate and highlight woman composers of Jewish heritage. A new version of Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue' is also among the projects to be funded.
According to Eileen Strempel, the school's inaugural dean, "music has the power to connect, heal, and facilitate meaningful change." She believes that music transcends barriers and plays a significant role as a uniting force. In her opinion, music's influence will be crucial in navigating historical injustice and the post-pandemic reality.
The 2020-21 Dean's Office Opportunity Award recipients' projects demonstrate music's ability to heal during dark and divisive times. They also underscore its power to connect people collectively and highlight the role of music in facilitating meaningful change.
In response to COVID-19, faculty were encouraged to consider projects that highlight themes of community and social justice. A total of nineteen projects received funding from the Dean's Office Opportunity Award. The awarded faculty projects aim to advance the school's mission and embrace cross-collaboration with UCLA's other arts units.
The selected initiatives also aim to expand engagement with Los Angeles' diverse and artistic communities. The projects represent music's broad reach across cultures, generations, and political affiliations. The 2020-21 Dean's Office Opportunity Award recipients' projects emphasize the role of music in our emerging post-pandemic reality and the importance of music in intentionally grappling with historical injustice.
For more specific details—names of recipients, project titles, and descriptions—you would likely find them on UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music’s official announcements or newsletters around 2020-21. Alternatively, their Dean’s Office or public relations team may provide a detailed summary upon request.
The funded projects underscore the importance of music in exploring themes of community, social justice, and cross-collaboration, demonstrating its potential as a tool for healing and fostering connection. These initiatives often involve collaborative compositions or performances with diverse musical traditions, addressing societal issues like racial equity, inclusion, and cultural identity.
Music's influence will be crucial in overcoming historical injustice and navigating the post-pandemic reality, as it transcends barriers and played a significant role in the 2020-21 Dean's Office Opportunity Award recipients' projects. These projects also aim to expand engagement with Los Angeles' diverse and artistic communities, highlighting the role of music in our emerging post-pandemic reality.
