The Justice and Music Initiative at FUS Madison
The Justice and Music (JAM) Initiative at First Unitarian Society of Madison was launched in 2018. It is a commitment to explore and support social justice through music programming at FUS. In that spirit, the music staff at FUS commit to:
- Feature musical works created by composers and/or librettists who represent historically underrepresented social groups.
- Program musical works on topics of social interest.
- Refrain from programming music identified as being culturally appropriated or insensitive.
- Build FUS’s library of sheet music for choir, solo voice, organ, piano, and chamber music to include music by composers who represent historically underrepresented social groups.
- Give hiring preference to performers representing historically underrepresented social groups.
- Commission new works only by composers of historically underrepresented social groups.
- Invite music organizations who rent our facility to consider adopting these principles as well.
Ways in which we live out our ideals:
- Recognize the contributions of women in classical music by encouraging performers to select repertoire by female composers during Women’s History Month (March).
- Recognize the contributions of black classical composers by encouraging performers to select repertoire with this in mind during Black History Month (February) and African American Music Month (June).
- Recognize the contributions of LGBTQ+ composers and librettists during Pride Month (June).
- Invite guest artistic directors who represent an underrepresented group to produce a Friday Musicale to highlight their music traditions.
- In worship, we strive to select repertoire that goes beyond monthly worship themes to address social issues.
- In worship, FUS music staff will include at least one composer of a historically marginalized group in each worship service.
- Limit culture-specific or faith-specific repertoire to arrangers from the originating culture, or arrangers with recognized expertise in that culture.
- Donate 50% of the Friday Noon Musicale offering to WYSO Music Makers, a program that provides quality instruments, music lessons, and performance opportunities to students whose families may not otherwise be able to afford them.
- Encourage performers at FUS to use paperless options for musical scores and promotional materials whenever legal, possible, and practical.
- Give preference to qualified BIPOC singers/players when contracting musicians for services and programs,
- Purchase audio equipment, sheet music, and instruments from businesses where the ownership is at least 51%+ owned, operated, and controlled by members of one or more historically underrepresented groups.
- As a form of reparation, a once-annual royalty is paid to non-western cultural groups whose music we perform or sing together as congregational hymns in worship and FUS-sponsored events.
- Update texts of songs and hymns which are unnecessarily binary to reflect contemporary cultural shifts with the goal of respect for all.