By Daniel Jackson, Graduate Music Fellow
As my time with The Presser Foundation has officially ended, I find it difficult to gather my final thoughts and move forward to the next chapter of my professional music career. Looking back, this Fellowship and the staff at the Foundation arrived at a pivotal time in my life, helping to fill gaps in my knowledge of the business aspects of nonprofit organizations and philanthropy. Additionally, my responsibilities encouraged me to explore the vast music scene of metropolitan Philadelphia, as well as music organizations dedicated to enrichment and education. Furthermore, my studies at Temple University gave me insight into Theodore Presser, the Foundation’s founder, and shed light on his impact on music education. I would like to share some parting thoughts and takeaways from my experiences.
Philanthropy is not for the faint of heart.
I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve as the 2024–2025 Presser Foundation Fellow. The knowledge I have gained about the inner workings of philanthropic organizations will greatly benefit my future aspirations in performing arts and music education. Philanthropy is far more complex than I initially imagined, involving many intricate factors that influence the giving process.
Observing The Presser Foundation undertake a strategic planning process was both eye-opening and daunting. Executive boards, directors, and staff face the challenging responsibilities of shaping the organization’s vision, managing governance and investments, tracking funds to ensure proper use, evaluating and supporting potential grantees, and much more.
Two key takeaways stand out from this experience. First, although giving is an altruistic act, it is not a simple one. Second, for someone aspiring to lead a community-based music organization, the importance of a well-organized managerial and executive team cannot be overstated. I have often focused primarily on artistic duties, overlooking crucial executive functions. However, preparing financial reports, analyzing audience data, managing budgets, and tracking demographics provide donors with clear organizational transparency, which can increase trust and support.
Philadelphia music is rich in diversity and history.
Philadelphia, and its surrounding metropolitan area, has a diverse array of music organizations and offerings. As a current graduate student, I took great joy in hearing professional music outside the halls of colleges and universities. Many of the concerts I attended spawned blog posts, or provided insight into my blog series “Classical Music Isn’t Dead…”. The cultural diversity of the music content of many organizations was inspirational and thought-provoking, forcing one to consider the definition of musicking or classical music.
From these experiences, and my studies at Temple, I furthered my understanding of Philadelphia’s rich musical history and relevance in the music scene. The city was pivotal in American popular, providing the world with iconic figures like Patti LaBelle, The Roots, Hall & Oates, Boyz 2 Men, and countless others. What people may not recognize is the impact the Philadelphia metropolis has had on classical music and jazz. Frank Johnson (1792–1844) of Philadelphia is recognized as one of the first African American bandleaders, the first African American to have his music published, and the first bandleader to lead a group on a European tour. His blend of Afrocentric rhythmic and melodic elements with Eurocentric harmonic structures is often regarded as an early foundation of jazz music.
The Great Migration in the early 20th century had a significant impact on Philadelphia’s musical culture, promoting the growth of jazz and blues. Influential jazz musician John Coltrane moved to Philadelphia and, along with local artists such as Benny Golson and Lee Morgan, helped create an environment that nurtured the city’s jazz scene.
Philadelphia, one of the country’s first major cities, has also long been a central hub for classical music. The Academy of Music, located in Center City, is America’s oldest opera house still in use for hosting operas. Since its opening in 1857, the Academy has welcomed some of the greatest classical musicians of the twentieth century, including Philadelphia native Marian Anderson. Additionally, it was the original home of The Philadelphia Orchestra. Founded in 1899, the Orchestra gained widespread recognition as one of the nation’s “Big Five” orchestras, alongside those in New York, Cleveland, Boston, and Chicago.
Located outside the city proper, the Bach Choir of Bethlehem, founded in 1898, is recognized as the first American Bach choir. It presented the nation’s first complete performances of Bach’s Mass in B Minor and the Christmas Oratorio.
My biggest takeaways: I would not have known of Philadelphia’s rich and diverse history in music if not for my time with The Presser Foundation. It provided me with time and purpose to dive deeper into the musical culture of the area.
Classical music is not dead…but needs to be…reimagined.
The metaphorical train of cultural diversity has already left the station and will not return, regardless of any attempts aimed at derailing it. Technology has transformed humanity into a global society, exposing everyone to diverse forms of cultural expression and providing access to relevant historical information about music. As a result, I believe that any attempts to double down on the existing White Eurocentric canon and culture as the core of classical musical arts will be met with apathy and ultimately fail.
Will this “failure” be apparent to classical music organizations? The answer is both yes and no. In the short term, audience attendance may appear relatively stable for some organizations, but a more thorough, long-term examination considering multiple factors may reveal deeper issues. At every Eurocentrically influenced classical concert I have attended, regardless of audience size, the crowd was predominantly White and seemed to be Generation Xers or older. Coincidentally, the performance ensembles were also predominantly White.
My biggest takeaway: The nation is becoming more diverse, and people are less willing to spend money on activities they don’t understand or environments where they feel unwelcome. Additionally, younger adults have less disposable income. Without a genuine, concerted effort to broaden their cultural audience, classical music organizations risk becoming unsustainable.
The value of music education cannot be overstated.
Theodore Presser was one of the nation’s greatest advocates for music education. His efforts in the early twentieth century helped to champion support for music education nationwide in schools and music teacher training. Witnessing the Foundation’s commitment to philanthropy and support of music education programs has been inspiring.
My biggest takeaway: With as much work that is being done to support nonprofit music education programs, all of us can do more to support music education within our nation’s school systems. I believe Presser meant for us to support and develop a strategic, long-term goal to provide quality music education to every student and professional development for music educators. Professional music organizations often promote their commitment to public schools by sending musicians for presentations aimed at inspiring young students by providing a brief performance. Additionally, many host “One-Day Music Engagement Festivals” that welcome hundreds of students citywide to enjoy musicking. While music organizations have good intentions, they are limited to those who can afford participation, or they only offer short-term music education. For music education to have a larger impact on our society, we must focus more of our attention on the public school system and music education’s role in socioemotional development.
My time with The Presser Foundation has been an invaluable opportunity for learning, growth, and reflection on critical issues within the musical landscape. I am deeply grateful for this experience and inspired to continue advancing the cause of music education, diversity, equity, and inclusion in new and meaningful ways.
