Dr.
Gretchen Renshaw presents at ASBOA’s All-State Music Conference
CONWAY,
Arkansas (February 26, 2024)—Hendrix College Associate Professor of Music and
Coordinator of Assessment Dr. Gretchen Renshaw last week served as moderator of
and participant in a panel discussion titled “Building Empathy and Belonging
Through Diverse and Inclusive Programming” for an audience of middle and high
school band and orchestra directors from across Arkansas.
The panel discussion was
part of the Arkansas All-State Music Conference, hosted by the Arkansas School
Band and Orchestra Association (ASBOA). ASBOA selected Renshaw to lead a
conversation about this relatively new topic because of her work on building
more diverse and inclusive programming for the Hendrix Wind Ensemble—work that
was enhanced through her recent Odyssey Professorship, “Diverse Voices in Music,”
a three-year professorship that enabled Renshaw to focus on centering the
voices of musicians and composers from underrepresented backgrounds in the
world of music for wind band.
In addition to Renshaw, panelists included:
- Dr. Thomas Dempster, associate dean for arts and humanities at the
Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts in Hot Springs;
- Hendrix student Andrea Ortega ’24, an English major and current member
of the Hendrix College Wind Ensemble; and
- Anthony Wyrick, band director at Parkview Arts and Science
Magnet High School in Little Rock.
The session sought to help develop awareness of the impact and
importance of diverse and inclusive programming in the state’s secondary
schools, discuss potential obstacles, and offer guidance for directors
interested in submitting music for inclusion on the Arkansas Required Music
List.
“This is one of the first
times a session on the topic of diversity and inclusion has been presented at
this conference, and I was honored to be asked to lead this discussion,”
Renshaw said. “The panelists were excellent and provided a variety of
meaningful perspectives about how diverse and inclusive programming can really
build a sense of belonging for every student in an ensemble, regardless of
their background. This work of creating inclusive spaces is important in any
classroom – music or otherwise – and I am so grateful to have been able to
bring this conversation to such an important conference in our state.”
About Hendrix College
Founded in 1876,
Hendrix College is featured in Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will
Change the Way You Think About Colleges and celebrated among the country’s
leading liberal arts colleges for academic quality, engaged learning
opportunities and career preparation, vibrant campus life, and value. The
Hendrix College Warriors compete in 21 NCAA Division III sports. Hendrix has
been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. Learn more at www.hendrix.edu.
“… Through engagement
that links the classroom with the world, and a commitment to diversity,
inclusion, justice, and sustainable living, the Hendrix community inspires
students to lead lives of accomplishment, integrity, service, and joy.”
—Hendrix College Statement of Purpose