New student organization aims to amplify voices of marginalized musicians

The Musicians of Color Association is a student-run collective at Chapman that strives to dismantle white dominance in music and provide a platform for BIPOC musicians. Graphic courtesy of Angelique Francis

David Garcia wished he could “slip by a pool,” hit his head and wake up as a better performer. 

In 2019, Garcia dropped out of Chapman University for the second time. He struggled with confidence as a vocalist in his music education major, and was surrounded by national controversy over racial issues at Chapman. He wasn’t receiving the support he felt he needed as a musician of color at a predominantly white institution. All things considered, Garcia felt he was heading toward failure. 

“I was fed up with it,” Garcia said. “I thought, ‘If I’m going to be an empowered individual, if I’m going to love myself, I can’t do that here.”

But during his time away, Garcia had an idea: establish a community that worked to foster his own specific desires for inclusion and support among Chapman musicians. After receiving support from his community to return to school and pursue his dreams, Garcia, now a junior, re-enrolled with the goal to uplift other marginalized musicians. He went on to establish the Musicians of Color Association (MOCA) for Chapman students. 

“I saw music as a tool to connect with people and a way to foster community,” said Garcia, now the club coordinator of MOCA. “I started thinking about what my other students of color needed as well. Part of that was a place where we could be in community with just ourselves, with people who walked in our shoes.”

Kitkat Fisher, MOCA’s social media coordinator and a senior vocal performance major, said the club’s purpose is to redefine the values of what creates an institution. MOCA’s purpose, according to Fisher, is to emphasize equity, empowerment and self-love. 

“All of us have experienced some sort of racial discrimination or a traumatic experience at this school because of our background,” Fisher said. “This club is a statement that we need to do better, and for me, it’s defining these values and making our values the center of what we do.”

The club’s genesis began in November, fully coming to fruition in February with the addition of seven members. MOCA aims to host social events to raise awareness, build relationships through peer collaboration and community engagement and provide resources for its musicians to facilitate student connections. 

Piano performance major Tessa Shune said MOCA has given her a spotlight to collaborate with other musicians of color and amplify her voice.

“As a solo pianist, I haven’t been able to interact with many musicians, especially musicians of color,” Shune said. “In the conservatory, musicians of color are not put at the center. They are very much pushed away, not given a voice and not listened to.”

Shune said there was a long-standing frustration held by Chapman musicians of color over not having a proper outlet to raise dialogues and voice concerns.

“As someone who kept to themselves, I’ve had this guilt of not speaking up, but now that I’m in this community I feel like I can really step up and do my part,” Shune said.

For Garcia, trying to maneuver how to help club members use their voices and reflect internally has been the most challenging aspect of starting MOCA.

“The hardest part is understanding within ourselves — where do we see our privilege, where do we see our oppression and what can we do together to make a better community, a more loving community,” Garcia said. “Chapman’s conservatory model is based on the Victorian era, so it’s about time to flip the narrative. Flipping that narrative means centering marginalized voices.”

Students of all backgrounds can apply to MOCA year-round. MOCA will be holding its first summits May 1 and May 2 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The events will host a variety of guest speakers including Chapman faculty and other musicians of color. 

Garcia said that musicians of color stand today on the shoulders of ancestors who struggled in the past. With MOCA, he hopes to adopt that same approach and focus on the future of those marginalized now.

“They say, when you’re doing social justice work, to think six generations ahead,” Garcia said. “What I plan to do with this club is to look to the generations to come. If you’re looking for sustainable change, you look that far. We may not achieve what we’re trying to do in this club tomorrow or two years from now, but if we can set a foundation for things that are to come, that’s the important part.”