Abimaro Gunnell tells us of her experiences as a black female performer and the importance of being a visible role model
October was Black History Month. Peckham (where the Multi-Story Orchestra is based) is made up of people from over 50% Black, Asian and Ethnically Diverse backgrounds, so Black History Month has particular significance in the community we serve, and our work further a field. We wanted to take this opportunity to bring black voices to the fore, and invited musicians we work with to share their experiences with us. Abimaro, a singer/songwriter who leads our creative choir projects, has written about the importance of representation in classical music and her experience as an education leader and performer. Thank you Abimaro, for sharing your story with us!
I am a black woman of dual heritage and I am a musician, often working in the community as a Music Leader. This role enables me to work with mostly non-professional young people, to engage them in some form of music making, and I love it. I love working with young people because they have their whole future ahead of them, they are playful and ready to learn, and I often wish I could be more like them for that. They hold a youthful power that they are often completely unaware of. They are full of songs waiting to be written, melodies waiting to be sung, and they are only starting to see what they might be capable of.
One of the best things about working with people in my role as a Music leader is connecting with communities. A lot of the young people I work with in London belong to communities that are non-white, and as a black woman from London I feel an affinity and deep affection for these communities, as well as a responsibility to inhabit a teaching/leading role so that I can be a visible example and option for other young black people.
Growing up I noticed that the people who were teaching, and who were considered to hold knowledge worthy of learning, didn’t look like me. Because of this lack of representation I found it hard to imagine myself in these roles. To be seen and to be visible is so important, and it means a lot to me that I am often teaching people who are from diverse backgrounds. And because teaching is such an exchange between the teacher and the learner, it is wonderful to be taught in return by communities that I am both from and new to, and it affects and challenges my practice.
One very special moment I want to recall happened at the beginning of last year. I was singing as a soloist in a sung story with the London Symphony Orchestra. I was the only black person on stage, with a huge orchestra behind me, and for many reasons I felt like an imposter. It was a huge relief when the performance went well, and everyone congratulated me at the end of the show. I got my things from the dressing room and made my way out of the auditorium to meet my family.
As I came to the foyer there was a little mixed race girl standing with her mother. Her mother came up to me and said ‘I just wanted to thank you for your performance today. As soon as you came out on the stage my daughter jumped up in her seat and said…. ‘Mummy look, she looks just like me!’’ I was overwhelmed. I had connected with someone who, just like myself at her age, was unconsciously desperate to see someone like her, and as a result to be seen. Representation is important because it enables accessibility. I hope that my performance might add to that little girl knowing that orchestras and theatres and music are accessible and welcoming places for her too!
Abimaro Gunnell
