TRIGGER WARNING: Sexual Assault. In this article, Sam Schultz shares what the word “no” means for justice and accountability in the classical music industry.
Music often requires sacrifice, but a career in music does not require sacrifices long-deemed necessary.
When talking about consent, we’ve heard the refrain, “No means no.” And more progressively we proclaim, “Yes, and only yes, means yes.” But notions of consent are often prohibited within classical music training. “No” is a death sentence. Many in positions of power perceive a person who says “no” to be difficult, uncompromising, a nuisance. Standing up for yourself is not encouraged, yet you’re supposed to let yourself go to find the freedom to create. How can a person freely create if they’re forbidden from claiming agency? I’ll tell you that joy and creative freedom can be found after a recognition of agency.
As a junior in college, I performed Belcore in L’elisir d’amore. During a full-cast rehearsal onstage, the conductor (a professor) stopped my entrance aria after I’d started to sing and asked if there was a problem. Knowing that it didn’t feel quite right, I asked if we could try a slightly slower tempo (not realizing that asking for something is a sin). To make an example of me, the conductor took the tempo to a ridiculously slow crawl. After I made it through the first verse, he stopped and asked if that was better. I dryly replied that it was. He called me to the front of the stage and told me privately that I had just “masturbated” onstage. This is indicative of the ridicule that accompanies self-advocacy.
This same professor publicly kissed me on the lips following a grad school gala performance—and this was considered silly, not serious. The dean of the school explained that this man had come from the industry, not academia, and didn’t know the boundaries of academia. I maintain that this isn’t acceptable in academia or professional settings. Might the outcry over the Spanish soccer coach kissing a player on the mouth following a game offer some perspective?
This sort of treatment conditioned me to accept that my worth was defined not by me but by those in power. It would take me years of navigating the classical music world after graduate school to claim my power.
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After women bravely sacrificed their anonymity to hold powerful abusers accountable in 2017 with the rise in visibility of the Me Too movement, I found inspiration in their selfless actions. I saw and learned that the only way to stop abusers is to take action. Around this same time, I learned that David Daniels had received tenure at the University of Michigan. Years earlier, he and his then-boyfriend Scott Walters sexually assaulted me in Houston, Texas. And I knew in my gut that I wasn’t the only one.
Empowered by the women who came forward against other predators, I had a decision to make. If I’m given the chance to look back on my life before I die, will I be satisfied knowing that I did nothing to protect others from the same fate I endured? Absolutely not. The only way I will be proud of my decisions, I said to myself, is to do everything I can to stop these predators from abusing other people.
I am a gifted singer. By fighting for justice and demanding accountability, I’ve learned that finding peace requires sacrifice. But too many of the sacrifices I’ve made have been imposed by an industry sick with cowardice. Let me offer some advice: instead of waiting (and hoping) for someone else to deal with it, recognize the importance of changing the status quo. And if you’re in the rooms where that can happen (such as on a board or a committee or a team), recognize your agency to do something about it.
Colleges, universities, and conservatories must sacrifice their power, fortunes, and prestige in order to allow for transparency, fairness, and accountability. It shouldn’t take scandal to motivate committee reviews of HR files. And no student should accept abuse as part of their training.
One word ruffles feathers and causes harm to the one who utters it: No. Let me empower you to say something long forbidden in classical music tutelage: No.
Being challenged is not only acceptable, but essential, for growth and improvement. Yet too often students are expected to silently accept every behavior from those in power or perceived power. Excuses for bad behavior run rampant in institutional learning. These excuses are meant to establish dominance. But when one entity holds all the power, conditions become overwhelmingly unfair and often unjust.
I could provide a litany of examples of abuse in the classical voice industry. But instead let me highlight a few ideas of how students and their parents can fight for the rights of students to hone their craft without the abuses accepted for far too long as “just a part of it.”
Schools should embrace clear and transparent reporting guidance and protocols. Within these policies, deans of schools should report the existence of allegations and investigations to an entity charged by the college or university to handle such matters. Deadlines for follow-up should be enforced, and any student alleging misconduct should have an appointed advocate to help navigate the system.
Secrecy (even open secrecy) allows for abusive behavior to run rampant. As such, HR files pertaining to sexual misconduct or abusive harassment should be reviewed annually by a committee. This committee can raise red flags and make recommendations to investigatory and disciplinary entities.
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Performing arts organizations and companies should contract an appropriate and independent professional (or team of professionals) to receive and review complaints. (It is essential that the aim is safety and accountability, not preservation of reputation of the organizations, companies, or alleged abusers.) Upon review of these complaints, a committee should review an anonymized report and then recommend investigations and actions.
Every school and institution should provide clear guidance on reporting protocols. In reviewing protocols, the language and understanding of abuse should be reflected by gender-inclusive language. And students and parents should challenge these protocols if they don’t go far enough to prevent abuse in the first place.
Intimacy specialists should be standard in staging rehearsals, and intimacy training should be part of the curricula for stage artists. This is becoming more common in professional settings, but this training should start early and be reiterated often.
Lastly, I will say that transparency, integrity, and accountability promote the possibilities of safety, freedom, and equitability.
I hope for changes in the classical music industry and society at large that make possible your dreams, aspirations, and hopes. Art and music can be most beautiful when they are free to create. Know that your worth extends beyond talents—but, at the very least, your talents deserve respect, cultivation, and nurturing.
