WEST ORANGE, NJ - The West Orange High School Bands have announced an exciting Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) Commissioning Project, allowing composers in a minoritized community to compose original music pieces for the ensemble.

According to WOHS Bands, "For performers in today’s music industry, collaborating with composers to commission and perform new works is an important and fulfilling form of professional and artistic development. These collaborations not only cultivate the expansion of repertoire but can lead to career-long partnerships that foster creativity and innovation beyond the historically white, Eurocentric tradition within which most classical music still exists. We, as performers and educators, seek to promote art created by those who belong to minoritized communities, and this project aims to commission pieces by underrepresented composers."

The residents of West Orange today make up a diverse population with a proud community heritage. The band students of West Orange High School reflect that diversity and the BIPOC Commissioning Project aims to celebrate diversity and inclusivity within the West Orange High School Bands by commissioning BIPOC  composers to create original music pieces for the ensemble. Through this initiative, WOHS Bands seek to amplify underrepresented voices in the music composition field and provide students with a rich and culturally diverse musical experience.

By collaborating with BIPOC composers, the West Orange High School Bands will have the opportunity to explore a wide range of musical styles and traditions, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of its members. This project not only promotes artistic diversity but also fosters a sense of unity and understanding among students from different cultural backgrounds.

Through the commissioning of new works, the West Orange High School Bands will showcase the talents and perspectives of three different BIPOC composers: Joshua A. Idio (school year 2024-2025), Michele Fernandez (school year 2025-2026) and Kelijah Dunton (school year 2026-2027). They will be contributing to a more inclusive and representative musical repertoire that directly reflects the students in our school. This project serves as a platform for creativity, cultural exchange, and mutual respect within our school community and the larger band world. 

Overall, the commissioning project for BIPOC composers to write band music for the ethnically diverse West Orange High School Bands is a testament to the power of music in bridging cultural divides and promoting equity and diversity in the arts.