Decolonizing the Music Room (DTMR) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization centering Black, Brown, Indigenous, and Asian voices in music education and related fields by providing training and educational content to pre-service and practicing educators, and creating community programming for people of all ages.
DTMR works toward its mission in three ways:Â
- Providing free written and video content, and compiling resources for music educators to learn and enhance their teaching practices;Â
- Presenting and consulting on antiracist and decolonizing approaches for school districts, music education organizations, colleges and universities, companies, music industry groups, and more, and;
- Providing programming that engages and educates the local community, as well as creates space and opportunity for music educators to collectively create inclusive environments for students and peers. This includes our Fort Worth African American Roots Music Festival (FWAAMFest), which highlights the often forgotten and/or obscured presence of blackness in the history and current performance of U.S. roots musical traditions; Community Visiting Artist Educator Program, that brings guests to Fort Worth to present innovative performances and professional development; and our BBIA (Black, Brown, Indigenous, and Asian) Music Education Symposium, created to provide affirming space for racially minoritized folks to gather for development sessions, music making, and dialogue to enhance their disciplines and communities.