The Jan. 20 presidential Executive Order entitled “Ending Radical and Wasteful DEI Programs and Preferencing,” which calls for the “termination of all discriminatory programs, including illegal DEI and “diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility” (DEIA) mandates, policies, programs, preferences, and activities in the Federal Government,” resulted in the orders for the U.S. Marine Band Symphony (USMB) to cancel its upcoming collaboration with Equity Arc.

The partnership between Equity Arc and the USMB began over two years ago when the USMB reached out to Equity Arc to extend their educational mandate to the irrefutably talented musicians that Equity Arc serves. Together, the two organizations collaborated to organize the multi-day intensive that would bring over 30 students from across North America to the Washington, DC region. Those students were selected by USMB musicians through a highly-competitive audition process. On May 4, Equity Arc was set to present a wind symphony concert with the U.S. Marine Band “The President’s Own.” That concert, which would have been the culminating event of the intensive learning experience. The program was cancelled in mid-February.

Equity Arc reached out to retired members of the premier military and military academy bands to recreate both the mentoring and performing experiences for the students. The organization planned and executed this reimagined event in a matter of days. On March 9, students in the Equity Arc Wind Symphony performed alongside retired military musicians, including retired members of “The President’s Own,” at The Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda, Maryland.

In order to recreate the event, students gathered on March 7 in Washington, DC and spent the following day at Georgetown University rehearsing with and being mentored by the veteran musicians. They also attended a Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Concert at Strathmore on Saturday evening and had a private audience with Music Director Jonathan Heyward. The students returned to Strathmore, rehearsed and put on the concert at 2 pm. Due to security concerns the concert was closed to the general public but attended by family members of the students.

In a press release student percussion member in Equity Arc’s Wind Symphony, Rishab Jain said of his experience over the weekend, “Being part of the Equity Arc Wind Symphony was more than just a musical experience – it was a statement. In a world where access to the arts is a privilege rather than a right, this ensemble proved that talent isn’t limited by opportunity, but opportunity is too often limited by systemic barriers. Making music in a space dedicated to breaking those barriers was powerful, not only because of the artistry involved, but because it proved what’s possible when equity is prioritized.”

Equity Arc granted CBS’ 60 MINUTES access to capture the full experience. CBS aired the segment last night on March 16 to a national audience and have made the full concert available on their website.

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