We had a packed house on Sept 3rd, for a rare discussion, even for NYC, with a panel fully comprised of class-conscious Asian-Americans- about the future of experimental music, fostering counter-culture and reimagining access to the arts. Most widely, what is considered ‘experimental’ is curated by white folk, and it was clear that the institutions in NYC (and elsewhere too, for that matter) have failed to engage with their own working-class POC communities.
Experimental music- as vital to an arts scene, has always germinated from working-class communities, from NYC’s own punk/free-jazz/no wave, to the early HipHop experiments from the Bronx.
Panelist Council Member (district 39) Shahana Hanif- herself hailing from a working-class Bangladeshi-American background, is a powerhouse, and a BIG arts advocate.
Lack of affordable housing for artists was a big audience concern, along with what it means to be counter-culture Asian American.Deep gratitude to Asian American Arts Alliance for their support.
https://www.aaartsalliance.org/events/who-is-this-music-for-asian-diaspora-counterculture-and-access
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