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“Canons are always about closed communities – who is excluded is at least as important as who is included. It is the ‘in’ crowd that usually controls the entrances, which means that the canonized or canonical writers largely resemble those who have judged them to be ‘major’ or ‘important’ or ‘classic,’” Behrendt said. “But this judging still rests on the tastes and preferences of the judges, who have traditionally been conditioned, whether they are aware of it, to prefer certain things – familiar things, mostly – over unfamiliar ones.”
- Jordan Bates, "Literary canons exclude works no matter how selective canon makers are"

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Systemic conditions favored men as composers and performers of Western art music. Women were frequently denied access to musical training and elite cultural networks.
-Kira Thurman and Kristen Turner, "Six Easy Ways to Immediately Address Racial and Gender Diversity in Your Music History Classroom"

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I included this video of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra because they are performing Christmas music, tunes that are familiar to people of all ages. Bringing in this familiarity tends to the popularity of a specific genre, which brings in more money and more listeners to the organization. Everyone of all ages knows Christmas music, so incorporating this category of music helps the symphony appeal to the entire world.

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Dallas Symphony Christmas Celebration 2014 (No Broadcast Ads)

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One thing I love about this playlist and this specific song is that many songs written by women are about empowerment and bettering yourself. While women have constantly been put on the back burner when it comes to the Western art music canon and beyond, these songs give them the power and opportunities to speak their minds like they deserve.

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Pictured is the legendary Nina Simone, an American jazz singer who changed the world for people of color and women in the 20th century. Simone is part of one of the most marginalized groups in the world: African-American women. She lived in a time where people viewed her as inferior, inhuman, and unworthy of equal rights. Through her music, she showed everyone that she would not go down without a fight. Her deep and soulful voice touched the heart of millions and she will be remembered forever for starting a revolution of empowerment.
Credit: http://www.ninasimone.com/bio/

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This is a photo of one of the first known African composers. Saint-Georges lived in France and was known to teach violin to Marie Antoinette, and later became known as "le Mozart noir."
Credit: https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2015/jun/02/ten-black-composers-whose-works-deserve-to-be-heard-more-often

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After observing the performances of many symphony orchestras in our country, I came across the lineup for our local Dallas Symphony Orchestra. While they are a very much classical music group, they incorporate popular music in order to attract different audiences.  Some of these modern performances include movie soundtracks from La La Land, even Indiana Jones. Despite this, they still stay true to the Western art music canon by performing pieces from the likes of Beethoven, Camile Saint-Saens, Tchaikovsky, and more. I noticed that they do not really leave out many styles or types of music, which is quite innovative. However, the DSO does not perform many jazz pieces because they are not "known" to play from that genre.
I do very much see myself in Western art music. I feel that this is only because I have had quite a musical upbringing, specifically in the fact that my grandfather, uncles, and mother have been musically raised. Also, I played the clarinet in my secondary school years. I have always been a fan of classical music, because it brings me peace and keeps the gears turning in my brain, especially whenever I need some motivation and concentration. On the other hand, I do not feel represented or see myself in music sometimes because of the lack of diversity in early classical pieces.