I feel that in the Classical music scene in America, both education and performance is heavily inundated with racists. Many of them are white supremacists defending what they call their culture. They also shamelessly and simultaneously exploit non-white minorities and immigrants for money.
I experienced this as a Japanese nisei and haafu growing up in Pennsylvania. '
As a student and as a teacher, I feel that the MTNA system is really horrid-- due to the white piano teacher who profited off of having us Japanese people in their studio. At the same time, the instructor made very racist comments at me and even instructed my mother to "beat me over the head" because it worked on Beethoven. That lesson led to years of horror for me and extreme corporal punishments that this teacher instructed my mother to do to me. In Pennsylvania, this was allowed by her attorneys since corporal punishment was allowed. I was likened to a monkey and compared to a dog being trained since I was subhuman to the instructor. I hate this person to this day for the horrific abuses I endured. My affidavit with be forthcoming on the MTNA and PMTA and LVMTA from my childhood experiences. And, as an attachment to my torture complaint.
And, in addition to their group class racism that followed me to school recess. The teacher made sure that the other parents felt comfortable that I was treated badly since the other children complained that they had to be near me at all during the group classes. I spent 5 years in her piano studio like this. From 1st grade. And, I had to teach myself how to play- since they were only there to belittle me. This instructor called what she taught in the 80s Hybrid Suzuki method because she really hated us for being Japanese.
My lessons were not much different than my home practice. It was an awful early 80s Suzuki piano experience. But the instructor built her studio off the racial chaos that became deadly as the community had outward youth fights of skinheads vs. non-skinheads many Friday nights for a decade. That instructor;- was never held responsible for her actions. And I was left to fend for myself to both adults and children for the duration of my high school years in Quakertown, PA.
The police in Bucks County merely watched the parking lot fights for decades and never made arrests.
I only caught glimpses of a few of the fights as a high schooler. But I heard the stories. So it is no wonder that I have a torture complaint and so much trauma to overcome by making international and other communications about the horrible people of Bucks County, PA.
