Since knowing the race and/or gender of who wrote the piece of music students are playing is so important, the band directors at Spring Lake Park High School in Minnesota “have pledged” to include at least one composition by a woman, and one by a “composer of color” in each of its bands’ concerts. Not only that, the directors plan to purchase music only by people of color this year. And she says it bothers her that the composers they used to play were usually white. One of the other Spring Lake directors, Nora Tycast, says “The more you practice talking about race, culture and ethnicity the more comfortable you are.”But … in band class? My high school’s band — more ethically diverse than Spring Lake Park’s — worried more about things like sight reading, understanding keys and modes, the scales and dynamics.