Open Letter to the Eastman School of Music

Fix it. Now. Or I'm out.

Dear Eastman friends -

Last week, I shared my own story of my first year at Eastman. I had to report concerns about a faculty member, and was floored by the way Eastman protected its faculty and sacrificed my time, opportunity, and personal well being in exchange.

I appreciate the students and alums who have reached out to offer support - although Eastman’s faculty, staff, and administration have been largely silent.

In addition sharing that story, I proposed five changes the school needs to make.

The first was that some individuals need to be removed from their positions. Yes, I do think people need to be fired. But that’s a personnel decision, and what I - and others - have experienced is a system-wide failure, not limited to any one individual. So let’s set that aside, for now, and focus on the remaining four items.

Eastman needs to:

1. Create safety nets for students who raise concerns. (And very seriously ask why they weren’t already there.)

2. Create robust accountability around faculty behavior, starting with an anti-bullying policy.

3. Have serious conversations about gender, abuse of power, accountability, and entitlement.

4. Set up standards of equity and safety in all departments - particularly ones where men outnumber women.

If Eastman doesn’t commit to at least three out out of the four, I will not come back in the fall. (And I’d like a really good explanation if you leave one on the table.)

I’m the first woman admitted to this DMA in a very long time. (And who can say why that is. What a mystery. Must be “a pipeline problem,” right?) And my first year was shredded because I am a woman. No question.

I don’t care how many committees or task forces it takes. I don’t care if this is technically a matter that should be referred to the President’s Office, the Provost’s Office, or the Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Hypocrisy. Fix it. Now. Or I’m out.

I don’t have a dream job lined up. I have no plans to transfer to another program. I would be giving up the degree, a full ride, an assistantship, and very valuable professional opportunities - the kind that have put some of Eastman’s conducting students - all men - on major podiums. I may even leave the field entirely.

It’s not a stunt or a bluff or a joke. This is just how sick I am of this nonsense. And just how pointless it is to continue in a space that systematically disregards my work, my time, and my voice.

Since I shared my story, I’ve heard from many, many other Eastman students - past and present - sharing theirs. The vast majority are women. Some of the stories are really troubling - stories of women having their concerns dismissed, having their work derailed, never reporting problems to begin with, or just dropping out all together.

How do you expect women to lead or create or swing for the fences onstage when you tell them, at the earliest stages of their careers, that they are worth less - once again, for the people in the back: worth less - than jerks who would be kicked out the door in any reasonable universe?

You can’t spend decades using your smug institutional prestige to push that distorted value system and then innocently shrug about the massive inequities within your walls and outside of them.

I’ve spent hours discussing this with so many people at Eastman, and it’s been a waste of my time. No one sees a problem here. I mean - yes, you say you do. Everyone and their TA says that they do. But you don’t really. Not enough to do a single thing about it. Not enough to stop it from happening over and over and over again.

If Eastman sees the experience, safety, time, and well being of women as disposable - as it absolutely has in my case, and has and will continue to do in others - I have no desire to step foot in the building.

If Eastman won’t say that it has no tolerance for intimidation, retaliation, and aggressive behavior - also known as The Misogynist’s Toolkit, by the way - then I can’t stand to look at the place.

If Eastman is willing to let an 18-year-old go through a process I could barely manage as a doctoral student - just to protect its precious faculty - it’s a disgrace, and I won’t lend it credibility by being here.

You can keep doing what you’re doing. It will help the people it has always helped and harm the people it has always harmed. I can’t stop you. But I certainly wouldn’t stick around just to watch it continue - especially when it’s already cost me so much.

If you’re a student, you should speak up if you haven’t already. I’ve given you some ideas, or find your own way and your own voice. It’s important - because my experience is one of so, so, so many.

And for the adults in the room - I really would like to come back. I would. There’s a huge amount of value here. But if I can’t access it - as freely, fully, and comfortably as the men who take it for granted - there’s very little point.

Also. You need me to come back - for about a million reasons. So figure it out.

Enjoy your summer.

Rebecca Bryant Novak
First-Year DMA Student
Orchestral Conducting
Eastman School of Music