Meet Angelica Brooks | Founder and CEO, The Table Music Education Corporation

We had the good fortune of connecting with Angelica Brooks and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Angelica, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I started The Table Music Education Corporation because there is a need to address the recruitment and retention of music educators, particularly music educators of color. I see this as an act of social and educational justice because of the disparity between the number of music educators of color and those who identify as White (non-Hispanic).

The issue of social justice through the recruitment and retention of minority music educators is a pressing issue that demands attention. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) 2017-2018 study, 79.3% of public schools educators are White compared to 6.7% African American and 9.3% Hispanic. These statistics are consistent with the racial data of those who participate in the PRAXIS II Licensure exam and the number of minority music educators nationwide. Even more pressing issue is the need to retain music educators as there is a mass exodus of public school educators across the nation post-COVID.

In researching this topic and being a member of various music education organizations, I noticed there wasn’t a space for the entities that create, hire, and train music educators to meet with each other and collaborate on how to address this issue from various sides. Hence, the name “The Table”. We are a 501c3 designed to bring together music education professors, music administrators, music educators from all identities, and members of music academic institutions together to create sustainable and tangible ways to recruit and retain teachers and faculty of color.

We held our first conference in March 2023 at the University of Southern California and it was a huge success. Our next projects will include donations to local music programs that serve students of color, professional development sessions for pre-service teachers of color, and preparing for our next conference. You can find out more at www.thetablemec.com.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am currently a DMA student in the Music Teaching and Learning Program at the University of Southern California. I am also an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland Baltimore County in the Music Education department. Prior to these appointments, I served as a public school music educator for 13 years. During this time I was able to serve Elementary, Middle, and High school students as a Choral Director and teach AP Music Theory, Musical Theater, and General Music. I was also awarded Teacher of the Year for my District in 2020 and Outstanding Music Educator by the Maryland Music Educators Association in 2021.

Since I began my studies at USC I have been honored to serve on the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee (JEDI) at the Thornton School of Music and I serve on the National Association for Music Education (NAFME) Equity Committee and I serve on the Equity Committee for Sigma Alpha Iota Music Fraternity. I participated in the Cleveland Institute of Music’s inaugural Future of Music Faculty Fellowship cohort, in partnership with the Sphinx Foundation. The fellowship focused on increasing the number of minority music professors in Academia through mentorship and career development. I was fortunate to participate in this inaugural fellowship because this program confirms that this issue is resonating with larger organizations and my desire to address this challenge is timely and current. It also led to inspiring me to start The Table.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love hanging out in the Glendale, Burbank, and Pasadena areas. There’s so much to do and see in these areas. I also recently visited Santa Barbara and Carmel-by-the-Sea. Both lovely towns I hope to return soon for a longer visit.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to dedicate this shoutout to my family and friends for always supporting me. Your love means more than you know.

Website: www.angelicabrooks.com, www.thetablemec.com

Instagram: @thetablemusiced

Linkedin: @angelicabrooks

Facebook: @angelica.brooks