When I was growing up, the world was a little bit more unforgiving about your appearance and this meant that it could cost you a job. At the time, for the sake of survival I had to shove myself into a mold. This was true for any college audition or job interview. I think it is valuable information for those breaking into the industry and are trying to survive. We live in a discriminatory, sexist, elitist, classist all the other “-ist” and “-ics” society. Where you will be judged based upon your appearance despite it having nothing to do with your musical ability. The moment you set foot in that door, the panel will already have assumptions and unchecked bias.

Now that I am older and a freelancer, I wear what I want. My look depends on the type of event: If it is a recital or audition, best believe it is going be bold, drop dead gorgeous, and an homage to my chicana-ness. If it is concert black, I am going to find a way to be what I stated previously, but in black. It is not the end of the world if I don’t get the gig, I have time to find what is for me. Listed below are the industry standards, I do not particularly agree with however, I am just putting it out there.

“Dress Professional”

I hate the term “dress professional” because it never means the same thing to different people. In a professional musical setting, I think of formal or business casual. Either way, I expect cleanliness, hygiene and you are not wearing anything that is explicit. (I.E. wearing a daisy duke length skirt to your clarinet recital).

This is a particularly touchy subject for different marginalized people for different reasons. Historically and wrongfully so, Black people have been discriminated against for their natural hair and traditional Black hairstyles. Women have consistently been scrutinized for “showing” too much or for “attention-seeking”. The diminution of women of color in comparison to every other demagogue, is no different within the context of the music world and the list goes on. One’s physicality should not be a determining factor on whether they are worthy of a job position— you can be professional with locs, you can be professional in a wheelchair, you can be professional and fat, you can be professional and curvy and so on. This perception of bodies is so ingrained that it is hard to be fully ourselves. So, the guidelines I’m providing are for those trying to navigate the lines between authentic self and industry standards.

Follow the Guidelines if Given

In general, these guidelines will go somewhere along the lines like do not show too much skin, wear well-fitted formal or business casual clothing and hygiene. The standard for ensembles is looking as a cohesive unit, and there will be dress codes calling for concert black. For a formal audition, take it as a job interview— if it is an audition for the CSO, wear what they wear in performances, if it is for a particular opera, wear clothes that hint at the towards that time period. Being comfortable is step number one to every audition, jury, performance or recital. If you look good, you feel good and then you will sound good.

Outdated Dress Codes

Most music institutions have not updated their policies to reflect the times so some may still reflect outdated language. Many will still gender clothing, many will not consider cultural wear as professional, and many will use coded language. At the end of the day, we live on stolen land and many of these expectations come from the Western world. Different people perceive formality differently. It ia not really rocket science but alas, we are, as usual, behind on the times. In general, dress code policies have not done a good job of incorporating diversity, inclusivity, and equity.

My take? As long as you are not being a culture vulture it is ok to rep your culture in a formal way. I have been known to wear rebozos and huipil in my performances. I feel strong and proud of my culture and I will present it every chance I get. My ancestors fought to dang hard for me to assimilate into culture that is not my own.

It is truly a privilege to throw caution into the wind and do whatever you want. Some of us have to survive and we need to do what we can to get that job. If it means eliminating one factor that you can control, so be it. I did so whenever I was interviewing for a job (ahhh, code switching). I have experienced many inappropriate things during my lifetime because of my identity and clothing I wore for an interviews and audition. In my opinion, damned if you do, damned if you don’t— do what you gotta do. At the end day, I will never ever blame you or anyone for doing what you need to do to survive as long as you are prioritizing the safety of yourself and marginalized people.

To reiterate, it is truly a privilege to be able to say f*ck those standards and to wear what you want or not even have to think about this so deeply.

Concert Black is Always a Safe Choice

Regardless of what kind of concert, recital or audition, this will always be your safe bet. Concert black is defined differently depending on the ensemble but in general it’s wearing all black head to toe and covering as much skin as you can. Usually this is tied to gender norms and the range of formality varies:

• Black tuxedo

• Black dress

• Black pants suit

• All black business casual

• and so on

Keep accessories to minimum and everything should be fine. Make up, keep it subtle if you’re really committed to the concert black look.

Hygiene

Be clean… nuff said

Grooming

As said above, keep it clean and out of your face. In general, you want to be able to make eye contact with the audiences and judges (unless you’re performing heavy metal, rock on). I don’t have much opinions as long as you feel confident. FYI Black hair is professional. If you find yourself or a loved one being discriminated against, please know that the CROWN Act is becoming a law across the U.S.

Moreover, I am no expert to having a beard or facial hair but keep it combed, even and and neat… and make sure it’s clean.

Confidence

At the end of the day, this is what matters the most. Feel good in your clothes. As mentioned previously, I think it is okay for folks to wear cultural attire relevant to your culture, even in the orchestra. I think ensembles need to get over themselves and realize that it won’t distract from the music. The clothes are only a part of the equation, the other part is in the attitude and confidence you bring.

Full Disclaimer: For those looking to participate in an uppity ensemble, school or audition. I wrote this blog those wanting specifics and safe choices.

Shout to one of my students, (who we will call “E” to protect their identity) who really revolutionized my way of thinking about dress. I never really thought about how important it was. It can impact how you feel about the performance until they presented a new perspective upon me and how this impacts LGBTQIA+ members. I can only hope that more music organizations and universities consider updating their policy. I started reflecting on how westernized clothing perception impacted the way I was performing. I am glad that I got to meet such an outstanding person!