Eric currently serves as the ADEI (Access, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) Chair for the New York Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association. As a social justice advocate, he has been leading anti-racism training in New York City and beyond.
Committed to being an agent of change in his industry, Eric offers consultation on how to make your organizations more equitable, diverse, and inclusive. With a vast knowledge of the history of African-American choral traditions, he is particularly comfortable engaging with what steps choirs can take to be apart of a future that includes everyone.
Outside of his work in the music classroom, Eric travels the country providing in-person and virtual training with Welcoming Schools, the Nation’s most comprehensive bias-based bullying prevention program that provides professional development training on how to create LGBTQ+ and gender-inclusive learning environments. To request Eric to come to your school or organization click here or the link below.
“When you’re teaching a spiritual, teaching gospel, is it just as your ‘fun piece,’ as your gimmick? We need to actually have conversations about repertoire, and about composers, as part of the way that kids learn these songs.”
“I went to Eric Williamson’s session. In addition to showing everybody a deeply human way to approach teaching music, he made me feel comfortable and actually really enjoy singing in public…No small feat for me! I’m very insecure about my voice. I learned so much and felt so supported! Thanks for sharing your gifts with us!”
- Dave Wish
CEO & Founder, Music Will
“Eric is simply incredible. He came to work with my chorus on a Spiritual we were preparing for a virtual choir performance. Our singers are primarily white, and were nervous about singing spirituals in an potentially insensitive and appropriative way. Eric gave an incredible workshop and tremendous presentation on performance practice and how to approach tackling spirituals. He was warm, hilarious, knowledgeable, and engaging. He created such a safe space for us to ask questions. The evening was described as a turning point in our ensembles' efforts in diversifying our repertoire, and I couldn't be more grateful to Eric for his kindness and generosity. If you're looking to hold a similar event for your ensemble, look no further - Eric is your only choice!”
— Alex Canovas
Artistic Director, Young New Yorkers’ Chorus
“Eric Williamson creates a safe space, a brace space, for learning and creativity. His positivity and confidence are infectious. At his Little Kids Rock presentation, Anti-racism, CRSE, and SEL in the Choral Ensemble, he encouraged educators to explore the meanings of these two buzz phrases. Not only did he lead meaningful discussions, but he also facilitated participant-led experiences like circle singing, singing affirmations, and vocal warmups. I left the session feeling whole, healed, and curious about what CRSE and SEL really mean in my classroom. There is no doubt that his creative joy goes beyond his work hours and into his daily life.”
- Laura Brooke Ferguson
New York City Music Teacher
“Eric's interactive workshop with our choir entitled "Let's Get Real: Race Talks in Choral Spaces" via Zoom was thoughtful and powerful. He went above and beyond to tailor his session to our group's interests and questions, and he was very skilled at leading a discussion that was thought-provoking and meaningful. Eric has a wonderfully engaging personality, and he was very easy to work with both before and during his workshop.”
— Belle Voci
“Eric brought his joy and passion for activism, anti-racist music education, and CRSE to Longy School of Music for The Multifaceted Career speaker series. His talk was educational, inspirational, and action-oriented. He also did a guest lecture for our music education masters students, helping them explore tools to look introspectively into the educators and musicians they are and are working to become.
Eric is passionate, truthful, loving, knowledgable, inspired, and a profoundly good speaker. I cannot recommend him highly enough!”
- Jamie Gunther
Assistant Director of Teacher Education, Longy School of Music
What People Are Saying
"Through joyful invitation, Eric Williamson expertly created a brave space for my students to reflect on their privilege while empowering them to continue their journeys as antiracist music educators."
— Kari Francis
Professor in Choral Music, College of Saint Rose
Scholarship
Eric Williamson has written at length about various pedagogical concerns at the intersection of race, language, and early childhood education.
MEJ March 2023
Activism and Joy: Empowering Students Through Affirmation with Alice Tsui
The Language of School
The language of school is an invisible culture that only serves privileged middle and upper class white students. It is institutionalized in lessons, curriculums, and approaches to teaching in early childhood spaces. There is an assumption that students can adjust to these new means of communicating when they enter formal schooling. The biggest argument is home language differs from school language. Issues of class and race influence the divide between the two.
Differences in School Spaces for Black Children
Schools have become very difficult spaces for black children to navigate during adolescence. School spaces incubate defined gender roles for students and rob them from the opportunity to flow through different identities. Race is an active categorizer for students in school spaces as well. I hope to illuminate the various difficulties for black boys and girls in school spaces and explore strategies of how black children are making these spaces more inclusive.