Join us for our Monthly Community Conversations, an opportunity to connect, engage, and share insights with fellow members of the Black Orchestral Network. Each month, we explore important topics that impact our community, with discussions ranging from personal stories to industry challenges and triumphs. The specific theme of each session will be announced ahead of time, offering a space for dialogue, learning, and mutual support.
These conversations are open to all but require prior registration to participate. Reserve your spot via the Zoom link provided, and come ready to listen, contribute, and be part of the ongoing growth and solidarity within our network. Let’s build a stronger, more inclusive future together.
Note: The Zoom link will be sent upon registration. Please check your inbox for confirmation and any updates regarding the theme. We look forward to seeing you there!
Join us on Monday, May 26 for a powerful Community Conversation, hosted by Weston Sprott, with entertainment lawyer Ari Solotoff and Principal Timpanist of the National Symphony Orchestra, Jauvon Gilliam!
This candid dialogue will explore contract negotiations, talent representation, and the often overlooked business realities facing freelance and classical musicians. This session offers vital insight into advocating for yourself in today’s music industry.
Ari Solotoff is an Entertainment Lawyer, Shareholder, and Leader of the Entertainment, Media, & the Arts practice at Drummond Woodsum. Ari's practice uniquely blends representation of a diverse range of creative clients, who are known for defining and defying contemporary culture. Ari has been recognized as Maine's "Artful Lawyer" for his role in helping "composers, songwriters, filmmakers and other creative people avoid the legal pitfalls of the music and entertainment businesses" (Maine Sunday Telegram). Ari serves as Chair of the Theatre & Performing Arts Division of the American Bar Association's Forum on Entertainment and Sports Industries. Ari is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Maine School of Law. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Classical Languages from the University of California, Berkeley. Ari is also an alumnus of the AMEX Aspen Institute Fellowship for Emerging Nonprofit Leaders and the Orchestra Management Fellowship Program of the League of American Orchestras.
Jauvon Gilliam was named principal timpanist of the National Symphony Orchestra in 2009—the first African-American principal in the history of the organization. Gilliam is currently Director of Percussion Studies at the University of Maryland. His students have positions in symphony orchestras, military bands, and at universities around the globe. Prior to his NSO appointment, Gilliam was principal timpanist of the Winnipeg Symphony for seven years. While there, he was also timpanist of the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, Coordinator of Percussion Studies at the University of Manitoba, and for a time, played drum set for the WSO pops series. Gilliam is a strong advocate for diversifying the classical music landscape. Gilliam is a founding board member of the Alliance of Black Orchestral Percussionists, and a contributing member to the Black Orchestral Network and the Network for Diversity in Concert Percussion. In the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd, Gilliam co-founded We Over Me Productions, a production company created to use the arts to tell a story that will keep the conversation of systemic racism, social inequities and injustices at the forefront of people’s consciousness in an effort to create lasting change through tangible actions.
Monday, May 26, 2025 7:30pm ET
Free and open to alL
register to receive the zoom link.