Lecolion Washington | Community Music Center of Boston
“I am my ancestors’ wildest dreams.”
On a rainy, winter day, I headed to the South End to meet Lecolion Washington at the Community Music Center of Boston. Lecolion became the executive director of CMCB in September 2017, bringing with him a wealth of experience as a world class performer, scholar and arts leader. When I arrived, Lecolion greeted me with a warm smile and we gathered in his office.
Raised in Dallas, Texas, Lecolion describes growing up in a low income, Black neighborhood. In the 6th grade, he wanted to play drums in the school band but his music teacher convinced him to take up the bassoon instead. A hard-working academic student and a budding bassoon player, his world was turned upside down when his school was seized by the district due to low test scores and poor performance. He had to find another school and while his test scores qualified him to enter one of the best public schools, the principal of the school initially blocked his admission, stating it would be too hard a transition. His parents, neither of whom had college degrees, successfully fought this decision, and he was able to enter a topnotch school in 7th grade. “This is when things began,” he says. Like the quote “I am my ancestors’ wildest dreams,” education opened new opportunities and possibilities for him.
Lecolion had the academic and artistic chops for success, earning strong grades and getting into college for chemical engineering while continuing to practice bassoon every day. He eventually changed his study to music, continued his education and took a faculty position at the University of Missouri, and later, at the University of Memphis, after turning down a job with the Houston Grand Opera. By the age of 33 he was a tenured faculty member and a sought-after musician. In addition to teaching and performing, he and his wife had even started a summer music festival.
His achievements led to desirable outcomes – tenured positions, prestigious international music tours, consulting with foundations for multimillion-dollar arts projects – but he felt called to explore a new trajectory. He eventually left academia and redirected his professional energy toward nonprofit leadership.
Our conversation covered topics of race, culture and identity, and he points out that when thinking of culture, one must also talk about identity. The arts allow for new paradigm shifts that lift voices that have historically been overlooked. He is a leading voice on the topics of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, speaking to the value of having non-white participation in decision-making circles.
Lecolion is interested in systems change on the grand scale and recognizes the complexity and messiness of navigating this kind of social change. The Boston arts sector is fortunate to have Lecolion’s intelligence, insight, passion and experience in this key leadership role. He will help to challenge the status quo so we can actually work toward a more just, equitable and diverse future in Boston.
