Meet Marie Dillard

We were lucky to catch up with Marie Dillard recently and have shared our conversation below.

Marie, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

Thank you for the question! I am Marie Dillard, Scholar, Artist, Athlete, and Founder of Persistent Endeavors Foundation, Inc. (PEFI). I started my foundation in 2022 when a quote by American activist and scholar Pauli Murray deeply resonated with me. Murray stated, “What is often called exceptional ability is nothing more than persistent endeavor.” This was Pauli Murray’s response to ridicule from classmates for pursuing additional interests beyond academics in the novel Song In A Weary Throat: Memoir Of An American Pilgrimage as a high school sophomore. Pauli Murray’s words inspired my call to action and a clear articulation of the purpose of my foundation.

During my school’s 2022 Black History celebration, I asked my community to seek out the contributions of those historically unrecognized, overlooked, uncelebrated, or harshly criticized (like Phillis Wheatley) by visiting art exhibits, listening to or reading their works along with others we learn about in school. I challenged my community to rewrite the narrative of Black and brown creatives and innovators by illuminating their stories as a persistent endeavor for truth.

Black and brown Americans have made tremendous contributions to the arts, sports, and innovation. Historically, these endeavors have often been categorized as exceptional ability (miracle or luck), supporting a narrative that erases or at least obscures the long journey to success. For Black people, hard-earned accomplishments represented as a fluke or happenstance belies the historical record. Creative endeavors offered a sense of agency, a temporary escape, and a path to freedom for many of our ancestors—I found this to be true for me too.

My formative years included extracurricular and co-curricular activities that brought me joy and enhanced my classroom performance. Like other young people, finding the courage to follow my heart and pursue the things I felt were right was sometimes challenging. You must be bold to take up space, share your voice, and open your heart to others. So much in society, especially social media, convinces young people to look outside themselves for happiness and purpose. Many young people are unable to differentiate between what I call outside noise and their own interests and desires. They also lack the support and discipline to listen, hear, and trust the still, small voice inside that allows them to figure out how they want to navigate life.

My activities bring meaning, color, and texture to my life. I experience a great deal of joy when I am doing art, playing music, being involved in physical activities like organized sports, and cooking. Pauli Murray’s words remind me to stay true to things that bring me joy no matter what! Persistent endeavors contribute to a fulfilling and happy life, so I created PEFI to help Black and brown youth overcome obstacles to their pursuits of joy.

DIVERSITY IN AMERICAN CLASSICAL MUSIC
Before the COVID-19 Pandemic, I participated in the Elisabeth Morrow School (EMS) Summer String Festival (SSF) each summer beginning in 2013. The camp was diverse, pulling kids from around the NYC metro area and beyond. SSF was a highlight of my summers. I felt accomplished being a member of the Super Chamber Orchestra and working with others to produce such an amazing sound. In the orchestra, each section plays a specific part. We would spend the summer learning on our own, and then at camp, the magic would begin. It all paid off as each of my perfectly rehearsed notes blended with the other violas and the rest of the orchestra. Together, we make a new sound we could never produce alone. Every time the experience was transformative.

The summer of 2020 was transformative in a different way. The program was virtual, and there was only so much magic happening through our screens. When we returned to an in-person festival in 2021, I had completed my freshman year away at boarding school, and now I was a counselor rather than a participant. Over the years, I had grown accustomed to having people I could identify with socially as a young Black girl in close proximity when making music. There were all kinds of kids making
music together. I soon realized that mine was a rare experience, and somehow the Pandemic changed everything. I was alarmed by the lack of diversity amongst the post-pandemic festival participants.

When I returned to boarding school in the fall of 2021, I continued private lessons, becoming the principal violist in my school’s orchestra. I won a Dreamer Diversity Equity and Inclusion Grant from the Black Violin Foundation, Inc., and continued my pursuit of classical music. In 2022, I persisted with classical music studies, auditioned, and earned first chair violist in the DE All-State Orchestra. Still, I needed to understand why there were so few Black and brown students in classical music and how I could make a difference.

MY APPROACH TO TACKLING THE PROBLEM
Music is one of my persistent endeavors. I attended grades 1-8 a mile and a half from home at The Elisabeth Morrow School, a small independent school in Englewood, NJ. The school was quite diverse, with amazing staff, due in part to its close proximity to NYC and its stellar academic and music program; it opened up extraordinary possibilities for my future and love of music. Even though I am a member of a minoritized community, my school and family were a shelter that buffered the harsh realities of being Black in America.

As a sophomore in early 2021 researching Blacks in the Arts for a school Black History Month Celebration, I learned that our American classical music tradition is predominantly Eurocentric, drawing heavily from the harmonic language of Johannes Brahms and Richard Wagner. Less than 2% of musicians in American orchestras are African American, according to a 2014 study by the League of American Orchestras. Only 4.3% of conductors are Black, and composers remain predominantly white. I also surveyed students and found that many young people felt orchestras were for white people.

Growing up, my mom always told me, “Don’t look for something in the future that you aren’t willing to put in place today.” So, after several months of thinking about how I could make a difference, I landed on mentoring young Black and brown musicians and encouraging their participation in the orchestra by sharing the rich history of the many Black and brown musicians and composers. I would help remedy the situation by creating a program that sparks curiosity and engages young POC in classical music.

BIRTH OF MY FIRST INITIATIVE —THE CRESCENDO LAB
After securing charitable foundation status from the IRS for Persistent Endeavors Foundation, Inc., I workshopped my idea through the five-week Be All You LaunchPad Bootcamp. In April 2023, I entered the Be All You Passion Project Festival at UPenn, won second place ($750.00US), and used the proceeds to fund the first project powered by my foundation—The Crescendo Lab.

Next, I created a web presence as a simple extension of my personal webpage. I purchased materials from the Rachel Barton Pine Foundation (a NYC foundation specializing in the music of Black Composers and Musicians, among other amazing projects). I invited Black and brown students in my local community to apply for my classical music mentoring and history program. I started delivering services at the Art of Living Collective over the summer in Englewood, NJ. I documented my insights and results from the program. I quickly set out to enlist other teens to participate by setting up similar efforts in their communities to reach more students.

My project has garnered regional attention by landing me on the cover of the September 2023, Annual Kids Issue of Delaware Today with an article about my program. Professor Emeritus Mark Camphouse of George Mason University, dedicated his newest book from GIA Publishing in Chicago to the late concert pianist Andre Watts and me for The Crescendo Lab, Powered by PEFI. I’ve also been recognized as a Prudential Emerging Visionary, and a feature in a local newspaper that talks about my work.

So far, I’ve spent late Spring 2024 and most of my summer re-evaluating my next steps as I head off to college in a new city. I’ve adjusted my program to be accessible to younger children. I’ve delivered a version of my program to mostly Black and brown pre-schoolers learning about classical instruments, rhythm, and how music makes you feel. I’ve also made donations through PEFI, to both The Elisabeth Morrow School and the St. Andrew’s School (Delaware) to further my mission and give back to these two institutions that have been integral to my development and persistence. The money will help the art and music programs and help fund private lessons for students with financial need.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

So, I am a student embarking on my first year at university. I plan to major in History, with a focus on U.S. History and an interest in Environmental Studies and urban planning. I want to go to Law school after college and work in a field that helps society by dismantling oppressive systems and opening up creativity and possibilities for the masses. I’m not sure what that looks like, but I know it involves me staying engaged through PEFI.
So, I will be rolling out additional programs through PEFI beginning in the fall. In addition to The Crescendo Lab and efforts to help students pursue their interests (listening and learning) in classical music, I am an aspiring culinarian, a studio artist, an athlete at heart, and a concerned citizen. I am developing programming for key areas through PEFI. For example, I recently voted for the first time in the NJ Primary Election and plan to be heavily involved in get-out-the-vote efforts this fall. Through social media and YouTube, I am also developing a method for sharing The Crescendo Lab model, materials, and editorial spotlights of young musicians nationwide. I also plan to combine my love of food preparation, healthy living, and physical fitness to develop a program for young people struggling with obesity.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

1. Stay true to who you are and what your purpose is. In embarking on an entrepreneurial endeavor, wether non-profit or for profit, you will get many great opportunities. While it is important to seize those opportunities, it is important to do so while staying true to your central purpose.

What I would advise folks to do is know their purpose! It sounds simple, an is, but it is also imperative. You need to have your “why” written down. And it is okay for that purpose to take different forms, and change over time, but document that change, because it is necessary for you to operate from your purpose, not others.

2. Value your connections. As my program and my foundation began to be recognized, individuals and organizations reached out to me hoping to provide their support. Those connections, especially those made early on, are imperative to maintain. Those are the folks who believed in you and wanted to provide the support you needed from the start. They will help you along your journey and in many cases are some of the first to truly understand your project or initiative.

Don’t forget about those who were there for you in the beginning, remember how they helped you get to the next step.

3. Practice self-care. When you become your own boss, it can be easy to set high standards for yourself. With the natural desire to succeed and to push yourself to you limits, you can burn yourself out. While I’ve learned that it is very important to push yourself and to leave your comfort zone as well, it is just as important if not more to take care of yourself and your mental health. It’s ok to take breaks, to put something aside for a while, or to ask for help. Just because you are running an initiative doesn’t mean you should avoid support. When you do great things, people want to help you, allow them to do so and remember to breathe.

Set shorter and more achievable goals for yourself. Reach for the stars, but don’t bite off more than you can chew!

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

As a college student, my life is quite hectic during the school year. I find time to meet new like-minded people, learn about their persistent endeavors, and collaborate when possible. Specifically, I am looking for:
1. People interested in participating in the PEFI Advisory Board. In the next six months, I will expand the advisory board to include members who can supplement core knowledge on topics like nonprofit management/growth, marketing, fundraising/development, and strategic planning.
2. Collaborators or partners for The Crescendo Lab. From a programming perspective, I am interested in meeting people with music education/curriculum experience, advice on music mentorship models, and those concerned about expanding classical music (learners, listeners, and staffing opportunities) in Black and brown communities in the US.
3. Inspirational composers and musicians. I’d especially like to meet young Black and brown classical composers and musicians, who are willing to share their stories and advice with aspiring young classical musicians.
Speaking engagements to expose and inspire young classical musicians. I want to share the accomplishments of Black and brown musicians and composers in history that most people have not heard about and why it matters.

If you are reading this and want to collaborate, email me at mariesdillard@persistent-endeavors.org

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mariesdillard.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/persistent_endeavors
• Linkedin: https://LinedIn.com/in/MarieSDillard

Image Credits

Headshot: Erin Farrell Photography

All Images: Persistent Endeavors Foundation