Hazing in music schools is more than a rite. It is an emblem of a social pedagogy that trains silence, rewards submission, and cements closed networks that control opportunity. Those same networks can conceal sexual misconduct and exploitation and can punish anyone who tries to dismantle them.

It's essential to know your legal rights, your protections, and how to take action when lines are crossed, whether you're a freelance artist, orchestral musician, conservatory student, or professor.

Is this the legacy that the Houston Symphony wishes to uphold? This letter is not just my voice—it echoes the disappointment...

“Can I ask you a favor?” they begin. Before you know it, you’ve agreed to babysit their child while they attend a “very important” concert.