Can we apply the idea of the Overton Window to music-making?
The Overton Window, according to Wikipedia, is “the range of policies politically acceptable to the mainstream population at a given time.” The typical range is
Unthinkable • Radical • Acceptable • Sensible • Popular • Policy.
There are certainly Overton Windows in music-making. One example is the typical repertoire at the high school level. Music that was performed by the most advanced college ensembles a generation ago is regularly performed by high school ensembles today; and along the way it passed, from the high school director’s perspective, through the steps above – from unthinkably challenging to standard repertoire.
Another example would be the bold and correct announcement made by MSVMA this week to remove arrangements of minstrel songs from their required repertoire lists. This idea had been moving slowly through the Overton Window in choral circles, and current events nudged the organization to take this praiseworthy step.
What changes couldn’t you imagine a decade ago that are now being adopted across your musical sphere? What musicals were standards in rotation in your theatre that will now never make it back on the stage? How has your use of gendered language changed in your rehearsals?
Are there other examples of Overton Windows in your musical world?