Introduction

Portrait of Bobby Sanabria

     While perceptions of the Bronx remain fixated on the fires of the 1970s, the work of residents and community organizations aim to reclaim and transform the story of the South Bronx. Throughout an interview with musician, educator, and native Bronx resident, Bobby Sanabria reveals the complexity of stories embedded within the history of the South Bronx. Born in 1957 and raised in the Melrose Projects, Bobby explains that he “saw the Bronx deteriorating right before my eyes little by little.” While today the idea of public housing is largely stigmatized, Bobby explains that during his childhood, “to live in a housing project at that time was looked up as a step up. Was like moving into...a fancy high rise except it was public housing.” At the time, housing projects were a place with middle class aspirations, defined by Bobby as, “Owning a house. Your kids going to college...putting aways nest eggs so you could have a decent retirement...And traveling.” However, by the 1970s, the Bronx “became...the poster child for urban blight.” Images of decay continue to define present-day views of the Bronx. Bobby explains that throughout periods of social unrest, “what kept us alive was the musical culture.” He recalls how people of all racial and ethnic backgrounds would socialize at dancehalls featuring jazz and Latin musicians; all of which helped to establish a sense of musical appreciation. Despite the dynamic and inspiring history of the community, Bobby explains, “Nobody associates that greatness with the South Bronx.” Bobby mentions that oftentimes the only musical legacy associated with the Bronx is hip-hop. However, he would like for people to recognize that “there was a lot of other things that were happening here.”

"Lindy Hoppers," the cut-out referenced in the interview - "You see that little cut-out right there of the people dancing? That's what kept us alive."

     The creation of hip hop was in part due to the decrease in funding for music education. Bobby recalls that during his childhood every student was either in choir or learned how to play an instrument. He states, “when you have a musical instrument you have to take care of it. It’s a mechanical device. A trumpet has all these moving parts to it. A saxophone, you have to shine it. You have to maintain it...it becomes part of you. And it becomes like a second voice.” A 2014 “State of the Arts” report by the New York City Department of Education found that “More than 42 percent of schools that lack either full-time or part-time certified arts teachers are located in the South Bronx and Central Brooklyn” and “Nearly half of the schools that lack both a certified arts teacher and an arts or cultural partnership are located in the South Bronx and Central Brooklyn” (1). These findings reflect the lack of avenues for artistic expression that Bobby observed.

The graph shows that middle school schools located in the Bronx tend to have a lower access to arts education compared to the other boroughs.

The chart shows that collaborations between schools and cultural centers within communities tends to be lowest among schools in the Bronx with similar rates throughout 2010-2016.

     However, there is reason to believe that the importance of arts education is gaining attention. The report states, that in addition to fostering a more creative and innovative labor force, arts education has a “positive influence on children and their academic attainment, social emotional development and future employment” (1). While the city describes an intention to improve access to dance, music, theatre, and visual arts, statistics demonstrate that there is not a trend toward sustained gains. For example, in the 2012-13 school year 46% of responding middle schools in the Bronx offered access to “At Least One Arts Sequence to Students in Grade 6-8” (NYC Dept. of Education 54)The figure increased to 53% in 2013-14 and then back to 46% in 2014-15; the Bronx consistently exhibited the lowest access to arts education in relation to other boroughs. Despite the lack of consistent gains in arts education in the South Bronx, the overall shift towards promoting the significance of arts education along with the invaluable work of community organizations creates a hopeful outlook of the South Bronx as a place that embraces the area’s cultural and social history as a way of empowering future voices and community developments. Whereas schools may not always offer access to the arts, community centers like the Bronx Music Heritage Center, where Bobby Sanabria is co-Artistic Director, are ensuring that younger generations inherit a sense of artistic identity through practices such as offering music lessons at affordable rates and hosting live performances open to the public.