CREATIVE EVOLUTIONS

Momentum 2026 is a rolling national initiative designed to expand the range of choices and approaches available to the creative and socially-centered groups of people in the United States and beyond. Here, Dr. Lee Bynum responds to the Lighthouse Speaker Prompt & Calida N. Jones' Plenary Speech at the TCG Conference 2026 in San Juan. Across multiple gatherings over the summer, participants will collectively surface, test, stretch, and document alternative possibilities for how organizations can be structured and led. This is not a space for debating whether traditional models are good or bad. It is a space for expanding the field’s imagination and agency. Momentum is convened by Creative Evolutions in partnership with https://www.youtube.com/@TheatreCommunicationsGroup and university hosts across the country. http://MomentumRevolutions.com Instagram: / creativeevolutionsecosystem LinkedIn: /company/creative-evolutions/ Bluesky: /http://creativeevolutions.bsky.social Facebook:/ creativeevoutionsecosystem Learn more about Creative Evolutions at: http://www.creativeevolutions.com For general questions, you can reach the team at: mailto:momentum@creativeevolutions.com

This video was produced in partnership with Detroit Public Television and Elevate Production Group. Speakers from left to right: Calida Jones Naomi Gonzalez Camille Delaney-McNeil Adriane Jefferson

Calida N. Jones is an accomplished musician, social justice advocate, and educator with more than 25 years of experience in performance planning, workshop and curriculum development, volunteerism, project management, and teaching in private and public institutions. Working with arts and cultural organizations across the nation, she has led efforts to advance equity, diversity, inclusion, and access. Passionate about intentional, purposeful teaching and community engagement, her mission is to ensure that children with limited resources have access to musical opportunities and activities. She is also deeply committed to correlating the art of teaching to life skills and community building through the lenses of equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility.She continues to be a regularly sought-after international speaker, coach, violinist, and music educator. Calida activates her philosophy of community building, inspiration, actionable solutions, and hope through motivational speeches, workshops, and coaching individuals all over the globe. Most notably, she recently had the opportunity to speak to over 500 thousand individuals in Amravati, India. There, she shared the “Impact of Kindness”. A TEDx speaker in San Jose, CA, Calida has had the privilege of speaking at prestigious institutions such as the Yale School of Music, Duke University, the Connecticut State Capitol, and the Hartt School. She has received numerous honors during her career, including a scholar fellowship at the Aspen Ideas Festival, the Elizabeth L. Mahaffey Fellowship, a Grammy Music Educator Award nomination, the Connecticut Arts Hero Award for the Waterbury region, and the Father Thomas H. Dwyer Humanitarian Award for her work in Waterbury, Connecticut.In addition to being the founder of CNJ Associates, she also recently co-founded an arts ecosystem called Creative Evolutions, a human-centered adaptive ecosystem that creates actionable solutions for creative individuals and organizations.Calida has sat on many boards, including the El Sistema USA board, the Sound Crossings Music Board, Connecticut Arts Alliance (former Board-Chair), and as a councilwoman for the Connecticut State Arts Council. Calida holds a bachelor of fine arts degree in violin performance from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a master of music degree in violin performance and Suzuki pedagogy from The Hartt School. For more information on Calida, and Creative Evolutions, please go to www.cnjassociates.com

Should we hold our students to the same standards we hold our Teaching Artists? There's no single formula for impact, however transparency and accountability will raise the level and intensity of impact possible for young musicians. Calida will explore different scenarios of passive vs. active impact in a social change music program. Calida is an accomplished musician, entrepreneur, and educator who is passionate about using music to change the trajectory of children’s lives. She co-founded and is currently the Artistic Director of Bravo Waterbury! (Bravo), an El Sistema inspired education initiative of the Waterbury Symphony Orchestra in Waterbury, Connecticut. Including her work in El Sistema, Calida is one of many national leaders in the work of social change through music. Her work has allowed her to travel to countries such as Venezuela, Brazil, and Hong Kong. She maintains an active performing and lecture schedule. She has spoken multiple times at the prestigious Yale School of Music, The Connecticut State Capitol and the Suzuki Association of the Americas Conference in Minnesota. Calida was nominated for the Grammy Music Educator's Award in 2013, and was recently honored as a recipient of the Father Thomas H. Dwyer Humanitarian award for the City of Waterbury. Calida is currently a board member of Connecticut's Arts Alliance Organization as well as El Sistema USA. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx