Ep. 29 - Stanford Thompson (Executive Director, Equity Arc & Founder, Play on Philly): Where Musi...

Host Mark Li sits down with Stanford Thompson, Executive Director of Equity Arc and founder of Play On Philly, for a conversation on music, leadership, and the power of belonging. From his early years as a trumpet student at the Curtis Institute of Music to studying Venezuela's El Sistema movement and building two nationally recognized organizations, Thompson reflects on the experiences that shaped his belief that artistic excellence and educational opportunity go hand in hand. Together, Mark and Stanford explore the future of classical music, coalition-building, identity, and the role artists can play beyond the concert hall. They discuss Equity Arc's mission to expand pathways for young musicians, the importance of community and representation, lessons from the nationally publicized U.S. Marine Band controversy, and why the arts remain a powerful force for civic engagement and social change.