Posted by Rick Denney on May 06, 2003 at 13:35:35:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Our business posted by Taxes for the Arts on May 06, 2003 at 12:58:12:
Yes, whatever is the ideal, getting from here to there is the tricky bit, especially in the context of our friends who are losing their jobs.
But government funding without the general support of the people is doomed. I don't think there is general support among average citizens for orchestral music in their town, else there would be fewer empty seats. So, yes, we might get by using grantsmanship and the political arts, but we aren't solving the problem and we are only putting off the inevitable.
Over the last few decades, we've seen a rise in professional orchestras that I think is related to the general trend of urbanization. But we've also seen a decline in regard for orchestral music (except at the movies). There are many reasons. One that we don't hear about much is the amplification of everything these days. Everything is so loud, that acoustic orchestras just don't compare any more. Another is the rise in daily activity. Society offers so many choices of how we spend our time that we can hardly stay awake through a Friday-night concert that doesn't start until 8. Part of it is the trend towards casual living, which is quite opposite of the usual dress-up tux-and-formal-on-display appearance of most symphony concerts. Part of it is the cost. With all due respect to my friend Ken Sloan, taking a family of five to the orchestra would cost a coupla hundred bucks in many cities. And getting your name in the program in some cities, even at the lowest level, would cost more than the academic salary at the University of Alabama (Birmingham's ego list is probably a bit easier to reach). Mostly it is that people don't do that sort of music and therefore don't appreciate it.
These are the problems we have to address. Getting another grant from the government without addressing these problems is just a band-aid on compound fracture.
Rick "who might support a band-aid but who doesn't think it solves anything" Denney