Support The Arts

Welcome back Dear Readers.

So nice to see you.

In today's Washington Post

Anne Midgette writes a very nice article on how

(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/23/AR2010042300047.html)

The Obama White House 

might better support

American Classical Music.

This article reminded me of how poorly 

The Arts are supported in general.

I thought back to the hundreds of concerts I've been to 

and to how few, if any, 

 Heads of State were ever in attendance.

I have often looked up to The Presidential Box

at The Kennedy Center and seen complete strangers. 

Our papers are peppered with pictures of Obama at basketball games, shooting hoops,

throwing out the first pitch...

wouldn't it have been nice seeing The Obama's at the recent Mitsuko Uchida concert?

Anne suggested a number of interesting concert possibilities which included performances of the music of some of our finest contemporary American Composers:

Steve Reich

Meredith Monk

 & William Bolcom

To that I suggested:

Obama might introduce John Adams when he's in town next month conducting a number of concerts of his own works. 

That Obama might organize a concert

Song of Remembrance

In Honor of President Lech Kaczynski & his wife,

and colleagues who died so tragically in that plane crash a couple weeks ago. 

The concert could be a combination of the upcoming 

Maurizio Pollini concert of the works of Chopin.

The Paderewski Piano Concerto

(Paderewski was the virtuoso Polish pianist, composer, diplomat, politician, 

and Third Prime Minister of The Republic of Poland) 

and jazz

by Polish Jazz Great

Tomasz Stanko.  

As a PS to the article I suggested performances of a couple other

 contemporary American Composers of note:

Lowell Liebermann

and

Peter Lieberson.

Anne's article also made me think of how in general The Arts are neglected. 

I was reminded of the beautiful inscriptions on the walls of 

The Kennedy Center.

All of you Dear Readers, 

throughout the world, need to read this. 

You need to remind those governing you of the importance of The Arts.

That The Arts are crucial to mankind. 

We must put down our guns

and pick up our batons

and paint brushes.

"President Kennedy was a great supporter of the arts; inscribed on the walls of the River Terrace, just outside the Grand Foyer, you will find quotes from speeches in which he spoke of his vision for America's cultural life.

 THERE IS A CONNECTION, HARD TO EXPLAIN LOGICALLY BUT EASY TO FEEL, BETWEEN ACHIEVEMENT IN PUBLIC LIFE AND PROGRESS IN THE ARTS. THE AGE OF PERICLES WAS ALSO THE AGE OF PHIDIAS. THE AGE OF LORENZO DE MEDICI WAS ALSO THE AGE OF LEONARDO DA VINCI, THE AGE OF ELIZABETH ALSO THE AGE OF SHAKESPEARE, AND THE NEW FRONTIER FOR WHICH I CAMPAIGN IN PUBLIC LIFE, CAN ALSO BE A NEW FRONTIER FOR AMERICAN ART. Letter to Miss Theodate Johnson, Publisher, Musical America, September 13, 1960

 I AM CERTAIN THAT AFTER THE DUST OF CENTURIES HAS PASSED OVER OUR CITIES, WE, TOO, WILL BE REMEMBERED NOT FOR VICTORIES OR DEFEATS IN BATTLE OR IN POLITICS, BUT FOR OUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE HUMAN SPIRIT. On behalf of the National Cultural Center which would come to bear his name November 29, 1962 

TO FURTHER THE APPRECIATION OF CULTURE AMONG ALL THE PEOPLE. TO INCREASE RESPECT FOR THE CREATIVE INDIVIDUAL, TO WIDEN PARTICIPATION BY ALL THE PROCESSES AND FULFILLMENTS OF ART — THIS IS ONE OF THE FASCINATING CHALLENGES OF THESE DAYS." The Arts in America,” Look, December 18, 1962 

THIS COUNTRY CANNOT AFFORD TO BE MATERIALLY RICH AND SPIRITUALLY POOR. State of the Union Message, January 14, 1963

 I LOOK FORWARD TO AN AMERICA WHICH WILL REWARD ACHIEVEMENT IN THE ARTS AS WE REWARD ACHIEVEMENT IN BUSINESS OR STATECRAFT. I LOOK FORWARD TO AN AMERICA WHICH WILL STEADILY RAISE THE STANDARDS OF ARTISTIC ACCOMPLISHMENT AND WHICH WILL STEADILY ENLARGE CULTURAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL OF OUR CITIZENS. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO AN AMERICA WHICH COMMANDS RESPECT THROUGHOUT THE WORLD NOT ONLY FOR ITS STRENGTH BUT FOR ITS CIVILIZATION AS WELL. At Amherst College, October 26, 1963

 I LOOK FORWARD TO AN AMERICA WHICH WILL NOT BE AFRAID OF GRACE AND BEAUTY. At Amherst College, October 26, 1963"

I am hoping all of you, Dear Readers, can read and understand this.
And I would love to hear from all of you, all over the world, 
to hear your thoughts on this matter.