Klarinet Archive - Posting 000849.txt from 2001/09

From: "Karl Krelove" <kkrelove@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Musicians in trouble
Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2001 13:35:23 -0400

The connection between the recent attacks and the plight of New York's
performing world, including the pit musicians, is pretty obvious. But I'm
not sure if you meant to connect the rest of the list to September 11 or
not. Most of the institutions and organizations on the list you've cited
were already in trouble on September 10. It seems to me this has been a
chronic problem in the arts for quite a long time - really, when I think
about it, musicians have been in hard times financially since I was old
enough to be aware of such things and, maybe, longer than that. What you're
indicating are symptoms of a lack of support for the arts that in the U.S.
has become part of the social fabric. Serious arts in general are seen as
elitist and the distinction between "popular" and "cultured" art has for a
long time been a barrier serious performers (in dance and theater as well as
music) have tried with no consistent success to breach. We face the same
problem in the schools - watch the budgeting process in any public school
system in the nation every spring. I'm completely in favor of what you've
suggested people do. But I only wish that buying some CD's or even going to
the theater a couple of more times this year would even dent the problem.

Sorry - it's one of my more pessimistic afternoons.

Karl Krelove

> -----Original Message-----
> From: HatNYC62@-----.com]
> Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2001 11:16 AM
> To: klarinet@-----.org
> Subject: [kl] Musicians in trouble
>
>
> It is no secret that the economy of our country is in crisis. How
> this and
> the awful attacks that have occured are affecting the
> professional musical
> community are just now becoming apparent. For instance:
>
> Half a dozen Broadway shows (each with an orchestra of 15-30
> players) have
> closed. Others have taken across the board pay cuts of as much as
> 25%. That's
> a lot of musicians out of work.
>
> The Orchestras of Toronto, Calgary and several others are near
> bankruptcy. In
> Calgary, the Board is asking the musicians to take a 16% pay cut
> effective
> immediately.
>
> The Shreveport Symphony is facing bankruptcy and is operating
> week to week.
>
> The Chicago Symphony will no longer have weekly radio broadcasts for the
> first time in over 25 years.
>
> The Philadelphia Orchestra is running a deficit.
>
> Major record labels are laying off huge numbers of employees.
>
> On the scene here in NYC, musicians are nervous and anxious. Work is
> evaporating.
>
> The only thing you can do to help is to support your local arts
> organizations
> any way you can. In addition, coming to NY and seeing a few shows
> (if you can
> afford it, of course) and concerts is what we need here. The
> mayor has asked
> the same things. Buy some cds now if you have been putting it off.
>
> David Hattner, NYC
> www.northbranchrecords.com
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>

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