 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2004-04-14 18:45
Meanwhile, the mayor of Washington, DC is promoting a $400M baseball stadium, to be completely publicly-funded, while the schools aren't even teaching the kids to read any more (maybe because they're getting so much lead in their drinking water.....). Is there anything wrong with this picture? Where the hell are our priorities, as a nation?
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Author: GBK
Date: 2004-04-14 18:50
"The dumbing down of America", continued.
New cultural projects do not generate political votes.
New sports arenas do...GBK
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Author: ron b
Date: 2004-04-14 19:40
Something's DEFINITELY wrong with the picture, Dave. I don't know whether it's the drinking water or the new ceiling tiles but, things are getting more out of balance year by year... at least in this neck o' the west coast woods.
Some [central] California middle schools are loosing their funding for P.E. teachers (does THAT make sense???) as well as arts programs instructors. Ten year, twenty year teachers are getting pink slips instead of contracts for next year. Readin', Writin' and 'ritimetic teachers have been told to prepare to "take up the slack". As if the Three-R's teachers haven't enough to do trying to inspire some kids to read a job application form... much less, fill it out....
GBK's summary, I guess, is probably as close to the truth as we're gonna get any time soon.
- ron b -
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Author: potatohead
Date: 2004-04-15 01:17
In Florida, they are trying to mandate P.E. for middle schools and adding another required credit (of P.E.) to graduate high school. At the middle school here, the only art they offer are band and chorus, and they only get one elective. If that's automatically decided at P.E., band will disappear and that will stop feeding to the high schools... the whole system may collapse: at least in this county. They passed the first session for this. This saddens me quite a bit.
-MG
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Author: redkel
Date: 2004-04-15 02:08
Small schools in our area haven't been funding the arts for several years. My school's music department (that's instrumental and vocal) budget has been $300 (again, that's 5th thru 12th grades) for the past 3 years. $300 buys marching band music for one football season. Thank goodness for the booster organization. They even pay our way to football games (the school does not foot the bill for bus transportation -- we do).
The drama club was cut this year -- how sad for the students participating. They're not renewing the Asst. Band Director position (that's me) for next year. I was handling all the outside performances and assemblies, plus teaching (even though I'm not paid to do that). Marching band may not exist this fall because they've also cut the supplemental contract for the Band Director to handle band camp and after school practices. Needless to say -- ALL of the coaches, asst. coaches and asst. asst. coaches will be returning to "help teach sportsmanship and values to our young people."
The students are disheartened to say the least. They love the arts, but feel the adults in charge of things just don't care about them. We average 1-2 students per year that pursue music degrees (usually music ed) from our school. For our size, that is a great achievement. I fear that there will be fewer music educators and performers now that TPTB (the powers that be) have made it so difficult.
All I can say is -- THANK YOU to all music educators and performers everywhere. Let's keep our chins above the sludge and keep shouting. Somebody has got to hear us.
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Author: Mark P. Jasuta
Date: 2004-04-15 02:41
I feel guilty for saying this based on what has been said so far but my daughters school district just completed a complete renovation and expansion of the music department and auditorium. (The auditorium was finished this past November just in time for the holiday concerts.)
A whole section in the front of the high school is for music. There are acoustic improvements to the band rooms and auditorium. The PA system even includes a programable metronome.
Regards
Mark
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2004-04-15 03:06
Don't feel guilty! You've given us that ray of light! A faint glimmer of hope! MAYBE someday others will follow suit. Hopefully . . .
US Army Japan Band
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Author: fmadison
Date: 2004-04-17 13:21
Hi,
Well I don't know about L.A., New York or Philly but down here in Miami:
The Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners approved a comprehensive, $334 million capital budget to build the Performing Arts Center of Greater Miami (PAC)
You can check all the details here:
http://www.co.miami-dade.fl.us/pac/
Over a quarter billion bucks....
-Frank
It's the wood that makes it good!
Post Edited (2004-04-17 13:24)
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Author: Karel
Date: 2004-04-18 03:49
Hank, such government stupidity is not restricted to the arts. In my town in Australia the clowns in charge (State Govt.) are replacing a 40 yr old adequately functioning public hospital with a new one costing $50M. Even now there is already a funding crisis for staffing of the present one. Still, they may be counting on cutting costs because the new hospital is considerably smaller than the one it will replace, although our population is rising. By comparison, some 10 yrs ago the order of The Sisters of Mercy built a similar sized private hospital (65 beds) for $7M. The quality of the people we elect to govern us does make one despair.
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