Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Show me the money


Normally I won't blog unless I really have a strong opinion about a topic. There is such an issue that I would like to address in the hopes that it brings light to a growing concern in our country. I speak to the subject of the wide disparity of income that exists in America. This is a relevant political issue, but also a culturally significant issue. We're all mostly aware of the continuing economic war that's being waged against the poor and middle class Americans. +President Obama's valiant fight to ensure that people can earn a decent "living wage" has seemingly fallen upon deaf ears on Capitol Hill. It is shameful that in the 21st century, there is such resentment to making an attempt to give those with a decided disadvantage financially a chance to improve their financial situation and ability to provide and care for their families. America has long since been the land of the "Haves and Have nots". But as the demographics and face of the nation continue to change, the once strong majority is now rapidly becoming the minority and it is time to effect Change! The battle between the Left and Right over "Takers vs. Makers" should be moot. Obviously we live in a capitalistic society and there will always be some who achieve more than others. I am not suggesting that the everyone should earn the same because that goes against the grain of our economic beliefs and fact of the matter, there are those who find themselves in a position more favorable than others whether it be as a result of working harder than the next person or simply by privelege. Regardless, no one who is capable of working in this country should be starving and considered the Working Poor. My real issue however, deals with the lack of importance and relevance given to the culture of the Arts in America. As a professional musician and former high school and college athlete, I am shocked and astonished at the amount of money that is earned by professional athletes. I do realize that an athlete's career, with the exception of professional golf, has a very short shelf life. I get it that is necessary for most athletes (and their agents) to earn as much money as possible because the odds of them playing forever is highly unlikely. Recently +Joe Flacco signed an $120 million contract with a guaranteed $52 million. Kudos to him and his agent. Because football, of all the pro sports, is the most dangerous and usually warrants the shortest of career span, it is necessary to get as much as you can. Flacco isn't the only one. There are countless others including +Alex Rodriguez who have maximized their earning potential. There will be many more to come in the near future as well. But here's my problem with the whole scenario...all of these sports are just that; a sport. How can we consciously allow sports to become more significant than Art? There is such an emphasis on sports that it's one of America's biggest industries. Again it goes back to capitalism and the fact that private owners are able to call their own shots with little or no government intervention or regulation. Gone are the days that we focus on developing a skilled labor force to manufacture products and goods. They've largely been replaced by robotic technology or outsourcing. A prime example is our car industry; it is a shell of what it used to be. While at the same time, we're dealing with schools in my state of California who are drastically reducing the budget and availability of Art programs for students. What's the message that we're sending to the present and next generations? Is it that all we care about is how fast a person can run, how high they can jump, how far they can hit a ball, or how far they can throw a ball? Our cultural values have shifted and not in the right direction. Art and the culture associated with it dates back to the early civilizations of the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. Yes, I am mindful that the Greeks started the Olympics, but they also placed a solid emphasis on the cultural arts. Like all great cultures and empires, they realized that the only thing that really will survive the test of time is Art. Whether it's the ancient hieroglyphics, pyramids, or sculptures that were created thousands of years ago, they have lasted over the course of time. Aside from a sports record, very few athletics can make that claim. Even in our modern history, the works of the great masters like +Mozart, +Beethoven, +Michelangelo, +Leonardo Da Vinci, and many others are still to this day considered cultural treasures. No disrepect to +Wilt Chamberlain, but I highly doubt that scoring the most points in a basketball game equates to a masterpiece of fine art. So why do focus so much money and attention on something [sports] that simply does not measure up to the higher standards that we place on Art? And as a result, why are the majority of musicians and artists so vastly underpaid as it relates to their sports counterparts? Is our value that much less than that of an athlete? Really? It boggles my mind when I hear stories of professional musicians having to "pay to play". We are fortunate to have a union, and as a former member, I realized that without it musicians truly would be "Starving Artists". Music and art are a part of our everyday life. Imagine turning on the TV and not hearing any type of music in your favorite television show, commercial, or movie. It would be like the silent film era all over again. Just as I typed the letters TV, I realized another part of the problem. Sports are highly marketable and as a result people like to tune in on TV and radio and this drives big business and corporate sponsorship. For some reason, the same doesn't seem to be quite true for all forms of music and art. As a jazz musician, one would think that in a country where the art form was created, it would receive it's highest acclaim and reward. That is hardly the case! If it weren't for the respect given to jazz artists abroad in countries like Japan, Russia, and France (to name a few), jazz might have gone the way of the dinosaurs. With the +NEA recently getting the news that as a result of sequester more than 7.3 million of it's requested funds are in jeopardy of being cut, the nightmare continues. This means less concert performances, art gallery exhibitions, classes and instruction for youth, and and overall decline in the artistic quality of life. No where did I see any mention of sports programs being cut. I'm sure the budget will have some affect on high school and college sports programs, but the last time I checked, those athletes aren't supposed to get paid. It is after all, a recreational sporting activity. Unlike the works that the NEA funds, artists who normally survive off grants are potentially in jeopardy of not having means to sustain themselves or their respective art forms. Do I have a solution? Perhaps? Much like the +Medici family of Italy, one of the great patrons of the Arts, we need more private support. It would be nice to see some of the owner's of some professional sports team get behind the cause and support the Arts on a bigger, national level. We are fortunate that charitable foundations such as +Doris Duke Foundation are staunch supporters of the Arts. But they can't do it all. Obviously we can't rely on the government to ensure the lasting survival of the Arts. If enough support can be garnered to influence our representatives to take action to right the cultural ship of America and pass legislation that guarantees funding for the arts will never decrease, but rather increase, then perhaps there is hope. But judging by the inability for Capitol Hill to find any common ground on the issues such as the budget and gun control, I'm not holding my breath for the passage of a Save the Arts bill anytime soon. But this is why I write, in the hopes that someone else will be in agreement with me and together we can eventually make CHANGE happen and reform our broken system. After all, it was +Mitt Romney (to paraphrase) who said, "Big Bird's gotta go." Recently a young drummer told me that although he loves playing music, he sees no way of making money in it; therefore, he's going to choose a different profession to pursue. That was quite disheartening and alarming. It would be a shame to see the efforts of great American pioneers like +Thelonius Monk, +Miles Davis, +Alvin Ailey, +Martha Graham, +Georgia O'Keeffe, +Jean-Michel Basquiat be for naught and that the next generation of pioneers not even have a chance to discover their talents because of the lack of funding for Art in schools and worse the reality that there is no money to be made in the pursuit of Art. If my words have stirred you, then by all means make some noise. April 9, 2013 is the annual +National Arts Advocacy Day. Take part and let your voice be heard.

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