Tag: 02.26.03

Why Cut The Arts?

Why are the nation’s governors and legislatures talking about zeroing out (or at least severely slashing) arts funding, when such cuts will be less than a drop in the bucket of spending cuts and tax increases most states will need to balance their bloated budgets this year? The arts are always a popular target for conservative policymakers, but on a fiscal level, the proposed cuts make no sense. Not only does public support of the arts tend to result in more money flowing back into state and local coffers than going out, but the cuts will, in the long run, likely have a negative impact on the economic quality of life in the affected states.

Paying For Piracy in Canada

A series of long-awaited and controversial payouts to musicians, composers, and music publishers has begun in Canada, using money generated by a tax on blank, recordable CDs. The tax was designed to provide a method for compensating music industry professionals for the effects of illegal music piracy. The payout began “right around the time the [industry] was appearing before the Canadian Copyright Board in Ottawa to ask for both significant increases in the levies it’s already been charging and an extension of the levy to computer hard drives, MP3 players, mobile phones and other media.”

Life Of Pi Beaten By Stupid White Guy

Satirist Michael Moore picked up the top prize at this week’s British Book Awards, winning for his indictment of conservative U.S. policy, Stupid White Men. Moore beat out a strange field of competitors including Booker-winning author Yann Martel (Life of Pi) and a star player for the Manchester United soccer team, who wrote a best-selling autobiography. The award carries no prize money, which is probably all the same to Moore, who has also been carrying home prizes by the truckload for his last film, Bowling For Columbine.

Boston Merger

Boston’s Wang Center for the Performing Arts and the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, which presents free summer productions, are merging their business operations together in an effort to streamline fundraising and marketing efforts. Each company will maintain its own distinct identity, but the agreement “formalizes and underscores the Wang’s sponsorship of CSC during the past two summer seasons. As CSC’s major underwriter, the Wang has contributed $200,000 in cash and thousands of dollars in ‘in-kind services,’ according to Maler.”

Everybody Sing!

Singing in choirs is the most popular performing arts activity in the U.S., according to a new study, with better than 28 million Americans (about 10% of the total population) singing in some sort of organized chorus. “The study found a link between early exposure to choral singing and adult participation in choruses. More than half of adult singers had grown up in a household that included a chorus member, and nearly 70 percent had first sung in elementary or middle school.”

Broadway Musicians May Strike Next Week

Contract talks between Broadway producers and the musicians union have stalled, and musicians say they may strike next week. “Musicians who work in the orchestra pits of old Broadway standbys like ‘Phantom of the Opera’ and new hits like ‘Hairspray’ said on Tuesday they might walk off the job after their union contract expires on Sunday.” Producers are preparing to use recorded music.