I just came across this video. It cracked me up the whole time. I do understand where he is coming from, though, as the trombones sometimes get the same treatment. And for sure the french horns do when it comes to marches. This is a great video, hope you enjoy! I know I did! I couldn't stop laughing!
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
A Secretary of the Arts?
Here is an interesting article I came across earlier today. I find it an interesting idea, and there are many valid points made throughout the article. I think that many of you would like to read it as well.
A Secretary of the Arts ... it's music to his ears
Published: Sunday, January 18, 2009 at 1:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Monday, January 19, 2009 at 9:50 a.m.
We all get asked to sign petitions from time to time, for everything from politicians trying to get their names on a ballot to proposals to fix roads, support baseball, go green or some crazier, half-baked ideas.
In our newsroom, employees are discouraged from signing petitions because we don't want to seem biased for or against a candidate or an issue that we may end up having to cover at some point in the future.
Today's seemingly simple petition drive can turn into tomorrow's controversy.
Then I got an e-mail petition forwarded to me last week designed to encourage Barack Obama to create a new Secretary of the Arts soon after he takes the oath of office on Tuesday. The petition drive was supposedly triggered by a comment that musician and producer Quincy Jones made in an interview after the election. Jones is quoted as saying that the "next conversation I have with President Obama is to beg for a Secretary of Arts."
In a time of financial upheaval, I don't see this happening in the near future. The pessimist in me doesn't see it happening in my lifetime.
But forget reality for a moment, like the cost of creating a new agency for which the government has no money.
It is a wonderful idea on a number of levels.
Don't dwell on the thought of more bureaucracy, but consider the possibilities of having someone with some real authority to speak up in support of the arts that enrich all our lives.
Yes, we have a National Endowment for the Arts and a National Endowment for the Humanities, but these woefully underfunded agencies have been slashed to shells of their once glorious selves in the last decade.
The two agencies have been a lifeblood to artists and arts organizations bringing culture to communities large and small outside the urban centers.
This nation needs more.
Yes, we have some major problems that need fixing, from unemployment to health care to deteriorating roadways and concerns about schools.
But creating such a new position could be a start to building our appreciation and awareness of what the arts do for our souls and intelligence, and how we look at the world around us.
We also can't forget the financial contribution arts organizations make to their communities by getting people out of their homes and into restaurants and other businesses. Arts organizations create jobs for artists, designers, actors, musicians, dancers and others, and they spend money for supplies that help support other businesses before each opening of a show or event.
More importantly, at least in my mind, a Secretary of the Arts could be some sort of national cheerleader for the arts, to make sure that communities and school districts around the country realize how important arts are to our lives and our education system. I shudder to think of the number of children who haven't been exposed to any kind of music because their schools can't afford the teachers or the instruments, and what they lose out on in the future. Studies have frequently shown that students learn better if their studies include the arts.
President-elect Obama actually had a strongly worded platform about the arts, which said, in part: "To remain competitive in the global economy, America needs to reinvigorate the kind of creativity and innovation that has made this country great. To do so, we must nourish our children's creative skills. In addition to giving our children the science and math skills they need to compete in the new global context, we should also encourage the ability to think creatively that comes from a meaningful arts education."
That's music to my ears.
But it requires a change in attitude among millions who have never had that kind of exposure or realized the value the arts can have their lives and therefore have not supported the use of tax monies to help strengthen our education system and our communities.
Will this ever happen? Well, where would the arts be without the dreamers who see things that could happen?
I don't know if the petition drive will lead to anything, but you can find it at petitiononline.com/esnyc/petition.html.
A Secretary of the Arts ... it's music to his ears
Published: Sunday, January 18, 2009 at 1:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Monday, January 19, 2009 at 9:50 a.m.
We all get asked to sign petitions from time to time, for everything from politicians trying to get their names on a ballot to proposals to fix roads, support baseball, go green or some crazier, half-baked ideas.
In our newsroom, employees are discouraged from signing petitions because we don't want to seem biased for or against a candidate or an issue that we may end up having to cover at some point in the future.
Today's seemingly simple petition drive can turn into tomorrow's controversy.
Then I got an e-mail petition forwarded to me last week designed to encourage Barack Obama to create a new Secretary of the Arts soon after he takes the oath of office on Tuesday. The petition drive was supposedly triggered by a comment that musician and producer Quincy Jones made in an interview after the election. Jones is quoted as saying that the "next conversation I have with President Obama is to beg for a Secretary of Arts."
In a time of financial upheaval, I don't see this happening in the near future. The pessimist in me doesn't see it happening in my lifetime.
But forget reality for a moment, like the cost of creating a new agency for which the government has no money.
It is a wonderful idea on a number of levels.
Don't dwell on the thought of more bureaucracy, but consider the possibilities of having someone with some real authority to speak up in support of the arts that enrich all our lives.
Yes, we have a National Endowment for the Arts and a National Endowment for the Humanities, but these woefully underfunded agencies have been slashed to shells of their once glorious selves in the last decade.
The two agencies have been a lifeblood to artists and arts organizations bringing culture to communities large and small outside the urban centers.
This nation needs more.
Yes, we have some major problems that need fixing, from unemployment to health care to deteriorating roadways and concerns about schools.
But creating such a new position could be a start to building our appreciation and awareness of what the arts do for our souls and intelligence, and how we look at the world around us.
We also can't forget the financial contribution arts organizations make to their communities by getting people out of their homes and into restaurants and other businesses. Arts organizations create jobs for artists, designers, actors, musicians, dancers and others, and they spend money for supplies that help support other businesses before each opening of a show or event.
More importantly, at least in my mind, a Secretary of the Arts could be some sort of national cheerleader for the arts, to make sure that communities and school districts around the country realize how important arts are to our lives and our education system. I shudder to think of the number of children who haven't been exposed to any kind of music because their schools can't afford the teachers or the instruments, and what they lose out on in the future. Studies have frequently shown that students learn better if their studies include the arts.
President-elect Obama actually had a strongly worded platform about the arts, which said, in part: "To remain competitive in the global economy, America needs to reinvigorate the kind of creativity and innovation that has made this country great. To do so, we must nourish our children's creative skills. In addition to giving our children the science and math skills they need to compete in the new global context, we should also encourage the ability to think creatively that comes from a meaningful arts education."
That's music to my ears.
But it requires a change in attitude among millions who have never had that kind of exposure or realized the value the arts can have their lives and therefore have not supported the use of tax monies to help strengthen our education system and our communities.
Will this ever happen? Well, where would the arts be without the dreamers who see things that could happen?
I don't know if the petition drive will lead to anything, but you can find it at petitiononline.com/esnyc/petition.html.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Back To School
After a month off from anything academic, I am now back at LSU and classes have started again. It was nice relaxing while it lasted, though I did miss being here with all my friends down here and everything (oh, and the warmer weather...highs have been in the mid-upper 50's and we're forecast to be in the low 60's next week).
Over the break, I had to travel back down here and then over to Atlanta for the Chick Fil'A bowl. It was a great game, a great win for our football team 38-3 over Georgia Tech after a very disappointing 7-5 regular season. In the final polls we did not end up being ranked, but we did receive a fair number of votes.
Here are two pictures from the game. The second one is the Georgia Tech band in the stands and what fans remained towards the end of the 3rd quarter across the stadium from the LSU section (which ended up being only like maybe 15-20% AT MOST) and the first is the LSU section on the bottom level.
Over the break, I had to travel back down here and then over to Atlanta for the Chick Fil'A bowl. It was a great game, a great win for our football team 38-3 over Georgia Tech after a very disappointing 7-5 regular season. In the final polls we did not end up being ranked, but we did receive a fair number of votes.
Here are two pictures from the game. The second one is the Georgia Tech band in the stands and what fans remained towards the end of the 3rd quarter across the stadium from the LSU section (which ended up being only like maybe 15-20% AT MOST) and the first is the LSU section on the bottom level.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Christmas Photos
Here is a picture of the table set for today's meal as well as the centerpiece, a bowl filled with ornaments.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Wynton Speaks...
Here's a little video (yes, another, they seem popular these days, aren't they?) of Wynton Marsalis talking about the wind instrumentation of a big band jazz band. I'd say I agree with most of what he says, except maybe his last statement...that might be a little questionable.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Snow Totals
So for everyone who is trying to comprehend why I'm making such a big deal about a little snow, here is why:
Several of my friends this was the first time they had ever seen snow.
Others this was only the 2nd or 3rd time they had ever seen snow.
Many others said that they have never seen as much snow as we got.
Remember, I am in south Louisiana, right by the gulf coast. Directly due west of the Florida panhandle. Just the thought of snow is a huge deal down here. Here are some snow totals for the area and their relative locations to LSU:
Zachary, 5.5" (a little due North of Baton Rouge. I think maybe about a 15-30 minute drive once you get out of the city itself?)
Baton Rouge, 3.0" (where the LSU campus is, where I am)
Mandeville, 2.5" (about an hour or so West of here. Mandeville is on the northern shore of Lake Pontchartrain)
New Orleans, 1.0" (about and hour West-Southwest of here. It is on the southern shor of Lake Pontchartrain)
So as you can see, this was by Canadian standards, not too big of an event. A few inches, nothing too much to worry about. By Virginia standards, it was about average. The Zachary total being above average, but not extremely rare in the DC area. However, down here, this is unheard of. Snow is rare down this far south. The chances of a white Christmas here are practically zero. The chance of snow at all from the beginning of December until the end of February, again, close to zero. That is why it is such a big deal down here. A snow event like this is extremely rare, and makes a lot of people who never see snow, but want to, extremely happy.
I must say, it was very nice being woken up at 6AM to a door opening and closing and knocking on doors in the room next to mine to see snow piling up in the grass. I wasn't expecting to see it, either, because I know how rare it is down here. Even though it is something that is so normal for me, I still am making such a big deal out of it, just like everyone else. I guess its because its something so rare here and its cool to see it. Death Valley with snow in it? No way! But it did!
Something amusing: in one semester here at LSU you could practically say I've seen everything that one needs to see. The semester started with a hurricane, Gustav. And now it ended with a nice pleasant snow "storm" in the middle of finals (which are going very well so far)!
Several of my friends this was the first time they had ever seen snow.
Others this was only the 2nd or 3rd time they had ever seen snow.
Many others said that they have never seen as much snow as we got.
Remember, I am in south Louisiana, right by the gulf coast. Directly due west of the Florida panhandle. Just the thought of snow is a huge deal down here. Here are some snow totals for the area and their relative locations to LSU:
Zachary, 5.5" (a little due North of Baton Rouge. I think maybe about a 15-30 minute drive once you get out of the city itself?)
Baton Rouge, 3.0" (where the LSU campus is, where I am)
Mandeville, 2.5" (about an hour or so West of here. Mandeville is on the northern shore of Lake Pontchartrain)
New Orleans, 1.0" (about and hour West-Southwest of here. It is on the southern shor of Lake Pontchartrain)
So as you can see, this was by Canadian standards, not too big of an event. A few inches, nothing too much to worry about. By Virginia standards, it was about average. The Zachary total being above average, but not extremely rare in the DC area. However, down here, this is unheard of. Snow is rare down this far south. The chances of a white Christmas here are practically zero. The chance of snow at all from the beginning of December until the end of February, again, close to zero. That is why it is such a big deal down here. A snow event like this is extremely rare, and makes a lot of people who never see snow, but want to, extremely happy.
I must say, it was very nice being woken up at 6AM to a door opening and closing and knocking on doors in the room next to mine to see snow piling up in the grass. I wasn't expecting to see it, either, because I know how rare it is down here. Even though it is something that is so normal for me, I still am making such a big deal out of it, just like everyone else. I guess its because its something so rare here and its cool to see it. Death Valley with snow in it? No way! But it did!
Something amusing: in one semester here at LSU you could practically say I've seen everything that one needs to see. The semester started with a hurricane, Gustav. And now it ended with a nice pleasant snow "storm" in the middle of finals (which are going very well so far)!
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