Okay, I KNOW that what I'm about to comment on has absolutely NOTHING to do with our class - or really related directly to public policy - though it is related to music.
The current name all a buzz around twitter and facebook these days has been...
REBECCA BLACK.
For those of you who know and have experienced her sweet and melodious vocal style, and have been swooned by her innate talent while inculcating the deepest and purest of emotions - all while using autotune....should skip this video.
However, if you haven't treated yourself to Rebecca's sumptuous lyrical style, DO SO NOW!
I don't know about you, but every time I watch this, I definitely start dry heaving.
Okay now read this AMAZING article on Yahoo (I know you're probably asking, "Since when has Yahoo put out any articles worth reading?" I agree, but read for the comedy factor.)
Uhm, are we really serious? Is this a joke, a digital sketch by SNL?
I sure hope so.
If I'm putting this into perspective, and looking at how this particularly tripe reflects on the community as a whole...tells me that...the demographic I'll be marketing to likes...well...tripe?
Either it'll be really easy to market against this...are like fighting a bull with a banana...
(think about that last one for a minute...and then continue)
I'm baffled at how people even think this good, even with no prior background or knowledge in music. Pull out my iPod and flip through my playlists and you'll definitely find some trash in there, but at least it's quality trash!!
Lord Jesus...if this any idea of what we're in for 10 years down the road...just rip my ears off now please.
Cheers!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Question of the Hour
You think the CSO's multiple sell-outs this season are a direct result of the maestros last year?
Or maybe because people love the arts in Cincinnati?
We should use this positive bit of information as fuel to motivate even more citizens to get involved and participate in more arts and cultural activities around the city.
If it were me, I wouldn't be trying to answer this question, or really even present it. Makes me feel as though we're trying to demystify the fact that people are invested in the arts
The comment in the Enquirers blog, however, absolutely made me laugh and realize just how infrequent people think about their comments. The commentator questioned why the Symphony was renovating the Hall to lower the number of seats after so many sell outs.
I'm not going to answer his question because it just makes sense why they're doing the renovation. Not to mention that I've taken the time to READ articles and blogs about the renovation - you know, to educate myself.
Seems like we will inevitably be fighting the battle of ignorance for the rest of our careers.
Fight ON, friends. FIGHT ON!
Here's a link fo yo' readin' pleasure:
"Why are symphony concerts selling out?" by J. Gelfand
Or maybe because people love the arts in Cincinnati?
We should use this positive bit of information as fuel to motivate even more citizens to get involved and participate in more arts and cultural activities around the city.
If it were me, I wouldn't be trying to answer this question, or really even present it. Makes me feel as though we're trying to demystify the fact that people are invested in the arts
The comment in the Enquirers blog, however, absolutely made me laugh and realize just how infrequent people think about their comments. The commentator questioned why the Symphony was renovating the Hall to lower the number of seats after so many sell outs.
I'm not going to answer his question because it just makes sense why they're doing the renovation. Not to mention that I've taken the time to READ articles and blogs about the renovation - you know, to educate myself.
Seems like we will inevitably be fighting the battle of ignorance for the rest of our careers.
Fight ON, friends. FIGHT ON!
Here's a link fo yo' readin' pleasure:
"Why are symphony concerts selling out?" by J. Gelfand
City Council on 2/24
All in all, this meeting was not very eventful. I was expecting more deliberation and more drama. All this talk about the city manager got me wondering what a city manager was and what one did. Below is the answer.
The Cincinnati city manager is this man:
His name is Milton Dohoney, Jr., and he was appointed to the position in 2006. Below is a list of his duties, as stated on the City of Cincinnati webiste.
The City Manager is responsible for providing and maintaining the essential City services through the efficient and effective management and operation of the City. The City provides many basic services to the citizens of Cincinnati, including fire and police protection, solid waste management, recreational activities, greenspace management, community and economic development, water and sewer management, and maintenance of the public infrastructure.
The City Manager delegates responsibility and coordinates the many tasks performed daily by City employees. The Mayor and City Council determine policies and set direction for the City through legislative measures, but the execution of policy is the paramount responsibility of the City Manager.
The City Manager executes the policy direction set by the Mayor and City Council through the management of 17 City departments and approximately 5,300 employees.
El Sistema USA- a Growing Public Policy
This article posted yesterday by on npr.org discusses the formation of El Sistema nucleo in the US. If you don't know what El Sistema is, read the wiki article here. As related to public policy, the most important factor about the original program in Venezuela is that it is entirely government funded. Thus presents the problem in the us.
"El Sistema as it is in Venezuela will never happen in the United States. It's not possible," says Richard Kessler, the executive director of New York City's Center for Arts Education."It's not possible for the program to be embraced by the social service and child welfare agencies, and be connected to a national health care system that we don't have. Our government does not fund the arts on that kind of level, on that sort of basis. So what happens is El Sistema has to be translated into something that's American and I think in the translation, generally speaking, it doesn't look very different than many very good youth orchestra programs."
Nuclei are becoming established in major cities all over the country, all at little or no cost to participants. This movement is going across the country- let's all help to keep it going!
Are Musician-Owned Orchestras a Viable Long-Term Option?
While doing some research to find out the events leading to the current states of the orchestras in Detroit and Louisville, I stumbled across some information about the Louisiana Philharmonic. Everything I read about it sounded great. They are “musician-owned and -operated,” plus the orchestra has been able to generate decent ticket sales. And the quality of the musicians, from what I hear, is quite good. What could be better?
But I recently had a conversation with a former member of the Louisiana Phil, and he argued that it wasn't all for the best. Because there is no collective bargaining through the union (they'd be bargaining against themselves, essentially), individual musicians pretty much have to trust that they will be justly compensated with benefits and salary. And considering the quality of the musicians in the orchestra, they are vastly underpaid. Consequently, many musicians join the orchestra for only a few seasons, moving away once they secure a better-paying job. However, the group is still in business, they sound great, and people are attending concerts. But is this really a feasible option for the long-term?
If anyone is looking for blogs to comment on at the last-minute, please share any thoughts you may have on the practicality of a musician-owned orchestra.
Here's an article about the Louisiana Phil from a local paper.
Image: http://www.lpomusic.com/
Art and Science: A Symbiotic Relationship
So, as luck would have it, art and science might not be all that different. Certainly, art is generally qualitatively evaluated, while science is judged quantitatively, but according to Dr. Robert Root-Bernstein at Michigan State University, artists and scientists share many of the same “thinking tools.” He recently suggested the possibility of an NEA-NSF (National Science Foundation) partnership to promote the “melding” of arts and sciences. Root-Bernstein has cited the development of tools such as the stethoscope, the laryngoscope, and even camouflage as examples of “artists, working as artists,” making direct contributions to science. He also suggested that drawing attention to such “cross-fertilization” may be beneficial in demonstrating the importance of the arts.
The composer Milton Babbitt often made comparisons between music and science. His argument didn't concern the creative thinking process, but rather the specialization of music and science. Many people argue music that is too difficult for most people to understand (and therefore inaccessible) has no place in society. Babbitt, however, argued that advanced physics and chemistry utilize concepts that are too involved for most people to understand, yet there is always support for these specialists to do research, so why should music be any different?
Obviously, Dr. Root-Bernstein's argument is of a much different nature, but it's still interesting to see people acknowledging the numerous similarities between art and science. Each one influences the other, but both are extremely important even without considering the other. As the title of the recent NEA blog entry suggests, art and science exhibit a “symbiotic” relationship. Hopefully, more people in this country can be exposed to this type of thinking.
http://www.palestrant.com/babbitt.html
http://www.arts.gov/artworks/?p=6141
It may not be a problem to you, but it will be
On March 11, 2011, Stephanie Harris-Smith of the Hope Star (Hope, Arkansas) wrote a compelling story on the NEA's $155 million budget cut and its effect on after school programs. The title of this blog is a quote from Eighth Judicial District North-Circuit Judge Randy Wright. Wright said students that would most likely be alone until parents come home from work are involved in cultural and artistic projects they enjoy. Wright said the highest percentage of juvenile crimes are committed between the hours of 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. These comments were made after he learned that a grant known as the 21st CCLC which funds a major portion of Hope's very successful after school program is being cut by $600,000 in 2011. The cuts would totally end the program as it is now operated 48 weeks of the year. Program director, Repha Buckman said if the cuts are made, the program may have to be only two months out of the year with limited resources.
(Above:Members of the Southwest Arkansas Arts Council’s successful Drum Ballet are part of an after school program conducted by the Arts Council which is in jeopardy because of federal funding cuts.)
The NEA budget cut will affect the entire country, even small cities like Hope According to 2008 United States Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 10,378. The discourse on this budget cut now extends beyond the questions, "Do Americans need the arts? Do Americans appreciate the arts?" The budget cut affects the safety and development of children. These after school programs keep children off the street and away from empty homes during a time period where the highest percentage of juvenile crimes are committed. Politicians, parents, and educators need to make the case for children, if not anyone else, in this battle for NEA funding. People in support of the budget cut will feel the effects of the budget when juvenile crimes are on the rise. It may not be a problem to them, but it will be.
Source: http://www.hopestar.com/features/x1777803955/After-school-arts-program-in-danger
(Above:Members of the Southwest Arkansas Arts Council’s successful Drum Ballet are part of an after school program conducted by the Arts Council which is in jeopardy because of federal funding cuts.)The NEA budget cut will affect the entire country, even small cities like Hope According to 2008 United States Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 10,378. The discourse on this budget cut now extends beyond the questions, "Do Americans need the arts? Do Americans appreciate the arts?" The budget cut affects the safety and development of children. These after school programs keep children off the street and away from empty homes during a time period where the highest percentage of juvenile crimes are committed. Politicians, parents, and educators need to make the case for children, if not anyone else, in this battle for NEA funding. People in support of the budget cut will feel the effects of the budget when juvenile crimes are on the rise. It may not be a problem to them, but it will be.
Source: http://www.hopestar.com/features/x1777803955/After-school-arts-program-in-danger
Foursquare for the Arts
In this course, we've been discussing ways to generate and maintain interest in the arts, especially in the local community. Since that first class meeting, I've been thinking of creative ways to accomplish this task. I am aware this class focused on public policy and the role of the government in arts but the government also includes its citizens. If the government can observe an increase in citizens' interest in the arts, perhaps funding for the arts would not be in danger.
After using the program Foursquare for a few months, I got an idea... Foursquare for Cincinnati Arts. In this post, I will explain what Foursquare is and how it can be used to promote the arts in Cincinnati.
Foursquare is a location-based mobile platform that makes cities easier to use and more interesting to explore. By “checking in” via a smartphone app or SMS, users share their location with friends while collecting points and virtual badges. Foursquare guides real-world experiences by allowing users to bookmark information about venues that they want to visit and surfacing relevant suggestions about nearby venues. Merchants and brands leverage the foursquare platform by utilizing a wide set of tools to obtain, engage, and retain customers and audiences. Foursquare co-founders Dennis Crowley and Naveen Selvadurai met in 2007 while working in the same office space (at different companies) in New York City. Working from Dennis' kitchen table in New York's East Village, they began building the first version of foursquare in fall 2008, and launched it at South by Southwest Interactive in Austin, Texas in March 2009. As of February 2011, foursquare had over 6.5 million users worldwide. (Source: http://foursquare.com/about)
In 2010, the U.S. Conference of Mayors and Waste Management, Inc. celebrated mayoral leadership and innovation June 12 by awarding Mayors Mark Mallory of Cincinnati and Jennifer T. Stultz of Gastonia (NC) first place honors in the 2010 City Livability Awards Program during the Mayors- 78th Annual Meeting in Oklahoma CIty. Mayor Mallory credits the win to Muralworks, a program of Artworks that employs artists and teens to create murals around the city. Since MuralWorks began in 2007, ArtWorks has painted 34 murals in 25 neighborhoods in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. Clck the image below for a map of these murals.
My idea: these murals should be Foursquare destinations. Foursquare users (Cincinnati residents and visitors to the city) could document their presence at each mural just by "checking in." They could add pictures and even add "tips" to each mural's profile. This is a free service that is not time consuming or complicated. Foursquare could create a special "Public Art" or "Mural" badge and users would earn this badge after checking in at so many murals. Foursquare records the number of people that have visited each "venue" and how often. This program would aggregate quantitative data for interested parties. This program could also be used in programming to generate interest. Imagine a mural scavenger hunt conducted entirely on foursquare or a contest to check in to the most places. That would surely get people excited about art in Cincinnati and show our city council, state and national government that we appreciate art. I would like to extend implementation of the foursquare program to all public art works in Cincinnati if the mural idea is successful. These murals will not be painted over or intentionally destroyed by the city. Their life span is not as long as architecture but they are a part of the Cincinnati landscape. Right now, users can "check in" at restaurants, entertainment venues, and other businesses. By adding these murals (and later, other public art) to Foursquare, these works of art become tangible entities with addresses.
The National Arts Index reports Americans seek more personal engagement in the arts. Personal arts creation and arts volunteerism is growing. The number of Americans who personally participated in an artistic activity—making art, playing music—increased 5 percent between 2005 and 2009, while volunteering jumped 11.6 percent. (Source: http://www.artsusa.org/information_services/arts_index/001.asp) Foursquare would enable more personal engagement with art with the click of a button.
After using the program Foursquare for a few months, I got an idea... Foursquare for Cincinnati Arts. In this post, I will explain what Foursquare is and how it can be used to promote the arts in Cincinnati.
Foursquare is a location-based mobile platform that makes cities easier to use and more interesting to explore. By “checking in” via a smartphone app or SMS, users share their location with friends while collecting points and virtual badges. Foursquare guides real-world experiences by allowing users to bookmark information about venues that they want to visit and surfacing relevant suggestions about nearby venues. Merchants and brands leverage the foursquare platform by utilizing a wide set of tools to obtain, engage, and retain customers and audiences. Foursquare co-founders Dennis Crowley and Naveen Selvadurai met in 2007 while working in the same office space (at different companies) in New York City. Working from Dennis' kitchen table in New York's East Village, they began building the first version of foursquare in fall 2008, and launched it at South by Southwest Interactive in Austin, Texas in March 2009. As of February 2011, foursquare had over 6.5 million users worldwide. (Source: http://foursquare.com/about)
In 2010, the U.S. Conference of Mayors and Waste Management, Inc. celebrated mayoral leadership and innovation June 12 by awarding Mayors Mark Mallory of Cincinnati and Jennifer T. Stultz of Gastonia (NC) first place honors in the 2010 City Livability Awards Program during the Mayors- 78th Annual Meeting in Oklahoma CIty. Mayor Mallory credits the win to Muralworks, a program of Artworks that employs artists and teens to create murals around the city. Since MuralWorks began in 2007, ArtWorks has painted 34 murals in 25 neighborhoods in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. Clck the image below for a map of these murals.
My idea: these murals should be Foursquare destinations. Foursquare users (Cincinnati residents and visitors to the city) could document their presence at each mural just by "checking in." They could add pictures and even add "tips" to each mural's profile. This is a free service that is not time consuming or complicated. Foursquare could create a special "Public Art" or "Mural" badge and users would earn this badge after checking in at so many murals. Foursquare records the number of people that have visited each "venue" and how often. This program would aggregate quantitative data for interested parties. This program could also be used in programming to generate interest. Imagine a mural scavenger hunt conducted entirely on foursquare or a contest to check in to the most places. That would surely get people excited about art in Cincinnati and show our city council, state and national government that we appreciate art. I would like to extend implementation of the foursquare program to all public art works in Cincinnati if the mural idea is successful. These murals will not be painted over or intentionally destroyed by the city. Their life span is not as long as architecture but they are a part of the Cincinnati landscape. Right now, users can "check in" at restaurants, entertainment venues, and other businesses. By adding these murals (and later, other public art) to Foursquare, these works of art become tangible entities with addresses.
The National Arts Index reports Americans seek more personal engagement in the arts. Personal arts creation and arts volunteerism is growing. The number of Americans who personally participated in an artistic activity—making art, playing music—increased 5 percent between 2005 and 2009, while volunteering jumped 11.6 percent. (Source: http://www.artsusa.org/information_services/arts_index/001.asp) Foursquare would enable more personal engagement with art with the click of a button.
Chicago's New Mayor Supports the Arts!
A few weeks ago, Chicago's mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel discussed his vision for the arts in Chicago once he takes office. The Tribune article covering the story can be found here. In summary, the post discusses Emanuel's appreciation for Chicago theater, opera, and dance. He stressed the growth of arts organizations in all of the Chicago neighborhoods, not just downtown.
In a different Tribune interview, Emanuel was asked about the shaky state of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs. Here was his answer:
A healthy arts and cultural community is vital to the overall economic climate in Chicago. Our Department of Cultural Affairs needs a renewed mission and new investment. As mayor, my first action in this area will be to order the creation of a new cultural plan for Chicago. The planning process should include an assessment of our cultural resources, and a discussion with artists in every neighborhood and in all arts and cultural disciplines about our collective needs, opportunities, and priorities. From this process the Department of Cultural Affairs can create new strategies that promote vibrant arts and cultural hubs in every community and help to anchor economic growth on every side of the city.
Finally, a government leader who gets it!!
2/16 Cincinnati City Council Meeting (Video Visit)
I was unable to attend a Cincinnati City Council Meeting due to conflicts with my work and class schedule. Fortunately, I was directed to council's site by a classmate and watched a video of the February 16, 2011 meeting.
The meeting was surprisingly succinct. Vice-mayor Roxanne Qualls opened the session, followed by role call. Qualls yielded the floor to Councilpersons Birding and Young as they recognized members of the community. Birding recognized David Allen, music director of St. Williams Church and Councilperson posthumously recognized Roberta McLean, a leading member of Cincinnati society. The resolution was presented to her husband. It was very nice for the council and Mayor Mallory to recognize these individuals for their contributions to the Cincinnati community, especially Allen for his work at St. Williams. Vice mayor Qualls called a 10 minute recess... 10 minutes into the council meeting! I am assuming I would understand this recess better if I was physically present but from my perspective, the recess was unnecessary.
Upon return from the recess, the council had a moment of silent prayer, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Qualls conducted the meeting, which had (what she called) a short agenda. The agenda included discussion of some municipal codes. Topics that had been previously discussed were not read again but voted upon by the members. This aspect of the meeting was repetitive and confusing at times but easily handled by Qualls. I perked up when the council voted on an agenda item concerning Keller's IGA in Clifton. It was higher on the agenda but Young requested the item to be discussed later. The store has been closed since January due to some tax issues and has been sorely missed by college students, neighborhood residents, the store's 50 employees, friends and supporters. Fortunately, the council unanimously voted on a resolution urging the governor to work with the Ohio Tax Commission on behalf of IGA to reopen.
After agenda items were discussed and voted upon by council members, Qualls called for committee announcements. She shared some information from the Livable Communities committee on a new development in Oakley/Milford. I was surprised by Quinliven's announcement from the.... Sunshine Committee?! She wished Councilman Birding a happy belated birthday. I found it interesting that a sunshine committee exists and that Quinliven felt the need to publicly acknowledge Birding's birthday.
The council meeting was simple and quick. After watching this one video, I almost wanted to watch another one to see if they were all so terse. I was expecting heated arguments; these council members did not debate or argue. No public policy related to the arts was on the agenda or debated but I did note that some of the resolutions and municipal code agenda items did not receive votes from a few council members. The Keller's IGA agenda item is related to the art community as that neighborhood is home to some of Cincinnati's most creative businesses and people.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Bridging Broadway Transportation Sub-Committee Meeting
On February 1st, Stephen Samuels headed a presentation at a meeting of the Major Transportation & Infrastructure Projects Sub-Committee at City Hall on the work of Bridging Broadway and the exploration of different ways to capitalize on the potential economic and social benefits of the casino for the surrounding community. One of the project's main goals is to ensure that steps are taken to improve the area both residentially and commercially, as well as increasing the use/exposure of art downtown.
Much of the presentation focused on data that was gathered as far as crime levels and the conditions of streets and sidewalks. This data is being used to evaluate possible “corridors” leading to/from the casino that could be improved or incorporated into a large-scale plan to increase the benefit of the casino to the downtown area. The areas studied include Pendleton, OTR, Central Business District, Mt. Adams, and Mt. Auburn.
I thought the presentation was extremely well-organized and well-presented. The data presented was compelling and interesting, and the fact that so many possibilities exist to take advantage of the new casino is really exciting. I know we've had many discussions in class about “branding” Cincinnati and finding ways to share its positive features so that it can grow and become a more diverse community – I hope that the developments surrounding the casino will be a jump-start in the right direction. The 3rd and final community dialog for Bridging Broadway is being held this Saturday at the VLT Community Annex, and all members of the community are invited to attend.
http://bridgingbroadway.com/2011/03/new-bridging-broadway-dialogue-3/
Kansas Arts Commission fights for survival
Recently, the Kansas Art Commission has been in danger of disappearing. Governor Sam Brownback has signed an executive reorganized order which would dissolve the Kansas Art Commission and re-assign its duties to the Kansas Historical Society. More specifically, The Commission's responsibilities would fall on a new private, non-profit group called the Kansas Arts Foundation, which would exist within the Historical Society.
A group of about 50 artists, art supporters, and students staged a funeral march in response to the order, hoping to drum up support against it. They went as far as to make cardboard caskets to represent the “death” of the arts in Kansas.
The order, which was introduced in an attempt to reduce the state budget, takes effect July 1st, unless the state House or Senate passes a resolution to oppose the change. Many fear that the replacement of a state agency with a nonprofit would put the new group in direct competition with others that the Kansas Art Commission previously benefited. Governor Brownback's plan would save an estimated $600,000 this year, and $200,000 in subsequent years, but the new “foundation” might lack the state agency's ability to procure and match federal and regional arts funding. The Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee voted 7-2 against the reorganization, and even if the full Senate votes likewise, there will still be a significant challenge for the Kansas Arts Commission to secure funding within the state's budget, considering the fact that the state government tried to dissolve it.
http://imaginekansaswithoutart.blogspot.com/
http://www.kansas.com/2011/03/15/1763176/save-arts-commission.html
lpk & artswave
Some people really love lowercase letters. And the arts.
Local marketing firm lpk has launched an artswave supportive campaign showcasing how its staff and their families support the arts in Cincinnati. Lining storefronts are beautiful banners of people doing something artistic. CCM Arts Administration graduate Khoa Nguyen is showcased playing the trumpet, while Natalie, and "LPK Kid" is shown doing ballet. Each banner gives has either a quote from the participant, or a general statement about the strengths of having strong arts in your community.
It's exciting to see this support from a for profit non(directly)arts related company. Check out the banners by visiting Thadd Fiala's blog: Thadd and Milan
We Need More Weird
Haven't had enough of your weirdness fill lately? Things to 'ho-hum'? Hoping to see a unicorn made of snow in your neighborhood?
Sounds like you want to make Cincinnati weird.
These are the goals of www.makecincinnatiweird.com/. A blog entirely dedicated to bringing out the strange in the Nati. Whether through art, activities or writing, the weirdos behind Make Cincinnati Weird hope to knock you out of your boring life, even if just for a moment, and get you feeling again.
This spontaneous art, whether quickly pasting a bobble-head-like picture of a famous actor on the side of a building, or building various snow creatures before Cincinnatians wake up one morning has the spontaneity and genuineness that cannot be recreated by administrators at a multi-million dollar arts organization. At the same time, an artist who paints a mural on street in the middle of the night could easily be arrested for defacing public property. How do we promote the ability for art to be spontaneous and public in a modern society? With the required permits, lobbying, meetings and paperwork it becomes almost impossible to do spontaneous art. Banksy and a few others seem to be the only ones able to get this done- butagain, Banksy had been considered a graffiti outlaw for years.
Oh well- At least we'll always have our George Washington in a dress-
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