[NewMusic] discounts

[Praemedia]

And let me just add, as a supporter of a current
student (not an offispring, but my life partner) that
the prices for education have risen over the rate of
inflation for nearly 20 years (at one point in the 90s
it was rising ten times the rate of inflation per
year) at the same time as the funding to help those
students has nearly dried up. And irony of all ironies
is that secondary education is more necessary than it
ihas ever been. A bachelors degree holds the same
cache a high school diploma did 50 years ago. Without
one, you may was well be applying to flip burgers and
even with one, you'll only be managing those who do.

We have to wrangle almost daily with the concrete
facts that the society has shifted to a mode of
operation that requires two incomes for a household to
remain stable and therefore is not very kind to those
trying to live off one. I don't nned to go into all
the data and sociology, because there are plenty of
good books on it out there, but the plight of ALL of
those people who receive special discounts is only
worsening. The current population of those above
retiremnet age returning to work is higher than it has
ever been and the Federal minimum wage has the lowest
purchasing power in its history.....and blah and blah
and blah.....i could go on, but I won't....

enjoy your day. there are better things to talk about
like zorn's orange cammo (which he stole from
throbbing gristle anyway, just like he stole phillip's
moutpiece tricks).........

--- Sarah - 21 Grand <21grand at 21grand.org> wrote:

> - For the sake of discussion, I'm going to assume
> that George honestly
> doesn't understand the rationale(s) behind the
> student discount, rather than
> it being a rhetorical device for a good rant and
> clever anecdote.
> 
> - Reason #1: students are often assigned attendance
> at cultural events
> (concerts, screenings, museum visits, etc.) by their
> teachers - think of it
> as part of their "job," whereas you and I, George,
> who are living somewhere
> near or below the poverty line or where the poverty
> line should be for Bay
> Area living are not quite in that position.
> 
> Or more specifically, while we, when faced with a
> lack of money and a dire
> need or desire to attend something would resort to
> negotiating a comp or
> trying to be caller #10 (I hear MZ is quite skilled
> at this.), it would look
> pretty dicey as a professorial practice to tell your
> students - "Your
> assignment is to go to this high-priced show, but if
> you can't afford it,
> here's the contact info of the folks involved - try
> to get on the guest
> list, or if you can't wrangle that, I think they're
> giving away tickets on
> these radio stations." Though, perhaps that would be
> a, er, good
> professional lesson.
> 
> - Reason #2: most of the organizations presenting
> stuff that offer student
> discounts are non-profits that rely to a certain
> extent on foundation and
> government funding. The stuff presented is often
> touted for its educational
> value. Combine that with the funders' goals of
> serving youth and voila - the
> student discount, as students signify youth, even
> though the demographics of
> the student population have changed over the years.
> Thus the logic, if said
> event is educational, then we should privilege those
> in the process of being
> educated (i.e. students). Compare this to a Rolling
> Stones concert -- do
> they offer student discounts?
> 
> One of the biggest issues the non-profit arts
> establishment is currently
> wringing their hands over and hiring highly-paid
> consultants to generate
> verbiage about is getting the younger generation(s)
> involved in the arts
> (specifically, theater, classical music/opera,
> dance, etc.). This is
> basically a Darwinistic approach - students/youth
> are privileged because
> they are "the future" and can sustain the species.
> Though, after reading
> countless highly-paid consultant-produced reports,
> it would make equal sense
> to offer discounts to anyone under 40.
> 
> sl 
> 
> George opined:
> 
> Can't say I've ever quite understood why "students"
> deserve a discount more than any number of other
> economically challenged demographic categories,
> but I must say that I quite like Woody Woodman's
> response to this silliness: patrons of the Finger
> Palace
> who declare their "student" status expecting the
> usual
> preferential treatment must pay MORE for their
> tickets.
> With a valid student ID, of course.
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Bay Area New Music Discussion Group
> NewMusic at music.mills.edu
> http://music.mills.edu/mailman/listinfo/newmusic
> 



 
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