[NewMusic] discounts

[tbickley at metatronpress.com]

The comments remind me of the maxim I learned from arts administration  
students during my grad school days: "An empty seat does no one good."

I spent some very enjoyable time with musician friends from the  
Netherlands (where support for artists is a reality). They commented  
(positively!) on the remarkable dedication of American experimental  
musicians in the face of our lack of funds.

Adelante! -Tom

Quoting "Robair, Gino" <GRobair at prismb2b.com>:

> Despite the fact that Zorn ate a bag of potatoes a month, and Woody Woodman
> is apt to charge students extra for saying they're students, I think the
> student discount is very helpful...in the real world.
>
> I teach an intro-to-recording course at Diablo Valley College on Saturdays,
> and the students in my class often don't make enough money to pay for the
> books the class requires. (We're talking city college, not some expensive
> private school, so there are not sugar-daddies sending my homies off to
> college....)
>
> Some of the students are just out of high school and are literally working
> burger-flipping gigs (because they have no other job opportunities at their
> age in the bay area). But they're musicians in their soul, and they want to
> see shows. They take my class so they can have unlimited studio time for
> something like $75 a semester. Smart kids, if you ask me. And damned
> talented, some of them are.
>
> There's no way they can afford a $75 ticket to the opera, or $25 to see a
> show at the Finger Palace. But wouldn't it be cool if they COULD be exposed
> to that music. Sadly, some of the venues have jive policies because the
> grownups that run 'em have a chip on their shoulder.
>
> And I have no compunction about telling my students to look for comps and
> free ways to get into gigs: if they can help seat the old ladies or setup
> the stage, they deserve a treat to some live music. If they know someone who
> knows someone, go for it. When I was in college, I did my share of stage
> managing to see the local symphonies (before I was able to sub in the
> percussion section).
>
> FWIW, y'all.
>
> _______________________________________________
> Bay Area New Music Discussion Group
> NewMusic at music.mills.edu
> http://music.mills.edu/mailman/listinfo/newmusic
>