[Fmpro] I saw that one too

[John Stone]

Ted, 
 
Everyone in art needs a patron, it's the connections that help with success.  Mozart found a royal court as you did in Beverly Hills.
 
One insight into Buenos Aires, Argentina. The city has more publishers (of books) than most western countries, including the U.S.A. Buenos Aires supports so much of the arts, while the economy still suffers years after their money was devalued and their banks collapsed.
Once the U.S. could boast the same intellectual atmosphere, Ben Franklin wanted to see two or more independent presses in each city; but look at us today, Starbucks and Mcartney seem to be the winning combination.
 Most cafes in Buenos Aires are filled with intellectual conversations about everything you can imagine including music.  Independent writers find homes with independent publishers in Argentina where freedom to express and get your work out is still the most important thing.
 
But when you look at the U.S.A. you find the loss of Independent and University presses, the profit outweighs the "good intentions" and mergers go hand in hand with the loss of intellectual expression. Music has suffered along with all of the arts.  I think you should go back to performing locally, it's hard, but everyone of us that makes a musical noise adds to the "intellectal fires" you speak of. Just wanted to butt in...good luck getting more commissions, I'll be playing for a living out here. 
 
John
  



on Betty Freeman. She was and possibly still is the most influential supporter of new music and new programming in the United  States.  Beverly Hills Mansion. She has been extoled on British TV... which led to some commissions from England and Europe. 
 So I quit performing locally. musicians said they hated it.   In LA, we had typical audiences of 100-300 but this was rare for new music.   I went to Argentina and was blown away that people not only knew who  I was but knew some of my music. I thought I and my works would be  completely unknown outside of a few festivals but I was staggered  with the warm reception. It was the same in Brazil and Chile. Did you  know that in Buenos Aires they have year-around opera?  What is missing for most of us is an intellectual support group who  understands what many composers are trying to do. 
While a composer  must work in isolation to create, he/she needs a group of like-minded  people to keep the intellectual fires burning. Mozart... he did things like move into an artist's hostel 
actually got two commissions from LA Phil http://nxport.com/mailman/listinfo/fmpro
_________________________________________________________________
Need to know the score, the latest news, or you need your Hotmail®-get your "fix".
http://www.msnmobilefix.com/Default.aspx