Every year the Hartford Advocate and the Greater Hartford Arts Council put together a local music showcase called the Hartford Advocate Grand Band Slam. Over the years, many of my friends' bands have been nominated, many have been offered for nomination, and many have been completely overlooked. This year, I received a notification from one of these friends, Ronnie Neuhauser, calling to supporters to nominated his band for this years contest. Normally, I would think that asking your friends to nominate your band would defeat the value of a nomination process, but knowing how these things (unfortunately) work, I completely understood the call for support.
As a friend and fan of Ronnie's, a supporter of local music, and a musician myself, I felt compelled to share Ronnie's thoughts on the subject. I will add first my own editorial that Ronnie and the members of his ensemble are among the most talented individuals I have ever seen perform, and without a doubt, the most original and creative group of musicians in the area.
Ronnie's letter:
Dear Greater Hartford Arts Council,
My name is Ronnie Neuhauser, composer/guitarist for No Cheez Orchestra and Styrocultural Antidote. I wanted to bring to your attention something I feel very strongly about. It is quite upsetting that the Grand Band Slam, a contest where I imagine the intent is to support creative local artists; is nothing but a popularity contest. This is disturbing because every contest I come across, especially corporate sponsored ones, have zero to do with the art form. A contest of this fashion immediately excludes many artists who are doing something different (of course there are a few exceptions). It's bad enough that the current culture has such a narrow view of what music is because of the corporate musical landscape, but for an establishment whose intent should be to give voice to artists pushing boundaries; this is nothing short of frightening. I was hoping a contest devised by an arts council would be much different. Why not have a group of judges who at least have some idea of aesthetics decide? The contest/event should cater to artists. As I examine these events I find that the artist becomes the least important participant. I hope you give my thoughts serious consideration and I'd certainly love to speak in more detail about it.
I believe the council has an obligation to help establish ground breaking artists, and give a voice to those who are being marginalized.
Peace, Ronnie
www.nocheez.com
09 July 2008
Wanderlust
A few things have come to convergence in my head, kind of all at once, that have brought me to a realization.
First is that I felt the need to write, but wondered if I could produce something apolitical at the moment. Everything I've felt compelled to write lately has been about the state of the nation in one way or another, and although I'm happy to share all my thoughts on the subject, I wanted to just write something more... mundane.
Also today, I came to the understanding that Waterfest 14 would not be in the cards for me. There are plenty of other VW events this summer, so I have no issue missing this one. But in thinking about the show, and why I wanted to go, I came to the realization that I haven't gone anywhere in a while. Now that relates back to the previous point, in that some of my favourite blogs have been about travel and trips.
I've also realized that I've been saying more and more often lately, that I want to move. And when I say move, I mean really move. Out of this area, out of Connecticut, and out of the country. France is really sticking with me, and although I know it's only one of many possible destinations, the idea of being ready to leave continent and language behind, without fear, proves my readiness to pack it all up and go.
So... it would seem I need to stretch my legs a bit. No, I'm not leaving for France tomorrow, but I'd like to wander. In February I drove from one side of this land to the other, and now I have a better understanding of how varied this country is. Now I want to see more. This summer seems to be a good time to do some travelling. Nothing serious; nothing costly; nothing far. Sunday, I hope to go up to Woodstock, CT (no relation to the hippy festival). Maybe I'll take a bunch of little trips like this. Gas is pricey, but at 30 miles to the gallon, I can still roam a bit on $20 to 25.
Connecticut is getting too small. Soon enough it will be too small to stay. But for now, it's time to see a bit more of it, and the surrounding area. As I learned this winter, there's much more to see than what I've come to know. On a related point, a quotation I just stumbled across. "Hitler didn't travel. Stalin didn't travel. Saddam Hussein never traveled. They didn't want to have their orthodoxy challenged." — Howard Gardner
I, on the other hand, am more than happy to have mine challenged... in fact, I welcome it.
First is that I felt the need to write, but wondered if I could produce something apolitical at the moment. Everything I've felt compelled to write lately has been about the state of the nation in one way or another, and although I'm happy to share all my thoughts on the subject, I wanted to just write something more... mundane.
Also today, I came to the understanding that Waterfest 14 would not be in the cards for me. There are plenty of other VW events this summer, so I have no issue missing this one. But in thinking about the show, and why I wanted to go, I came to the realization that I haven't gone anywhere in a while. Now that relates back to the previous point, in that some of my favourite blogs have been about travel and trips.
I've also realized that I've been saying more and more often lately, that I want to move. And when I say move, I mean really move. Out of this area, out of Connecticut, and out of the country. France is really sticking with me, and although I know it's only one of many possible destinations, the idea of being ready to leave continent and language behind, without fear, proves my readiness to pack it all up and go.
So... it would seem I need to stretch my legs a bit. No, I'm not leaving for France tomorrow, but I'd like to wander. In February I drove from one side of this land to the other, and now I have a better understanding of how varied this country is. Now I want to see more. This summer seems to be a good time to do some travelling. Nothing serious; nothing costly; nothing far. Sunday, I hope to go up to Woodstock, CT (no relation to the hippy festival). Maybe I'll take a bunch of little trips like this. Gas is pricey, but at 30 miles to the gallon, I can still roam a bit on $20 to 25.
Connecticut is getting too small. Soon enough it will be too small to stay. But for now, it's time to see a bit more of it, and the surrounding area. As I learned this winter, there's much more to see than what I've come to know. On a related point, a quotation I just stumbled across. "Hitler didn't travel. Stalin didn't travel. Saddam Hussein never traveled. They didn't want to have their orthodoxy challenged." — Howard Gardner
I, on the other hand, am more than happy to have mine challenged... in fact, I welcome it.
02 July 2008
Independence Day
Friday, July 4, is Independence Day. I hate when people call it "The Fourth of July". The 4th of July is a date, not a holiday. By that logic, I should celebrate "The Seventh of March"; seems just as valid. Or why not "The Nineteenth of May"? That one sounds good.
But the one coming up is Independence Day. It's a good holiday. About as American a holiday as one could have. We celebrate the day we declared ourselves a nation, we drink beer, we grill beef, we blow shit up. Yup, as American as they come.
I'm not against Independence Day. I'm against Independence... but at this point, I don't think the Queen would have us back. Independence Day should stand to remind us, once annually, that we are a bunch of wet-behind-the-ears punks. This year, it will be 232 whole years, which in Nation terms makes us about 12.
Would you let your twelve year old declare war?
400 years ago, a bunch of disgruntled religious extremists (Yes, don't you remember studying the Puritans in 9th grade history and English Lit?) left England to sail forth to find a new place to practice their stonings and witch-hunting. They came across this great nation -- and the great Nation that inhabited it -- and by their own arrogance, claimed it as their own... but still as a colony of their mother country (they were nuts, but not without a sense of economic prudence).
165 years passed -- we'll skip over the gloomy part about what happened to the native inhabitants -- and (as legend has it) finally got fed up one day about tea. Now in the past 168 years, they had pretty much given up the whole funny-hats, witch-stoning religious odd-ball-ity, and settled for... well basically the same religion they were practicing back home that they were oh so oppressed by (oh, and some had become Quakers... that's an interesting one... but for another time, perhaps).
So, in 1773, the blood of much tea was spilled. 3 years later, they justified their costumed vigilantism (kinda like Batman, less the cape, add Indian feathers, loose the cool gadgets, and add a distaste for tea and taxation) with a documented, ratified, and official declaration, wherein they called the British a bunch of tyrants, and said "we don't have to stand for this."
Sic semper tyrannis!
Actually that's what John Wilkes Booth said after he shot Lincoln, but the message was the same, and we declared war on Britain.
Fast forward another 232 years, and I sit on a beach, watching fireworks, and listening to bad music. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against John Philip Sousa; it's the rest of the dreck... the patriotic "pop" music... that leaves much to be desired. If there's one in particular that makes me want to kick babies, it's "Proud to be an American" by good old Lee Greenwood. "And I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free." Listen, Lee, you can be free in Finland... where you can also have Universal Healthcare and the greatest standard of living in the world. Plus, you get the added benefit of having a head of state who isn't the laughing stock of the planet.
"...at least I know I'm free." Yeah, at least you have that. Your country may unlawfully torture non-combat detainees in a secure and secretive base on the shore of an enemy nation we've been in embargo with for greater than 50 years while ignoring all UN requests for meer inspection... but at least you know you're free. It's like saying I'm proud to be complete trailer trash, where at least I know no one will rob me.
OK, but enough bashing of trailer trash.
If it's not Lee Greenwood, maiking me want to move to Bulgaria, or the 6 tone-deaf assholes behind me singing along, or the "Town Band" murdering the 120 year old classics of Mr. Sousa, then its the ignorantly inappropriate "Born in the USA". Yup, Bruce Springsteen's classic rock anthem... you know it, you love it, I love it... I will not disparage The Boss. But apparently no one knows what it means. Maybe when Bruce denied Ronald Reagan the right to campaign, we might have remembered why. No? Well, because it's not a song of nationalism or patriotism, that's why.
I got in a little hometown jam
And so they put a rifle in my hands
Sent me off to Vietnam
To go and kill the yellow man
That's patriotic, right? Killing is the name of one's nation is about as nationalist as one can get.
Come back home to the refinery
Hiring man says "Son if it was up to me"
I go down to see the V.A. man
He said "Son don't you understand"
Oh, that must be the patriotism... not being hired after coming back from serving his country?
I had a buddy at Khe Sahn
Fighting off the Viet Cong
They're still there, he's all gone
He had a little girl in Saigon
I got a picture of him in her arms
Patriotic yet?
Down in the shadow of the penitentiary
Out by the gas fires of the refinery
I'm ten years down the road
Nowhere to run, ain't got nowhere to go
Homeless vets. Yup. Yeah, not so patriotic, I agree. So... back to Independence Day.
Annoying music -- either by lyric, performance, or blatant inappriopriateness -- coupled with drunken yahoos -- any statutes forbidding drinking in public do seem to be ignored on this day -- form the bachground for the true spectacle of the Independence Day celebration: Fireworks.
Thank you to the 9th century Chinese for giving us the telltale expression of our most American holiday. Granted, these days the greatest fireworks in the US come from an Italian-American family in Long Island named Grucci, who have been making American-made firworks since 1850. A typical Grucci fireworks program costs about $100,000. Bear than in mind the next time you pay your city tax bill.
Or, you can go down to your local fireworks store, or drive to New Hampshire, South Carolina, or whatever your closest legal state to buy fireworks and illegally bring them back to your own, crack open a can of your favorite canned beer, fire up your grill, sit the kids on the lawn, and procede to blow your own hand off.
Happy 4th of July.
But the one coming up is Independence Day. It's a good holiday. About as American a holiday as one could have. We celebrate the day we declared ourselves a nation, we drink beer, we grill beef, we blow shit up. Yup, as American as they come.
I'm not against Independence Day. I'm against Independence... but at this point, I don't think the Queen would have us back. Independence Day should stand to remind us, once annually, that we are a bunch of wet-behind-the-ears punks. This year, it will be 232 whole years, which in Nation terms makes us about 12.
Would you let your twelve year old declare war?
400 years ago, a bunch of disgruntled religious extremists (Yes, don't you remember studying the Puritans in 9th grade history and English Lit?) left England to sail forth to find a new place to practice their stonings and witch-hunting. They came across this great nation -- and the great Nation that inhabited it -- and by their own arrogance, claimed it as their own... but still as a colony of their mother country (they were nuts, but not without a sense of economic prudence).
165 years passed -- we'll skip over the gloomy part about what happened to the native inhabitants -- and (as legend has it) finally got fed up one day about tea. Now in the past 168 years, they had pretty much given up the whole funny-hats, witch-stoning religious odd-ball-ity, and settled for... well basically the same religion they were practicing back home that they were oh so oppressed by (oh, and some had become Quakers... that's an interesting one... but for another time, perhaps).
So, in 1773, the blood of much tea was spilled. 3 years later, they justified their costumed vigilantism (kinda like Batman, less the cape, add Indian feathers, loose the cool gadgets, and add a distaste for tea and taxation) with a documented, ratified, and official declaration, wherein they called the British a bunch of tyrants, and said "we don't have to stand for this."
Sic semper tyrannis!
Actually that's what John Wilkes Booth said after he shot Lincoln, but the message was the same, and we declared war on Britain.
Fast forward another 232 years, and I sit on a beach, watching fireworks, and listening to bad music. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against John Philip Sousa; it's the rest of the dreck... the patriotic "pop" music... that leaves much to be desired. If there's one in particular that makes me want to kick babies, it's "Proud to be an American" by good old Lee Greenwood. "And I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free." Listen, Lee, you can be free in Finland... where you can also have Universal Healthcare and the greatest standard of living in the world. Plus, you get the added benefit of having a head of state who isn't the laughing stock of the planet.
"...at least I know I'm free." Yeah, at least you have that. Your country may unlawfully torture non-combat detainees in a secure and secretive base on the shore of an enemy nation we've been in embargo with for greater than 50 years while ignoring all UN requests for meer inspection... but at least you know you're free. It's like saying I'm proud to be complete trailer trash, where at least I know no one will rob me.
OK, but enough bashing of trailer trash.
If it's not Lee Greenwood, maiking me want to move to Bulgaria, or the 6 tone-deaf assholes behind me singing along, or the "Town Band" murdering the 120 year old classics of Mr. Sousa, then its the ignorantly inappropriate "Born in the USA". Yup, Bruce Springsteen's classic rock anthem... you know it, you love it, I love it... I will not disparage The Boss. But apparently no one knows what it means. Maybe when Bruce denied Ronald Reagan the right to campaign, we might have remembered why. No? Well, because it's not a song of nationalism or patriotism, that's why.
I got in a little hometown jam
And so they put a rifle in my hands
Sent me off to Vietnam
To go and kill the yellow man
That's patriotic, right? Killing is the name of one's nation is about as nationalist as one can get.
Come back home to the refinery
Hiring man says "Son if it was up to me"
I go down to see the V.A. man
He said "Son don't you understand"
Oh, that must be the patriotism... not being hired after coming back from serving his country?
I had a buddy at Khe Sahn
Fighting off the Viet Cong
They're still there, he's all gone
He had a little girl in Saigon
I got a picture of him in her arms
Patriotic yet?
Down in the shadow of the penitentiary
Out by the gas fires of the refinery
I'm ten years down the road
Nowhere to run, ain't got nowhere to go
Homeless vets. Yup. Yeah, not so patriotic, I agree. So... back to Independence Day.
Annoying music -- either by lyric, performance, or blatant inappriopriateness -- coupled with drunken yahoos -- any statutes forbidding drinking in public do seem to be ignored on this day -- form the bachground for the true spectacle of the Independence Day celebration: Fireworks.
Thank you to the 9th century Chinese for giving us the telltale expression of our most American holiday. Granted, these days the greatest fireworks in the US come from an Italian-American family in Long Island named Grucci, who have been making American-made firworks since 1850. A typical Grucci fireworks program costs about $100,000. Bear than in mind the next time you pay your city tax bill.
Or, you can go down to your local fireworks store, or drive to New Hampshire, South Carolina, or whatever your closest legal state to buy fireworks and illegally bring them back to your own, crack open a can of your favorite canned beer, fire up your grill, sit the kids on the lawn, and procede to blow your own hand off.
Happy 4th of July.
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