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Re: What they do for love, Nov. 30.
Bill Duryea's article provides an insightful and sobering look into the Florida Orchestra and its principal bassist, Dee Moses, and considers what it takes to survive as an artist in a culture of financial uncertainty.
Sadly, with few exceptions, this same article could be written about live orchestral music throughout the United States. On life support for much of its 36 years, the Florida Orchestra has teetered on the brink of extinction, yet somehow it has survived. Thanks is largely due to a group of well-known community angels who refuse to allow a 400-year-old art form go silent in our Tampa Bay community.
Musicians and the governance of the Florida Orchestra agree that this season is different, that the past need not repeat itself. A new, sustainable energy now exists at every level of the orchestra. The excitement and energy of our new music director and conductor are only part of the new attitude. Mayor Pam Iorio is committed to Tampa being a "city of the arts." The musicians took an important lead with their sacrificial pay cut. Now they look to the Tampa Bay community and a successful endowment campaign to achieve a healthy, vibrant, financially sound Florida Orchestra.
The endowment campaign under way represents the final push to positively address the musicians' concern, distilled by the orchestra's James Wilson, principal French horn player: "When will the Tampa Bay community treat its musicians as cultural treasures as reflected in its pay?"
Achieving a $30-million-plus endowment requires a sacrificial response from the entire Tampa Bay community, including local corporations of all sizes. While Tampa Bay may lack the number of corporate home offices of cities like Cleveland, Kansas City or Chicago, it does not lack the passion to match the sacrificial efforts of its musicians.
The musicians made the first move toward a permanent financial solution; now they await the response of our community - a resounding response that ends the financial uncertainty and, once and for all puts the orchestra on solid economic footing. Together we must preserve and strengthen this community treasure for future generations.
It has been said the arts are a window to the soul of a community. To quote Mayor Iorio, "If you want to look into the heart of a community, look at the arts and how the community supports them."
What are you willing to do today to help pass on the gift of live orchestral music, to preserve this art form for future generations? Will live orchestral music in Tampa Bay be a community treasure or its best dressed beggar? Florida Orchestra's 80 musicians await our timely, generous response.
Re: What they do for love.
While I would like to applaud Bill Duryea for bringing the orchestra's miserable financial situation to the public, there are a number of issues that were unclear in your article.
First off, I need to say that very few of us own instruments valued at $95,000, or even $30,000 or even $10,000. Why do you want to give the public the impression that we are so rich? Why don't you interview those musicians who eke out a hand-to-mouth existence, and will never be able to afford a high quality instrument because of the financial situation the orchestra is in. Why don't you interview musicians who can't even afford a car, and hitchhike to work every day?
It is good that you mentioned our salary but, come on, do the math! If you calculate our salary ($23,800) over a 52-week year it comes out to $457.69 gross or $11.44 an hour. Most entry level jobs start at $10 an hour. This is certainly not the kind of salary that allows for the purchase of "$95,000 instruments" or "25 rental properties."
It is a sad state of affairs when an orchestra filled with hard-working, talented and dedicated musicians cannot seem to interest or motivate more than one-tenth of 1 percent of the population of a tri-city area to come out and listen to what we do, or support us in any way.
One could not have read Bill Duryea's story, What they do for love, and not have been touched by the devotion to making music by Dee Moses. Would that I could buy his beloved instrument of 28 years and return it to him. In my small way I try to support the Florida Orchestra by attendance and modest donations.
We are truly privileged to have this treasure available to us. The orchestra members have made ongoing sacrifices to be there for us. God forbid we should lose them. It's been known to happen.
As a concerned military wife and a native of the United Kingdom, I feel compelled to address the recent protesting and anti-American sentiment that is sweeping throughout several European countries. I have been a proud American citizen for the past 45 years. As America's war on global terrorism continues, President Bush continues to face many challenges both at home and abroad.
Today I witness ungrateful protesters advocating waves of anti-American sentiment by the very same countries that we saved during World War II and many other conflicts. Allies such as France, Great Britain, Belgium, Holland, Italy, Poland, South Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan and others are forgetting the fact that their countries would not exist today if it were not for the generosity and support of the United States.
In 1940 Adolf Hitler was only one step from victory. The United States joined side by side with Great Britain to face the might of Nazi Germany. Many American lives were sacrificed to save European civilizations, which emerged triumphant. My family and friends in Europe will forever remain grateful to America.
Sadly today, as our nation is sharply polarized, the fundamental question is: Are we Americans prepared to support our commander in chief to win the war on terrorism, no matter what the sacrifices or how long it takes? The disturbing political fact is that the answer is no.
The political deception is not new. During the Reagan administration, those on the left opposed the modernization of nuclear missiles in Europe. During the efforts to uproot communism, they mocked Ronald Reagan for denouncing the Soviet Union as "the evil empire."
Today, America is not confronted with an old, cold, communist war but a new, hot, holy war. President Bush and his administration are well launched on the path to defeat the perpetrators of our 21st-century global war. Let us salute our mighty military, our fallen heroes and America's homeland security.
Back in November of 1970 I was an 18-year-old E-4 manning a machine gun post on the far perimeter of an Air Force base in Southeast Asia. My squad had lost the coin toss and we were pulling a 12 p.m. to 12 a.m. shift while the majority of the base personnel were enjoying Thanksgiving dinner in the mess hall.
At around 6:30 p.m., a jeep with three personnel inside came speeding toward my position. As it pulled up alongside my post, the base commander, a full bird colonel, and his aide, a captain, hopped into my sandbag bunker. The Colonel and Captain were wearing flak jackets, helmets and were carrying M-16 rifles. As I saluted the officers, and reported my post status, the colonel shook my hand and wished me a happy Thanksgiving. He told me to get in the Jeep and that the driver, a 2nd lieutenant., was going to take me to the mess hall so I could have dinner with the rest of the troops.
As we drove to the mess call, the lieutenant said, "Sergeant, the old man has eight other posts to relieve tonight so please keep your dinner to 30 minutes so the rest of the troops can eat as well." I entered the mess hall with the lieutenant, who walked me to the head of the chow line. I was fed and back to my post 33 minutes later.
That may very well have been my most memorable Thanksgiving yet, and I am now 51 years old. Those two officers put their lives on the line so I could have some mess hall turkey, cranberries, stuffing, mashed potatoes, peas and gravy. They could have sent some enlisted men to relieve me, and they could certainly have left me to eat out of a can as I had planned to do. That 33 minutes gave me a whole new level of respect for my commander and raised my morale higher than the American flag that was waving from the base flag pole that day.
For those of you who fail to see the value of the president's brief visit to the troops last week, I ask you this: Where did you have Thanksgiving dinner in 1970? I doubt that it was with me or you wouldn't be writing in to complain.
Let me be the first to suggest that President Bush be awarded a combat ribbon with a gold star for his gallantry in going into the Iraqi war zone.
Re: Agriscience students find pig bloodied from beating, Dec. 4.
After reading the article about Phil, the pig that was attacked in its pen at the agriscience program at Tarpon Springs High School, I experienced a flood of conflicting emotions. I was glad to read that the animal was being properly cared for by a veterinarian, and that the student who raised it felt a sense of responsibility for its plight.
I was dismayed to read that the animal is being treated as a living school project, which will simply lead to its inhumane slaughter. Would it not be more humane to simply have the vet euthanize the animal now? As a teacher with 20 years' experience in the high school classroom, I know how important hands-on learning is and what an impact it can have. As an animal rights activist I would entreat that teacher to really make her student aware of the whole process and follow Phil to his end and watch him be slaughtered, or at the very least visit a slaughterhouse and watch the process.
Even animals who are due to be slaughtered should be able to live their lives comfortably, not in constant terror, only to face an inhumane end. Teach the students the whole process, not just the fun part where you get to name and raise a cute little pig, and one day wave goodbye to it as it leaves for market.
Re: Agriscience students find pig bloodied from beating.
This is outrageous! What is wrong with people? Those who did this need the full extend of the law thrown at them, and while they are incarcerated they can get anger-management help.
Whenever I see an innocent animal treated like this it breaks my heart. Imagine the person who did this being a parent some day - or even worse, now! Please find the sick person or persons and throw the book at them!
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