Thoughts on Littleton, CO
Dear CS: Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do to bring back the lives of those who were senselessly massacred. What we are given, however, by the grace of God, is the power to pray for the survivors, [the] families of the victims, and the community at large. And maybe somewhere there exists the opportunity to set a young person straight about respecting others and not taunting and torturing other kids.
What I think would help this culture is more emphasis, knowledge, and passion about all creative and performing arts, and for us as a society to take a long hard look at where we are morally and the message that this generation is getting from mass media and commercial “art.”
We are fast and dangerously becoming a culture desensitized to violence, consequence, conscience, and religion. I don’t think that it’s a coincidence that this is one of the most prosperous times in our history, either. But just how are we prosperous? Are we rich in spirit and passion for life, or do we just possess big balances in our checkbooks? I have many friends in their 20’s who are beginning to pursue a lifestyle and a morality that is more honorable, despite the staggering statistics of divorce, lack of love, lack of commitment, lack of respect for life, and lack of individual accountability for the sake of “my individual rights.”
But that’s one thing we can do. Be proud of your moral high ground, and doubly proud of your role in society as an artist. An artistic community is one that works together for a common cause. Whether it is an opera company, a symphony orchestra, a dance troupe, a Broadway tour, or a 3rd- grade classroom, the miracle of art is that it brings us together and bonds us through our souls and passions. When that happens, the message we send will always be a beautiful one, regardless of the plot or the text.
It is not snobbish or conceited to think of ourselves as artists as the highest rung of society. The realities of life on earth constantly try to work against that, but we should take pride in the fact that we are blessed by God with a sensitivity and a gift to communicate something of priceless value to the world. It is our responsibility as artists to share this. —Dominic Inferrera
AGMA AGony
Dear CS: In the April issue of your magazine, you misappropriated material that I posted on the forum section of your website for the purpose of reiterating your uninformed position concerning unions, mediation and strikes. Obviously, in a perfect world two parties could sit down at a table, set aside their differences and find a mutually agreeable, if not satisfactory, agreement. In the real world things are a little more complicated. CS constantly whines about AGMA not doing enough for singers, but then rebukes the union for using the only tool at its disposal: striking. AGMA strikes have been incredibly rare. This position is a result of inexcusable ignorance on the part of the editors. Should AGMA be willing to give up the few protections they have in order to avoid a strike or lockout? The few protections that AGMA singers have were won after long, hard fights, and sometimes strikes. CS owes a public apology to the men and women who sit at the negotiating tables on behalf of their fellow singers, dancers, stage managers, stage directors and associated artists. I have watched several negotiations, and I can’t imagine a more frustrating, thankless job (and for no pay, I might add). These people fight hard to make things better for singers, rather than just bitching and whining about how unfair things are. If you would like to make things better for classical singers, you should offer words of support for these people, rather than attempt to undermine their efforts. Can you name one instance in which AGMA has been unreasonable in negotiations? I can’t think of any, but I will concede that it’s possible. But it’s irresponsible of your magazine to make charges based on assumptions rather than facts. —Name withheld
CS has never said that all union problems can be solved through mediation. If you read the CS response in the April issue carefully, you will see that the editor was expressing our philosophy of negotiations. The goal is to achieve a “win/win agreement or no deal–a calm agreement to not work together until both parties come out feeling good about the arrangement.” Is that always going to happen? Of course not. One party of the negotiation may take an unreasonable stance in which case precipitous action may not be avoided. That’s the “no deal” aspect of the statement above. The difference, however, is the mindset of the negotiator. In addition to looking out for the fiduciary interests of his own client, he also has an interest in the satisfaction of the counterparty in the negotiation, because we believe that is the only way to achieve a longer-term successful arrangement. We have no opinion about AGMA’s approach to negotiations because we have never witnessed them. We would hope they would include some version of this approach.
However, we at CS do NOT believe AGMA has done badly by singers. I have read the AGMA contracts and I believe that singers are much better off in this world for the work they have done. I do applaud them for this work and encourage them to continue the progress they have made.
AGMA-bashing is never our intention—but we try to give singers access to information. Singers with strong opinions, such as yourself, now have an additional venue to voice your opinions. Getting the discussion out in the open is critical to making change. —David D. Wood, Publisher
Keep the Lifestyle Information!
Dear CS: Please do not stop publishing articles that deal with lifestyle issues for the classical singer! I was concerned when I read a recent letter to you asking CS to publish more articles dealing with music, repertoire and interpretation, rather than “talking shop.” While I understand the writer’s point of view, I also subscribe to the NATS bulletin, MNC, ACDA and Opera News, which all have plenty of articles that talk about music, repertoire and interpretation. I am not interested in another magazine that focuses on those subjects, and look forward to CS every month for its refreshing and current view of lifestyle issues for the singer. Thanks for the information you provide us—it is very much needed. Please don’t change and do something that others are already doing well. —Name withheld
