Protesters want CBC Radio Orchestra to stay

Why do people suddenly start barking about artists working for so-called "tax dollars" whenever a story like this comes up? You don't start moaning when a medical student gets a job at a hospital, or a law student gets a job at the courts. I could go on and on about how many jobs are ultimately paid by tax dollars. The CBC belongs to Canadians, and Canadians work there. Musicians work for the orchestra, and this particular orchestra played a great deal of music by Canadian composers, who are working to contribute to Canadian culture. Simple. This argument about tax dollars is just naive.

And it's entirely inaccurate to think that this was a rally of music students. Only a handful of students were there. Most were music industry professionals and educators.

Sign the Petition to save CBC Radio Orchestra:

SaveCBCRadioOrchestra.com

CBC Radio ended this orchestra with the stroke of a pen, with no consultation with Canadian taxpayers who fund the CBC, paying the CBC to uphold its mandate of providing and supporting uniquely Canadian programming. What could be more unique than this important ensemble of Canada’s most talented musicians?

If we allow this significant Canadian institution to be dissolved, one day we may be wondering where all the orchestras have gone, where all the dancers, singers, and artists have gone. I don’t want that Canada. If all that is left of Canadian culture is that which is saleable or marketable or easy, we are not in a country, we are in a shopping mall.

Save this orchestra. Our Canadian culture depends on it.

Tom S

"Save this orchestra. Our Canadian culture depends on it."  Talk about hyperbole!  Are you serious?  Do you honestly believe that the existence of Canadian culture depends on the existence of an government funded orchestra?  If so you must have a very low opinion of Canadian artists and audiences alike. 

Canadian culture is alive and well.  Just because very few people do not want to listen to the CBC orchestra (check the ratings) does not equate to the demise of our culture.  It means that orchestral music is not a significant player in defining what Canadians want in their cultural experiences.  We had unique culture before the CBC orchestra and we will have unique culture after it. 

Yup. Seriously. Our culture is made from all of its constituent parts. If they are dissolved one at a time, without a hiccup, then there will be none. Thi orchestra has historical signifance, is world-renown, and functions to serve a mandate of showcasing Canada's finest in that realm. You should be proud that Canada has such an institution.

If we keep only that which is saleable, marketable, or easy, the we don't live in a country, we live in a shopping mall.

The end of a single taxpayer funded orchestra does not equate to the dissolution of Canadian culture.  Why is it that we can rely on the market to produce such important things as the food we eat, the clothes we wear and the homes in which we live but somehow the arts cannot be produced by the same means?  And what is wrong with democracy?  What is wrong with the culture that people are willing to pay for?  Why is it that it seems to be a badge of honour for some that they produce "culture" so unpopular that it requires tax money to survive?  If it is not good enough for people to want to pay for then it is not worth my hard earned tax dollars. 

So you say.

I say: if we allow the government to dissolve enough our cultural heritage, one piece at a time, without any protest, we'll be left with one very banal country. All arts cannot be produced by "commercial market" forces. Most arts culture never has been supported that way. The Renaissance happened because of the patronage of the Medici family, who were not only wealthy, by most measurements a political force and governing power. In the new world, governments are the patrons of arts culture (whether you care for it or not). Your popularity argument is meaningless. The orchestra is important to millions of Canadians and important to the country's up-and-coming musicians and composers. It has a legacy that was nurtured for 70 years and still has relevance. By your argument, the sign of quality or worth is when something has "commercial" value or is popular with the masses. There is far more to our society than record sales. Who told you CBC Orchestra and Radio 2 are not popular? You might not listen to it, but millions of Canadians do.

10,000 names on a petition with no national attention. 1000 names a day. 10 days in. More than a few people are angry. It may be that millions don't take to the streets, but that's people. Easier to sign a petition or write a letter, and thousands are.

So we disagree. Oh well. Nice arguing with you, Eastvanray.  If you don't want to support non-commercial arts culture, that's okay by me.

At least it was intelligent argument.

Tomasz.