Georgia high school choruses reportedly not diverse enough to perform with Atlanta orchestra

FoxNews.com ^ | August 17, 2012 | FoxNews.com

[Ron C.]

Two high school choruses will reportedly not perform with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra this year because their groups are not racially-diverse enough.

WSBTV.com reports that the Walton and Lassiter High School choruses in Cobb County will not get a chance to perform with Atlanta’s professional this fall as a result of the determination.

"This year, the schools were informed by symphony officials that their choruses are not diverse enough, and that the symphony would be inviting a third, more diverse chorus," Cobb County Schools spokesman Jay Dillon told the website.

[BobNative]

Your comments are probably correct.

I would like to see a “diversity study” of the make up of the Orchestra.

I’ll bet that it is heavy white and Pacific Rim membership!

[Georgia Girl 2]

“I guess in Atlanta “diverse” means black”

Yep, City govt looks just like the airport.

[Brookhaven]

THIS from an organization that promotes classical music? A European musical style which has always considered itself superior to every other form of music—meaning superior to non-European, non-white musical styles.

If I was a minority student, I wouldn’t be interested in participating in an organization whose premise is the music produced by my ancestors was inferior to music originated by a bunch of white Europeans.

As a kid growing up in GA I listened to R&B (Augusta roots), southern rock (South GA/North Fl roots) and bluegrass (North GA roots)—music produced by the culture I grew up in. I deeply resented it every time I heard someone talk about the superiority of classical music (with its implied message that the music I listened to—the music my culture produced—was somehow inferior).

Maybe the ASO should look in the mirror and consider the racism it promotes with its focus on classical music.

[Dacula]

How is this for biting the hand that feeds you...

Atlanta Symphony musicians ask administration to share in salary cuts

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra musicians have offered to cut their compensation by 11 percent to help balance the organization’s annual budget, but there is a catch: They want the ASO leadership and staff to take an equal cut.

http://www.ajc.com/lifestyle/atlanta-symphony-musicians-ask-1500814.html

[PapaBear3625]

A large pic of the Atlanta Symphony does not show that many black faces:

http://www.scaddistrict.com/savmusicfest/files/2011/04/ASObyartist.jpg

Perhaps they should themselves be required to reflect the demographics of Atlanta?

[WVNan]

In that picture I can spot only two. One on the bass violin and one in the horn line on the back row. I see several orientals. Maybe the H.S. chorus is not diverse because it is not white enough. /s

[jch10]

Georgia taxpayers’ money probably funds the Atlanta Orchestra, just as it supports the school systems. Sounds like the taxpayers need to contact the Governor’s office and complain.

Skin color should not be used to pick membership in ANY group....see?

[I still care]

I wonder how many kids are in the choruses? Think any of them will grow up to be Democrats?

“Well, Jen, when I was young, I was liberal, and we were going to sing with a symphony, but it was cancelled because I wasn’t black...”

[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

It’s not like this sort of thing hasn’t happened before:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_control_of_the_music_medium

On September 22, 1933 Goebbels established the Reichskulturkammer, the Reich’s Chamber of Culture. This organization required all German artists to register for membership, those rejected resulted with a profession ban. The chamber of culture specifically promoted art produced by Aryans (such as film, fine art and literature) whose views were consistent with Nazi ideologies.[9] The organization blacklisted many Jewish musicians and composers (who opposed Nazi ideology) from performing live in concert halls. The Chamber of Culture famously banned Jewish composer Bruno Walter from performing in public in 1933. Walter’s performance in Leipzig was cancelled due to “threats of violence.” Four days later Walter was officially blacklisted when Richard Strauss replaced him at the Berlin Philharmonic Hall.[10] The chamber of commerce eventually purged all orchestras of Jewish members, from local chorals to professional symphonies including the Berlin Philharmonic. This was made possible in April 1933 with the passage of the Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service. This law essentially dismissed hundreds of Jewish citizens from civil service including musicians and composers from German orchestras and concert halls.[11] More than any other law, this one pushed Jewish musicians out of German culture at large.

[darkangel82]

I can’t carry a tune either. I leave the singing and playing to those who are more musically literate than I.

[newzjunkey]

I sat there and people-watched and noticed something peculiar. EVERY single person employed by the airport, not the airlines, but the airport, was black. The security guards, the cleaning people, guys driving the golf carts, food servers at those enormous food courts, everyone.

I've noticed a distinct monoculture among service sector employees in that area. It mades me wonder where whites find first or part-time jobs.

[Josa]

It also appears to be mostly men so the symphony fails on the diversity standard in many ways. BUT they definitely qualify as the most hypocritical.

[TurboZamboni]

but do they sing like this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=SLBBtFSW8TE

[Cubs Fan]

I hope they file a law suit.

[jimfree]

This is effing evil. Mrs. jimfree suggested they sing in black face.

[AnAmericanMother]

They are almost 100% lily-white. I see one black man and one black woman in one photo, several Asians.

The only time you will see a lot of black faces is when the Morehouse and Spelman College choruses sing with the ASO on MLK Day.

This is not their fault, because excelling in music at this level is very difficult indeed, and you (and your parents) have to be committed from an early age. Most people of any color don't make it this far.

But I think ASO just stepped in it big time, if Cobb wants to push it.

[AnAmericanMother]

I hope you're being sarcastic . . . but the best classical music is superior to the best R&B and bluegrass. Don't get me wrong, I've sung bluegrass (and Sacred Harp) for years and years, and it's good. But not as good as good classical.

There's some lousy classical music (people trying to write in the idiom and not succeeding), but the good stuff is superior to anything else. Its history goes back to the Greeks, Plato and Aristotle, and in theory and exposition it is centuries ahead of local folk music. Composers like Josquin and Ockeghem were writing stunningly complex and beautiful music before America was even discovered.

Josquin, "Tu pauperum refugium"

Ockeghem, "Gloria, Missa Mi-Mi"

A little closer to our own time, and more comfortable for modern ears, is the Elizabethan madrigal tradition: Weelkes, "Hark all ye lovely saints above"

Think of it as an edge in both 'time in grade' and sophistication. It's all those 'dead white guys' again.

[mrsmel]

I’m not educated in classical music, though I like it, but it’s my understanding that really excellent classical music isn’t really being composed anymore, as in, there haven’t been anymore Mozarts or Beethovens, not to discount composers from the 20th C? Could this be another aspect of the dumbing-down of the culture and suppression of individuality that was present in past centuries? I mean, men like Beethoven and Mozart didn’t sit in large classes learning “music” as people do today. They learned individually, and discovered their gifts individually. I’m not expressing this well, I hope you know what I’m trying to describe.

I would love to find a book or at least a long essay on this topic, even if it only touches music tangentially. The demise of genius, death of true heroism, that kind of thing. It seems to be as dead as nobility/aristocracy. Any suggestions would be gratefully appreciated.

[jcsjcm]

That is so racist it isn’t funny! What happened to we are all Americans no matter the color of your skin. Now we have to diversify our schools like bus in people from other neighboring schools if you don’t have enough Chinese, Hispanic, Black? We are suppose to be one and you can’t tell people where to live.....