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mindless violence

"Mindless" being the operative word.

The popular culture is duming America down at least as fast as the State schools are. We need a resurgence of the fine arts in this country. Note: I'm not talking about the cr@p funded by the NEA, I'm talking about real fine art, classic works like the ones we studied in high school and college. You need to engage your brain to watch Shakespeare but not to watch Stephen King.

Last Christmas you could have paid about $6 to go see "Santa Claus 2" or between $10 and $100 to go see "The Nutcracker". We've priced fine art away from the masses. IMO nothing would do more to elevate our culture than to work to make fine art accessible to everyone, along with sufficient education to enjoy it.

Shalom.

Unfortunately when high culture was available to the masses the musicians were paid crap. Now an ensemble like the Chicago Symphony consists of about 100 of the finest musicians in the world who are (and should be) very highly paid. This makes ticket prices high right off the bat.

That being said the residents of the Chicago area have a fine free concert in the park series every summer with the Grant Park Orchestra. Last summer they actually scheduled works the public wants to hear: the B-boys, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, etc. and the concerts were packed. GPO's musicians are paid well but not at the level of CSO for many are younger musicians starting their careers. Of course, the orchestra is funded through taxes via the Park District and some don't like that.