Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act
by Bill Clifford
Obama’s presidential transition statement on Arts Corps excited music educators and community musicians when it was released in December 2008. Hopes rose further when the Serve America Act passed Congress with amendments in support of Arts Corps and Music Corps in April 2009. But hope turned to discouragement when Musician Corps–the leading candidate to run Music Corps–virtually quit communicating shortly afterward.
What’s behind the silence? What is Musician Corps’ status today? And what plans does Christopher “Kiff” Gallagher—the man behind the transition statement, the legislation, and, now, Musician Corps—have?
See “What’s up with Music Corps?” and “Who’s Behind Music Corps?” in this issue for some answers and food for thought.
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What a bunch of tripe. Which reminds me, whatever happened to Menudo after Tiempo de Amar in ’97? Puerto Rico is such a beautiful place, but kind of poor. Aren’t all musicians community musicians. Some communities just have more money than others.
I suppose in real terms all musicians ARE community musicians but there’s no doubt we all know musicians with little sense of community. Without more contact with the Musician Corps people because they don’t respond to e-mails except the automated sort, I would hope that they are training people to go out into the community and enthuse amatures, provide material for them to realize ever grander musical aspirations and grow in their individual directions.
Let’s hope it’s not a load of tripe and still more waste of the communal resources.