Anti-serial music bill threatens academic concerts

Jay here,
My response to the following: he's gotta be kidding, got he? This sounds
like one of H. L. Mencken's spoofs on politics. But if it is true, we've
reached a pretty damned sad day. To be fair, maybe someone should propose a
ban on human expression altogether.
>Delivered-To: jaywill@tscnet.com
>Date: Sun, 23 Jun 2002 22:33:53 -0700
>To: othermindslist@otherminds.org
>From: Charles Amirkhanian <charles@artsplural.com>
>Subject: Anti-serial music bill threatens academic concerts
>Reply-To: othermindslist@otherminds.org
>
>In addition to the Anti-Rave bill, California music lovers are about
>to be rocked with another major upheaval-an impending move to limit
>dissonant music from San Diego to Yreka.
>
>Renowned composer Edwin Dugger has resigned his post at UC Berkeley
>Music Department suddenly to organize and lead the opposition to a
>new movement called The Tone Custers. These self-styled proponents
>of easy listening fare have mounted a new initiative in the
>California State Legislature to reduce 12-tone concert music
>performances by 50% over the coming three years throughout the state.
>
>The movement, led by descendants of the late Elliot Griffes, has
>taken the academic world by surprise, but Dugger vows to uphold the
>freedoms of Perspectives of New Music analysts from coast to coast.
>
>"A win for the opposition in a bellweather state like California
>could start a domino effect that would deep-six my entire output and
>that of countless other composers of minority music," Dugger
>observes. "If they want to further their career as mental
>vegetables, let them do it in the privacy of their own dining rooms.
>Why suppress the occasional squirrel pie or deep fried grasshopper in
>the process?"
>
>A spokesperson for the anti-12-tone legislation countered,
>"Minimalism was born in California. Let's put our money where it
>belongs: just this side of the ether. It just doesn't make sense to
>promote Austro-German hegemony with so many hard-earned dollars here
>in the Golden State."
>
>
>

Jay,

--- In tuning@y..., Jay Williams <jaywill@t...> wrote:
> My response to the following: he's gotta be kidding, got he?

I know Charles Amirkanian and I'll write him to see what's up. But I hafta think it's a joke. If it isn't, anyone who resigns from a salaried position to man the barricades against serialism (and all the piles of money *that* kind of gig will bring in) is sort of humorous, anyway...

Cheers,
Jon