Shame!

Why shame? Frankly, to me it seems like something absolutely noble

Only One popular festival can offer the Opportunity for Free Expression of All Those PEOPLE Who, regardless of Professional activity, or aspiring to A musical career, wish to perform In Front of a vast UN-announced Public.

To me it seems, in spirit and purpose, one of the most beautiful and democratic things - And I say this in the highest sense of the terms.

Who knows why these initiatives are never proposed to plumbers

well if it's meant to be a joke... frankly

Ettore wrote:

Who knows why these initiatives are never proposed to plumbers

I suppose this is meant to be a joke...

However, if one wants a popular festival, plumbers might also be useful - sometimes inconveniences can happen, right? - and if someone wants to offer their work for free, they are more than welcome.

but why am I even responding to these ....!?!?

Of course it was a joke Daniele, for me it can also be extended to bakers, pastry chefs, waitstaff, those who will charge for electricity, etc... everyone contributes to the common goal. Long live democracy

In effect, it would have been very incentivizing to avoid

In support of this event, the close involvement of a public vendor is planned, capable of guaranteeing the audience present the possibility to purchase and consume food and beverages on site, a sort of 'picnic in music' with a practical, functional structure that is non-impactful regarding the identified location and the planned entertainment.

as musicians will do, for that matter

The musicians are invited to perform free of charge and all performances are free for the public.

Everyone, in their own way, should contribute to the music festival....and I say this in the highest sense of the term.

I understand and share your disappointment Dino

in the article that you highlighted by marking in red the terms you cared about, the subtle bias is evident: since music is made of air, music costs nothing (unless one has... a Name ..... uhhh... then the music changes (in every sense))

It is also true that one can consider the fact that usually the "celebrant" pays

The fact remains that making music cannot be compared to the work of a plumber, an office worker, a professional, or a deli clerk; in truth, these days, many people find themselves having to work for free, especially if they are self-employed.

Without even mentioning the well-known payment methods of the public administration, I assure you that a lot of jobs are done and... nothing... Or even, in exchange for the work and pay, you are asked to provide "a couple" of extra little tasks, obviously for free.

Treating oneself every now and then, perhaps in initiatives like these, can also serve to make oneself known and, above all, to make the music one loves known. The "promotional" aspect, although it apparently has nothing to do with art, is instead important for everyone and especially for those who make music.

Beautiful things need dissemination. Do you think "the man on the street" would ever pay for a ticket to a concert, say, of early music? If instead, while walking down the street, he happens to witness it, who knows, maybe (as unlikely as it may be), he might even feel like going to a real concert for the first time... a paid one.

In short, the limit should always be set by the dignity of what we do, whatever it may be. And this is what prevents selling oneself short.

Making music, for one evening, perhaps succeeding in involving people by receiving and giving warmth for free, I think is absolutely dignified, if not useful.

pestatasti wrote:

Making music, for one evening, perhaps succeeding in involving people by receiving and giving warmth for free, I think is absolutely dignified, even useful.

in itself, what you are saying is true.

But in an ideal world, everyone would be appropriately compensated for their service without having to go on strike, fight battles or, more sadly, work on raising awareness about the value of their own role.

And then it is evident that a musician - just like a plumber, an employee, a professional, or a deli clerk - does not live solely on satisfaction and applause.

[I don't really think that a musician is a producer of 'trembling air']

And then, regarding the tangibility of the "product"... how many characters are out there who get overpaid just to act as a "testimonial" for whatever event!?...

So, I am essentially in agreement with Pestatasti,

The municipality of Parma - in this case, but it could be any other municipality - has decided to hold a music festival. In this regard, it asks anyone who feels like it and is up for it to play and participate voluntarily, regardless of their level of preparation or the type of music, and this is absolutely democratic -. It is beautiful to think that those who have the gift - which should always be considered as such - of knowing how to play and being able to transmit strong emotions through music, in turn bestow it upon the multitude that does not have this privilege. In my home, all of this is called volunteering, which, precisely because it is increasingly rare, is highly desirable. Therefore, there is nothing shameful in all of this: this word 'shame' that is used at every turn would be better applied more appropriately where - and unfortunately there are countless cases - it is needed.

Even if it doesn't seem so, I understand your points of view, but lately there are only initiatives where one must provide their professional performance for free.

If out of 1000 initiatives only one were based on volunteering I would understand, but when it happens that out of 1000 announcements 999 are to work for free and 1 is not (and in this single case, who knows when you will hire them)... perhaps more appropriate words than Shame will be found.

I understand this latest point of view of yours very well and on this I can only be sympathetic and agree with you!

The crux of the matter is unfortunately very simple and sad: municipal administrations have no money and, not having any, they certainly cannot foresee expenses that go beyond what has been established. And this is a fact about which there is very little to discuss.

The problem relating to music and having to make a living from it is much broader, and by stating this, I am stating the obvious. It is a problem that in Italy becomes macroscopic compared to other European countries where being a musician does not mean being unemployed too often, as happens here.

Let's hope for better times as always, without ever losing the desire to fight to change the status quo. Cliché, nauseating, perhaps to repeat it, but I see no other alternatives.

Beautiful things need dissemination. Do you think "the man on the street" would ever pay for a ticket to a concert, say, of ancient music? If instead, while walking down the street, he happens to encounter you, who knows, maybe (however unlikely), he might even feel like going to a real concert for the first time... a paid one. [Pestatasti]

Hoping for better times as always, without ever losing the desire to fight to change the status quo. [Daniele]

"(however unlikely)"... I think it is very unlikely that "the man on the street," more or less an adult (from 18 to 100 years old), would decide to go to a real concert of a genre unknown to him just because he stumbled upon a willing musician who is doing outreach. I say this bitterly.

It would be like a teetotaler deciding at a wine festival not to be one anymore. It can happen... but...

i have my "wishful thinking" that better times will come and that those who work in the musical field will have solid and sufficient economic support from their art.

To seriously and deeply provide musical education to children and very young people who will never play an instrument, will never read a staff... but will feel music as "something" in their lives that they will never want to give up.. And (as happens to me) they will consider all the money spent on concerts or purchasing CDs of established artists or young ones alike to be well spent...

Musical education? >>> familiarity with listening to musical works!

musical notions >>> copying staves / classification of musical instruments / biographies of composers / acoustics Hertz Decibel . . .

But the point of the matter, dear Luca and dear all, is precisely this.

As long as there is no realization on the part of the political class - but obviously not only them - that school and education in a context of global reform must take essential responsibility for musical and artistic education, there is no way out.

Much is said about unemployment and lack of consumption, and yet, anyone who does not want to myopically continue on paths that are now stale and impassable knows well that we cannot continue to consume at previous rhythms if we want to save this planet from defeat.

Therefore, our consumption, aimed at creating jobs and wealth, must no longer be aimed at objects that are often useless and fill our homes with junk, but at cultural goods, such as the arts, music, concerts, theaters, cinema, texts - no longer on paper of course Simone - and, naturally, tourism.

I have no other recipes, but like Kundera I think that Europe, if it wants to save itself, will only be able to do so through its culture.

pestatasti wrote:

Regardless of the fact that making music cannot be compared to the work of a plumber, an office worker, a professional, or a deli worker ...

I think I understand what you mean, but I would think twice before saying such a sentence: it is easy to distort "music is not a job like any other" into "music is not a job" (but - it is implied - a hobby). Instead, the message to convey is that music truly is a profession, and to be done well, it requires professionalism and resources just like all other professions.

LucaCavaliere wrote:

Seriously and deeply providing musical education to young people and very young children who will never play an instrument, will never read a staff...

This is another evil to be fought. Listening is fine; I subscribe to the proposal of teaching Music History in all high schools (Licei) and not just in music high schools (because Literature yes, because Art History yes, and Music History no?). But even more urgent is the dissemination of basic musical training, namely more middle schools with a musical focus: there are certain realities in Italy (even in some southern regions, which have shown greater sensitivity and intelligence in this regard than the north) where the musical specialization has had the chance to take root, and this constitutes a great resource for the cultural development of the territory.

Having music courses in every secondary school, following the model of Northern European nations, is perhaps a utopia for Italy: but it would constitute the decisive turning point.

@ RedScharlach

everything is good, everything is desirable, what you are saying.

i, today as I am, would already be happy if in the middle school with a "general track" 70 hours of music per year were not used 90% of the time for ... music notions

(obviously I am talking about my own tiny little corner... but in two years of middle school, with two different teachers, this is the reality we have lived... and what else can I say if not what I see!?)