Even our community bands/orchestras usually need subsidizing (significantly more expenses accumulate beyond "band dues").
Wealthier people (and please don't suggest that they do not, as I'll ask for the thread to be deleted, if such epic nonsense is injected) pay most of the taxes and do most of $1XX+ ticket-buying and $XXXX+ contributing.
When properous people become targets (such as "always") they tend to (just as any of us would, trying to protect our property) give away less...and - when they do contribute less, the FIRST thing they're probably going to STOP giving to is "those oddballs who play classical music and jazz" - while continuing to give to hospitals and other things that (obviously should) take precedence over giving to "some people playing some tunes".
I'm ONLY encouraging musicians (who live off the contributions of those - whether via taxation or direct contributions - who >> THEY THEMSELVES MAY WELL NOT EVEN PARTICULARLY LIKE THE MUSIC THAT WE PLAY) to go easy on the "soak the rich" political rhetoric (and particularly when identifying oneself as "a member of the arts community"). Any musicians (who rely on public or private contributions - and that includes amateur groups that receive contributions to cover heavy expenses) are being (yes: artificially, as the actual market is non-existent) propped up - in their ability to do what they do - by wealthy people...and I'm referring to the constantly-targeted SIGNIFICANTLY wealthy people.
Even the single-digit millionaires are having trouble keeping up with everything costing double/triple, so (other than - maybe...?? - buying balcony tickets (etc.) we can forget about them kicking in any significant dough, as well.
If you TOTALLY disagree with EVERYTHING posted here, maybe (at least?) think about it, eh?
btw...I know quite a few over-the-top socialists/progressives (etc.) who DO get this, and ARE polite/nice/etc. to wealthy/generous patrons.
There goes bloke again...POLITICS
STOP your ranting about stuff that ACTUALLY matters and musicians being supported effectively/adequately, and go back to talking about the second strain of "Black Horse Troop" !!!
