IrishMusicInfo
The Sunday Tribune Weekly Traditional Music Column by Fintan Vallely
990829
Last week's appraisal of Mick Moloney's recognition by the US National Endowment of the Arts is darkened somewhat by the decision of Congress - to be implemented on Oct. 1st - to cut NEA's funding, and also that of National Public Radio. Both are major outlets for Irish music, and the backbone of alternatives to the US's morass of commercially-driven culture; they give voices to many ethnic and minority artistic interests. But despite their making efforts to reduce costs, a Thatcherite lobby has persisted in challenging their work as not worthwhile. This contradicts the findings of a January 1995 CNN/USA Today poll which indicated that 76% of Americans wish to keep public broadcasting funding (third only to national defence and law enforcement as the most valuable outlet for federal funding). Currently, taxes from the general public for public broadcasting are only $1.12 per person per year (for NEA it is $.64 a year). All this is equivalent to trying to abolish RTƒ and the Arts Council in this country - both key players in Traditional music revival - and so the massive appeal petition to Bill Clinton that has been running all summer has been supported by Irish American musicians (contact wein2688@blue.univnorthco.edu). Our own Arts Council's appalling exclusion from last January's All Party report on traditional music is currently being rectified by continuing submissions from various bodies. But perhaps its errant overseers can learn from a similar report released in Scotland. Titled 'Traditional Music in Scotland - Education, Information, Advocacy' this was headed by David Francis, a musician and director of the Edinburgh Folk Festival Society. It appointed a steering group of musicians representing the growing Feis movement (like the early CCƒ), the recording industry, the Traditional Music & Song Assoc., teachers, the Glasgow Piping Centre, the national Feisean na Gaidheal movement, the third-level Scottish Academy of Music & Drama, the Scottish Arts Council (SAC) and commercial interests. They met three hundred and fifty bodies and individuals, their conclusions are imaginative - making proposals relating to all levels of education, information and archiving. Notably they suggest that the SAC become the music's major advocate, this indicating faith in it. Such contrasts with CCƒ's opinion that our own AC is biased against and disproportionately grossly underfunds Traditional music. The Scottish report shows a belief too that it is with 'the arts' that Traditional music should be placed - while the initial Irish document recommends the setting up of a distinct national board for the promotion of all 'traditional arts'. Both the interim Irish and final Scottish reports concur on need for education, that the music is an important identity marker, and that closer relationships are needed with tourism. But the Scots also report opinion strongly critical of the media (not considered in any way by our document) - bluntly stated as: "Scotland's Newspaper should cover Scotland's music", and in particular advocate a broader understanding - with "government, business, local enterprise companies, and key national organisations".
©Fintan Vallely, IrishMusicInfo.com
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