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RALLY AT THE PARAMOUNT
Let the world know about the Oakland Ballet's decision to
perform the NUTCRACKER to tape.
Live Music Task Force
Rally at the
Paramount
Theater
2025 Broadway
Oakland, CA
Monday, December 19, 2005
12:30pm - 2:00pm
(prior to the 2:00pm matinee performance)
A Child looks on as the Live Music Task Force Brass Quintet plays excerpts from the Nutcracker at the rally outside of the Paramount Theater.
The Brass quintet plays for the camera.
Live Music Task Force Founder David Schoenbrun
is interviewed by ABC 7's Willie Monroe.
KTVU Channel 2's Gasia Mikaelian gets the story for the 6:00 News.
Live music and live music supporters greeted patrons as they entered the theater.
The Live Music Task Force Banner deserves a picture.
PRESS RELEASE
The Grinch That Stole Live Music
An empty pit.
That's what children will find when they scamper down the aisle to see the musicians and their instruments during the Oakland Ballet's Nutcracker. Until recently, the Oakland Ballet advertised they would perform the holiday classic accompanied by the Oakland East Bay Symphony. However, the company has now decided that the Sugar Plum Fairy will dance to tape, depriving their audiences of a valuable live music, cultural, and educational experience.
Ticket prices have not been reduced as a result of this decision.
A rally by the Live Music Task Force will take place on Monday, December 19, from 12:30pm to 2:00pm, at the Paramount Theater in Oakland, prior to the 2:00pm matinee performance of the Oakland Ballet's Nutcracker.
The Live Music Task Force, is a San Francisco Bay Area coalition of music business professionals, civic leaders, celebrities, and concerned citizens, who have joined forces to call attention to the enormous decline in the number and visibility of live musical performances; and to educate both consumers and producers about the limitations and consequences of replacing live musicians with technological facsimiles and recordings. The Live Music Task Force champions support for live music as a cultural and educational influence, as a worthwhile medium of entertainment, and as an integral part of public events and celebrations.
###
OAKLAND TRIBUNE
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
December 21, 2005
Dear Editor,
The Live Music Task Force held a rally prior to the Oakland Ballet's December 19th performance of its Nutcracker at the Paramount Theater to let patrons and the community know that the performances were being danced to a tape recording, not live music. What's the difference between a live orchestra, and a tape of an orchestra? Simply put, it's like the difference between hugging your child, and hugging a life size doll of your child.
Ballet, like all cultural experiences, is about human expression--take the people away and you begin a dangerous erosion of the culture. When we see a dancer dance, a singer sing, or a musician playing their instrument, we become active participants. Without live music, how can our kids walk down to the pit and see the musicians, ask them, "What's the name of that instrument?" or feel the excitement build in the hall as the orchestra warms up? A live orchestra lives and breathes with the dancers - a phenomenon that is not lost on the audience. Ballet without live music is second-rate.
We believe the Oakland Ballet has people problems, not money problems. The Executive Director of the Oakland Ballet said in a recent interview that after ten minutes he couldn't tell if there was a live orchestra or not. Ask yourself if this is the sort of cultural leadership we need and deserve.
Sincerely,
Alex Walsh
Live Music Task Force Coordinator
As printed in the Musical News, the official newsletter of Musicians Union Local 6
Live Music Task Force Rally A Success
By Alex Walsh
The purpose of the Live Music Task Force rally on December 19 at the Paramount Theater in Oakland before the Oakland Ballet's Nutcracker was to let the world know that the Nutcracker was being danced to tape rather than live music. Given our charge in the LMTF's mission statement, we certainly achieved our stated goal:
To call attention to the enormous decline in the number and visibility of live musical performances; and to educate both consumers and producers about the limitations and consequences of replacing live musicians with technological facsimiles and recordings.
The event brought out at least 40 people, most of them Local 6 members. Both KTVU Channel 2 and KGO Channel 7 were on the scene. A reporter from the East Bay Express was there. We had "Save Live Music", "Live Music is Best", and "Keep Live Music in the Pit" picket signs. The eye catching orange and black Live Music Task Force banner framed the picture nicely. Tony Caviglia led a brass quintet that played Nutcracker excerpts and holiday classics on the sidewalk for the patrons as they arrived.
The day started bright and early with the Local 6 staff and Live Music Task Force volunteers frantically coloring picket signs-12 signs take a lot of time! Reminder faxes were sent to the media, and last minute calls were made to members. With butterflies in our stomachs, we then piled into our cars and headed for the Paramount. The drive over was anticlimactic, and so was parking. Everything seemed too easy. Even the weather was cooperating, no rain.
When the Live Music Task Force banner was unfurled, things started to look good. When we saw the TV trucks, things became promising. But when the brass quintet hit that first note, it all made sense. The reason we were there, Live Music, was in the air. What's so hard to understand? This is it!
During the rally Live Music Task Force volunteers handed out our pamphlet and spoke to willing patrons about our cause, many of whom expressed support. Cars honked as they drove by. The Brass quintet, Tony Caviglia, Lenny Ott, Nicky Roosevelt, Don Benham, and Frank Bunger, drew much attention and applause. Children were transfixed, and so were the TV cameras! Yes, we are now officially media mongers.
But there are two sides to every story, at least, and the media made sure they gave equal coverage to all the players involved. Leading up to the rally, the Oakland Tribune had printed two glowing articles about the Oakland Ballet's Nutcracker and mentioned the Live Music Task Force rally only in passing. Thankfully, the TV coverage was much better. The Oakland Ballet spokespeople said they were going through hard times and did not have the money for an orchestra this year. David Schoenbrun, our spokesperson, said, "I can appreciate that. We're not necessarily protesting the Oakland Ballet, but rather calling to the public's attention that this is something that we must be very careful not to devalue in this culture...As we devalue music, we'll see musical education continuing to decline in our schools...Our culture taking a dive. And it's not the Oakland Ballet - I wanna get that point across. It's really the value that people need to place on live music."
We certainly learned something from this first outing - especially the need to clarify our position for the public. While some people didn't approve of our presence, others agreed with us but thought we came across as too self-righteous. They were kind enough to offer valuable constructive criticism for future rallies. Others just didn't get it, especially the executive director of the Oakland Ballet who said on Channel 2 that after 10 minutes he couldn't tell if there was an orchestra playing or not-the show was just that good (I guess he wasn't there for the December 17 matinee when the tape stopped mid-performance - !!!).
The fact that the Oakland Ballet had neglected to tell its audience that they were dancing to tape was explained to TV reporters quite eloquently by outraged patrons. All of this translated into repeated coverage on the evening news for both stations, and a full page article by Rob Harvilla in the East Bay Express music section. Check out the Live Music Task Force website, www.livemusictaskforce.org, for pictures and related information about the event. Thank you to all participants and everyone who expressed their support. See you at the next one!
Special thanks to Rich Welker, proprietor of Bronstein's Music in South San Francisco who donated the Nutcracker Suite arrangements for brass quintet. And thank you to all of the Local 6 Members and Live Music Task Force volunteers who attended the rally:
Yehudit Lieberman
Zach Spellman
Bill Klingelhoffer
Rufus Olivier
Rufus Olivier, Jr.
Don Kennelly
Candy Sanderson
Betsy London
Larry London
Debbie Spangler
Ward Spangler
Ellen Gronningen
Cyrle Perry
Tina Anderson
Paul Rhodes
Pat Klobas
Randy Keith
Kurt Ribak
David Sturdevant
Gordon Messick
Tyler Mack
Allen Biggs
Kathy Marshall
Jo Gray
Tony Caviglia
Lenny Ott
Bill Harvey
Nicky Roosevelt
Don Benham
Frank Bunger
John Hunt
Ann Hunt
Patrick Simms
Alex Walsh
Gretchen Elliott
Melinda Wagner
David Schoenbrun
Tony Orbasido
Jim Wesser & friends
Ramon Lazo
Alex Walsh
Coordinator - Live Music Task Force
Posted by livemusictaskforce at 03:03 PM
