Music Lovers, Make Your Voices Heard! (fwd)

[Freda B Birnbaum <fbb6...>]

I don't usually forward things, especially long things, but this looks
important.  Sorry if you've already seen it.

Freda Birnbaum


---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2003 17:50:51 +0300
From: Yehonatan and Randy Chipman <yonarand (at) internet-zahav(dot)net>
To: Yehonatan & Randy Chipman <yonarand (at) internet-zahav(dot)net>
Subject: Music Lovers, Make Your Voices Heard!

Dear Friends and Fellow Music Lovers,
     Last week, I was shocked to read that the powers that be in the
Israel Broadcasting Authority have decided, in the name of "economy" and
"effciency," to merge Reset Aleph and Kol Hamusica, effective this
coming January 1st.  This means that classical and other artistic music
(serious contemporary music, Israeli and otherwise;  ethnic music;
quality jazz) willl only be broadcast from 6 am to 9 am, and from 10 pm
to midnight.  In effect, it means the death of the station, which is not
only far and away the best music station in the Middle East but among
the best in the world.
     This is a serious blow, not only to those who regularly listen to
Kol Hamusica at their homes and wurk, but an even harsher blow to
Israeli culture.  Kol Hamusica, which is a natural forum for composers
and young performing artists, will no longer serve this function.  The
symphony concerts, the various festivals broadcast love (the Rubinstein
piano competition, the Abu Gosh & Jerusalem  liturgical festivas, parts
of the Israel Festival, the summer festival in the upper Galilee, etc.)
will be silenced.  It's doubtful whether the wonderful free Etnahta
chamber concerts on Monday afternoons will be able to continue, without
the backing of the sttaion that broadcasts them -- and so on and so
forth.  The list is long.  Everyone knows the role Kol Hamusica plays in
his or her own life, and why it is important to maintain it.
     I call upon everyone receiving this email to do two things:
    1)  Forward this email to as many people as you can think of,
especailly those to whom music is important, and those who might have
some influence.
   2)  Sign the online petition addressed to Israel Barel, head of the
Israel Broadcasting Authority, protesting this plan. You may sign at
        http://www.PetitionOnline.com/vm2003/
     3)   Those living outside of Isreal:  you may also spread the word,
and forward this message to others living in Israel whom you think might
be interested.
     4)  For those interested, there is also a Hebrew petition of the
Composer's Association, to be addressed to the President, cabinet
members, MKs, etc., in the attached Word file.   This should be returned
with your signature to Prof. Menahem Zur <msmzur @ mscc.huji.ac.il>.
      One more point.  You may feel that, in this time of Intifada,
terror, unemployment, etc., there
are more important issues on the public agenda than the closing of a
classical music station.  But
that's just the point:  the civilization of a country, of a culture, is
measured not only in the provision
of basic life needs, but in its concern for the finer things of life.
It is also a blatant violation of the Broadcasting Authority's mandate
to take into consideration the needs of a variety of groups within the
population.  The 10% to 15% of the listening public who regularly tune
in to Kol Hamusica may be a minority, but they are hardly an
inconsequential one.
     Kol tuv,
     Yehonatan Chipman

KolHamusikaPet.doc
Description: MS-Word document