1000 Words: Memorials

Oklahoma City Memorial

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – George Santayana, The Life of Reason, Volume 1 In America, the summer is bookended and filled with many of our traditional “patriotic” holidays (if you don’t like Labor Day as patriotic then shift it back a week or …

Continue reading

1000 Words: Push 4 Art

A few years ago, as a part of a national symposium about student engagement in the performing arts, some of my colleagues, primarily those from the Krannert Center at the University of Illinois, talked about the concept of a new initiative they were doing called “Push 4 Art.” The idea …

Continue reading

Congressional Dissonance: The Threat to our Military Bands

Air Force Memorial

In the past week or so, several influential and important people in my life and work have shared their dismay about an amendment to the House version of the Defense Authorization this year that would essentially gut the military bands programs. Specifically, it restricts performances in parades, civic events, holiday …

Continue reading