He lives vicariously these days through his daughter Hailey, who grew up in the Birmingham area and is now studying violin at the Royal College of Music in London.
Willington tells me that while losing his hearing is sad, his real anguish is the long and seemingly unsolvable Detroit Symphony Orchestra strike. Not because he misses the music. Nor does he have any business or professional relationship with the DSO.
But he thinks that if Michigan manages to destroy its world-class symphony, it will have a huge, negative long-term economic impact on our ability to prosper.
“When Detroit Medical Center or Henry Ford goes hunting for the best and brightest surgeons, what are those candidates looking for in their decision-making process?”
“When they try to sell their spouse and kids on moving to Detroit, how do they sell the relocation to themselves and their family,” he asks. “Could the existence and proximity of world-class attractions,” like the Symphony, be a factor in their decisions?
Well, of course it might. Unfortunately the problem isn’t easy to solve. The management of the DSO maintains the money just isn’t there. They’ve insisted the musicians have to take a staggering pay cut of thirty percent. That would reduce their base salary from a little over a hundred thousand dollars a year to the mid-seventies. The musicians said no, and walked out. Now, it’s hard to accuse the artists of being greedy. They say they are willing to take a twenty-five percent pay cut, which would be hard enough for most families.
But they won’t go any lower than that. Since the strike began, everyone from Senator Carl Levin to Jennifer Granholm has attempted to solve it, so far without success. The musicians have stuck together and have been playing concerts on their own.
The big fear, however, is that the best of them may soon drift off and be snared by job offers from other cities. Willington says he is frustrated that nobody seems to understand what a potential loss this would be for our state, or how hard a top-notch symphony would be to put together again if this one is destroyed. He argues that even those who couldn’t care less about music would suffer. Let’s say the area loses a top-notch heart surgeon because we lack cultural amenities.
The economics of the arts are not something this commentator is an expert on. But here’s something I do know. The Detroit baseball player Magglio Ordonez just took a massive pay cut.
He will now make only ten million dollars a year. That is equivalent to the salaries of a hundred DSO musicians before their pay cut took effect. True, most people might be more inclined to go to a ball game than a symphony.
But is one baseball player worth more than the entire orchestra? A man named Raymond Greene wrote a letter saying, “What I fail to comprehend is why a few of the multimillionaires who reside in the area are not coming forward to rescue this great institution.” That’s a question I’d like to ask, myself.
Jack Lessenberry asks a fair question.
And yes it is one of those great mysteries, why an outfielder makes so much more than a neurosurgeon, or the entire string section of the DSO, or President of the United States.
Magglio Ordonez is a lifetime .300 hitter; perhaps Babe Ruth was right when he was asked about his contract with the Yankees, that paid him more than the President. "I had a better year," the Babe replied.
I agree with Jack Lessenberry; it is awkward to wonder why the DSO can't attract more support from a few millionaires. Perhaps it is because they can't name health care benefits or pension fund payments after big donors.
But I also wonder this; it used to be, that WUOM broadcast real classical music, along with great jazz, for much of its programming day. Now, the model for an increasing number of public radio stations and networks like Michigan radio is 24-hour newstalk, much of it supplied by NPR, PRI, APM and the BBC. Newstalk with a not-so-vaguely leftish tilt to it.
I really wonder whether we need more newstalk on the radio, or more classical music. I had thought that the purpose of public radio was to supply an alternative what commercial media did not, in the public interest.
As I see it, the real public need is fine arts and cultural programming. To inspire more people to think about classical music, to buy tickets and to go see their DSO perform live.
Not to oppose Rush Limbaugh, or to serve as a radio version of MSNBC or the New Yorker.
Posted by: Anonymous | January 31, 2011 at 06:33 PM
2 comments: Yes, losing the current Detroit Symphony would be a huge loss to the area. It is one of the great orchestras in the country. The ripple effect may be largely unseen for those who don't patronize the orchestra's concerts, but it would take Detroit down a notch in its quest to remain or even aspire to being a world class city, and many people who think of moving here know it. Let's hope there is a creative solution to this. It will take extra effort from those who can see it is an exceptional part of the region and the state.
I would welcome even a small amount of classical program time on WUOM. Exposure to classical music is what creates a love for it. Thank goodness we have WRCJ!
WUOM does provide an excellent variety of news sources to help you stay informed. Even with some bias at times, NPR delivers important information. It would be great if WUOM could offer an hour or two of classical music to rest our brains as we try to digest all of the info.
Posted by: EFCBrown | February 01, 2011 at 07:43 PM