Virtual collaboration cultural exchange

After reading Peter Kovach’s and Richard Arndt’s articles, I thought about how the arts are so often cut first from government budgets and how foolish I think that is. I usually have thought about this in the context of the domestic support of the arts, from funding of the NEA to how much music is offered (if at all) in public schools. While I don’t expect that everyone should become a musician or other kind of artist, I believe that the kind of problem solving and discipline that is inherent in the study of the arts can serve people in many other career paths. I also think that since music and musicians (and other art/ists) so often have the power to bring people together in a mutual language (or offer a way to find a common ground because there are many musical languages), that cutting music and arts essentially burns potential bridges to understanding and communication.

While the budget for the Education and Cultural Arts at the State Department is small, both of these articles also made me think that the success of cultural arts PD programs simply relies on the belief in their strength and the ensuing level of commitment shown by individuals. Their efforts are what makes cultural exchanges work, whether supported by a big budget or not. I completely agree with Kovach’s call to send pop musicians for extended periods of time to play with other musicians as a form of PD as a proven and successful method to encourage collaboration in what he calls the “fusion” century. And in my ideal world, these exchanges would not only be with pop musicians, but also with many other kinds of musics and arts. For example, he mentions that sharing curriculum between university classrooms with virtual meetings as a way for people to connect across cultures. I would extend this to have musicians play together virtually, not only in the classroom, but also live. Having participated in these kinds of events, I have seen how they are exciting, challenging, and a platform for learning. As a performer, you have to be sensitive to the sounds coming not just from the stage you are on, but also from the sounds being projected into the amplifier/speakers in the room from other spaces and countries. Your awareness has to expand as a performer/listener to include the other instruments, as well as the cultural contexts and physical spaces where the other musicians are. I have seen some very interesting pieces performed and/or improvised in this way. Some examples are:

1. A woman who does vocal hums where many people from around the world come to join and hum in a meditation style communal California style interactive performance. They usually take place in public spaces such as cafes and people wander in and out and either join in or just listen. (http://www.ecafe.com/webcast/humpr.html)
2. A performance of avant-garde computer musicians playing laptop in a concert hall live with other computer musicians at multiple sites.

While these events I mention are a form of citizen (people-to-people) diplomacy, what if formal PD programs got funding to do these kinds of projects, or at least to fund other people doing these kinds of projects? We can leverage all the technology for cultural arts exchanges in a way that does not require a great deal of funding, but even just a gesture of support can inspire most musicians I know to innovate and create innovative and collaborative works that can achieve the kinds of communication and exchange that should be central to PD.