Recap: The Mayoral Arts Forum in Boston at the Emerson Arts Center on September 9^th

By: Doug Ruffin

       President,

       Boston Music Coalition

Mondays’ Mayoral arts forum was well attended to full capacity at the Emerson Paramount Center on Monday evening. Many of the Boston Mayoral candidates participated and answered tough questions from those active in the Boston Arts community.

Joyce Kulhawik moderated the event and asked the candidates to answer questions with specifics.

All the candidates expressed a personal interest in the arts as well as ideas to grow the arts in Boston based on the value it has for education, small business and how arts places Boston in the eyes of the world stage.

A few of the ideas for the arts in Boston from the candidates included …

• Allocating 1 per cent of the Boston City Budget to arts programs throughout the city
• Creating a cabinet level board of active arts professionals to advise the Mayor on arts issues and planning
• Extended school hours that includes many areas of arts study in all Boston Schools
• Working with Higher Education to move arts forward in Boston.

Many other ideas and proposals were voiced by the candidates.

All of us at the Boston Music Coalition support efforts like these events from “Create the Vote”.

We will ask the Mayoral Candidates to participate as a guest blogger here at the Boston Music Coalition to answer tough questions about Music, venues and the arts in Boston. We'll keep you posted. 

  

I’m serious! You Need to Go Tonight!

By Doug Ruffin

     President,

     Boston Music Coalition

If you are a music professional, close the guitar case for a moment and take a good look inside your refrigerator. Need a gig? 

You are a strong supporter of the arts. Hate it when the opera stage goes dark?

The Stone Temple Pilots perform tonight at The House of Blues. Before you head out to Kenmore Square, please join music, arts fans and professionals at the Emerson Paramount Center.559 Washington Street, Boston MA. Monday September 9, starting at 7:00 PM sharp. To find out where the Boston Mayoral Candidates stand on issues related to the arts. Register Free www.mass-creative.org/createthevote  I’m serious, you need to go tonight.

You know how Roberta Flack performed a few weeks ago at City Hall Plaza? Can we be sure that the next Mayor will commit to a diverse mix of free summer concerts at City Hall Plaza And the Neighborhoods in the years that follow?  Will the next Mayor work with the State legislators to encourage the T to run later at night so that when you go to a concert or decide to stay for the second set of a live band you like; you can do so without having to keep one eye on the band and the other eye on the time in fear of missing the last train at 12:40? How would a casino affect existing music venues in Boston?

In one way or another, music fans and music professionals discuss this nearly every day. Well, now is the time to stop grumbling about it and let your voice be heard.

The Boston Music Coalition is working with others in music and the arts to get the arts community to a show our strength in numbers to let the Boston Mayoral candidates know that we have stopped grumbling and we have something to say! If you love music, the arts or need a gig; register free, www.mass-creative.org/createthevote

Yeah, I’m serious. You need to go! 

Resources

The Emerson Paramount Center

559 Washington Street Boston, MA

www.emerson.edu/about-emerson/campuses-facilities/boston/paramount-center  

Attend Free! Register Now!

www.mass-creative.org/createthevote

Get Joyce Kulhawiks’ Article Plus Updates

www.BostonMusicCoalition.com

Boston Music Coalition

www.BostonMusicCoalition.com

Love Live Music? Love The Arts? Please Read, Please Act and Go!

By Doug Ruffin

President,

Boston Music Coalition

Joyce Kulhawik wrote an important article on her, “Joyce’s Choices” web site. We got direct permission from Joyce Kulhawik to reprint the article. After you read the article, Please find an important update below. Click on our resources and help us fill the Paramount Center on September 9^th. 

From Joyce Kulhawik:

Joyce's Choices - Movies, Theaters, Reviews MAYORAL CANDIDATES: WHO WILL SHOW UP FOR THE ARTS? Posted: 27 Aug 2013 10:05 PM PDT

OUTRAGEOUS. Look what the HERALD, NECN, and SUFFOLK UNIVERSITY have done-- scheduled a TV MAYORAL DEBATE at exactly the same day/time that MassCreative's Mayoral Forum on the Arts, Culture and Creativity has been scheduled at the Paramount Center! Seven candidates have already committed to the Forum, organized 10 weeks ago by MassCreative's Create the Vote-- and we are asking those candidates to keep their promise. So far candidates Marty Walsh, Bill Walczak, John Barros, and Michael Ross said they would honor their commitment and attend--see Ed Siegel's splendid post today. The arrogant decision made by the above mentioned Boston Media Consortium to set the conflicting date is a truly nasty way to deal with the arts community in this town and further evidence of the low regard in which we are held in some quarters. The arts community needs your voice now! Please spread the word to friends, followers, arts lovers and ask for their support in encouraging all the candidates to attend the Arts Forum as promised!  Matt Wilson executive director of MassCreative has listed 3 things you can do right now to make our Forum a success: 1) Send an email or make a quick call to the candidates thanking them for committing to the Create the Vote Candidate Forum. (See below for contact info.) 2) Tweet your concern about the media consortium's decision to schedule their event at the last minute to conflict with our event.  Suggested tweets: Not happy that @NECN @BostonHerald @Suffolk_U r planning debate same day/time as #CreatetheVote #BosMayor forum! http://ow.ly/ojIwX Then follow it with this: Ask #BosMayor candidates to keep promise to attend #CreatetheVote forum! http://ow.ly/ojIwX #bospoli 3) Redouble our efforts to pack the Paramount (600 seats!) by sending out an email and social media alerts to recruit your constituents and audiences to the Forum.  Let's fill the Paramount and show the candidates that the creative community has the ear of the voters. Candidate Contacts: Arroyo 857-400-VOTE (8683) campaign@felixarroyo.com Barros 617-860-2832/617 936-7180 john@barrosforboston.com Conley 617-227-2013 – info@danconleyformayor.com (HAS NOT YET COMMITTED TO ATTEND) Connolly 617-942-0136 info@connollyforboston.com Consalvo 617-272-3041 field@robconsalvo.com (HAS NOT YET COMMITTED TO ATTEND) Golar-Ritchie 617-227-8087 scheduling@charlotteformayor.com Ross 617-652-0501info@mikeforboston.com Walczak 617-858-1242 info@billforboston.com Walsh 617-742-2103ckeohan@ckstrategies.com  Here is an Update With Good News: Mass Creative Reports that the media consortium showed flexibility and moved the televised debate to 8:00 PM. Plus; All seven Mayoral candidates have reconfirmed.  Editors Note: The most important next step is for you to attend, and encourage others to attend. Let’s show the candidates that all of us in the arts (Music and otherwise) have concern and can exercise those concerns with our votes. Many Thanks to Joyce Kulhawik for providing us with this article and update information.  Resources: Take Action! Click to RSVP Now! Attend The Create The Vote Arts Forum September 9th beginning 7:00 PM at the Paramount Theatre in Boston, MA. www.mass-creative.org/createthevote Get Articles and More from Joyce Kulhawik  http://joyceschoices.com Get information, directions and more about the Emerson College Paramount Center in Boston www.emerson.edu/about-emerson/campuses-facilities/boston/paramount-center Music and Arts News www.BostonMusicCoalition.com