Don't sever this Artery

Been hearing a lot about the CICA Music Festival lately from a few people who are volunteering to help get the massive festival up and running. GM is pretty stoked that the Eroica Trio has signed on for this year and the cellist has offered to be permanent strings faculty next year. In fact, GM knows so much about Sara Sant' Ambrogio's life that I gather he's preparing to propose when they get to town. Nice to know there are some fans, if not stalkers, out here in the nether regions of music appreciation. ... Anyway, after looking over some of the material and learning very few students from Carroll County have signed up to take classes during the three-week gig, yours truly was a bit perplexed. ... If I was a kid aspiring to a musical career, it would be an "OMG! Are you kidding me? I have to do this!" moment at my house - especially since guitar is now included. .... So it was doubly disappointing to learn from my gossip grapevine that some people are just territorial and suspicious, if not downright afraid, their little piece of the pie will have a bite taken out of it and have decided not to support the festival. ... Kind of reminds me of the Charlotte Buchanan/Artery business. ... I personally don't get how this program is at odds with anything else. It could only benefit any kid, musician or teacher who's already involved in any music program we have going.

I heard yesterday festival creator and director Thomas Chun-yu Chen is in the process of becoming a citizen of the U.S. so he can move here. He wants to play in the Carroll County Orchestra or teach in Jim Swiggart's string camp. ... He supports our arts. ... He gets collaboration.

Please folks, let's not shoot a hole in the future once again and lose this festival to some other town that will take the opportunity attached to it and make national news. This deserves our support. ... After all these years of griping that there's "nothing for the kids" in the summer - well, now there is. ... Parents in Portland, Oregon can send their kids all the way across the country for this opportunity, but parents in Eureka Springs can't get on the bandwagon? ... Nah, I hope I'm wrong.

You can tell me just how wrong at oliverdeplace@hotmail.com.