On Quality.

I've been watching cooking how-too's on TV this morning, and worrying about our troubles at the ASO and ASOC. It came clear to me, after about the third or forth chef spoke about the quality of the dishes he had prepared, that the quality of the dishes DEPENDED on three things-the ability of the chef to design the recipes and balance everything included, the precise timing of the cooking period for the dish, and the quality of the ingredients. One chef made the statement that cooking a wonderful dish wasn't possible without the finest of ingredients and exacting timing.

It seems to me that this is just the problem we are talking about with the ASO. Can we have a wonderful end product (our concerts and outreach) without the finest ingredients-in this case-musicians? We're cutting the number of hours, weeks and months our players work together, thinking the amount of time we spend together has no impact on the quality of the product, and that cheaper ingredients, (players) are as good as those of the highest quality? How can anyone expect that the character and quality of our music making won't be powerfully, and possibly irreparably, harmed in this constant demand that we do it on the cheap? Any fool would know better than this.

How did it become possible that these life-changing musical experiences the ASO and ASOC regularly offer to the City of Atlanta are considered too good for us? It seems impossible, but it's happened. The people charged with nurturing us have decided that an inferior product will easier to pay for, and won't require as much effort. It's my feeling that until we have a board at the ASO and Woodruff that will not stand for a dumbing-down of our wonderful ASO and ASOC, we are in profound trouble. What we stand to loose here is horrifying. Atlanta: support us with your care, your attendance at our performances, if we get to have them, and with your money. And demand that the ASO and Woodruff boards do their jobs and nurture a continuance of the quality of performances our musicians have given to the City of Atlanta, and the world, across the decades.

Steve Reed
ASOC, T1, #259