C.A.D.S.

Cultural Advocacy Day Singers! C.A.D.S.! That's what I told Robert John Ford, writer/director of CAUCUS! The Musical, Sleeping Dogs, and the upcoming Six-On-Six musical, that he could entitle a song in a new production he could create based on the experience of a group of singers I was fortunate to be a part of on Wednesday, February 18, which was indeed Cultural Advocacy Day here in Iowa.

Lyric excerpt from the song our group performed:
FUND THE ARTS (to the tune of "Be Our Guest" from Beauty And The Beast)
by the witty, intelligent, low-brow in a high-brow way, Robert John Ford!

Fund the arts, fund the arts, at least match our counterparts
In Missouri! Please do hurry before everyone departs
If you fill up our till, I can guarantee it will
Keep our minds from atrophying, keep our college kids from fleeing
In return, you will earn new tax revenue to burn
And an atmosphere that fosters new Mozarts
Ah, what a thing of beauty if you do your duty
Fund the arts, fund the arts, fund the arts

Fund the arts, fund the arts, prove to us that you've got hearts
Be true leaders, not impeders, like a bunch of mean old farts
There's no hitch to our pitch
Unlike Rod Blogojovich
Honest values we ascribe to cuz we can't afford to bribe you
Join our fight, do what's right, help us overcome our plight
If you don't we're homeless, pushing shopping carts
C'mon now, be our heroes, add some extra zeroes
Fund the arts, fund the arts, fund the arts
PLEASE FUND THE ARTS!

Now wouldn't that have been a perfect way to begin the morning session at the State Capitol, an entertaining tongue-in-cheek reminder of the fact that Iowa is ranked 45th in state arts funding? Alas, it wasn't meant to be, for when we arrived for our pre-approved, pre-planned performance, literally at the doorway to "the room where it all happens", the grand and glorious chamber which itself is a stirring display of the power of art, we were swiftly halted and cited for "inappropriateness." An alternate plan to use the time with me singing the National Anthem alone, which I've done in that setting previously, was also silenced. Without going into detail, let's just say that it was indeed a disappointment, and dreadfully symbolic of the cultural advocacy predicament. However, we did perform the song several times at the "Cabaret Iowa" legislative reception event later at the Historical Building, to greatly appreciative and enthusiastic response.

Since I wasn't able to rave and rant in their faces that day, I'll just unleash my imaginary response right now.

Dear Legislators, I'd like to remind you that you have ART to thank for:
The chairs you are sitting in
The chamber and the entire beautiful building you are meeting in
The clothes on your back
The car you drove to come to this session
The roads you drove on to come to this session
The music/programming you listened to while you drove to come to this session
The house you left and most of the possessions in it, to come to this session

But a tiny little reminder of that, on a once-a-year occasion that is supposedly dedicated to the greatness of arts and culture, the answer is...closed doors, closed minds, closed hearts.

C.A.D.S.! I'm seeing it, I'm hearing it, it'll practically write itself!

Iowa Cultural Coalition
The work of Robert John Ford