Bernard Chasan said:

>The public broadcasting establishment has clearly made a conscious
>decision that classical music is marginal to mainstream listener's
>tastes.

The "common wisdom" I've always heard is that the people who listen to
the news/talk stuff contribute more to the fund drives.  I expect there's
some truth to this.  The majority of Connecticut Public Radio's airtime
is classical music, but the only time I know they're having a fundraiser
is if I listen to All Things Considered or something.  It's like they
barely even try to put the touch on music lovers.

>And then there is us.  Outreach is way beneath our dignity.  We would
>much rather argue the merits of the latest recording of Blatavsky's
>Concerto for kazoo and horse than figure out how to get more people
>interested about this wonderful stuff we all love.  Not that its easy.

Like the punk-rockers of 25 years ago (I was one) who spent more time
sneering at the metalheads than enjoying our own raucousness.  I have
no answers to this ongoing problem -- not even glib, mediocre ones --
but I have made a private vow not to bust on anybody else and their
choice of music, rather than present myself as an arrogant classical
know-it-all.  Or if I've got to bust on them, I've vowed at least not
to be snarky about it.  It's a start.

Eddie