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Classical music in Portland has been innovative for awhile. I'm the program annotator for the Oregon Symphony, and I used to do freelance PR for them as well. When I first started working with the symphony earlier this decade, they had a series called Chamber Music On Tap. Symphony musicians, many of whom also play in smaller ensembles such as Fear No Music, the Bassoon Brothers and other groups, would get together at Bridgeport Brewpub's upstairs room (this was before the pub was remodeled), and present chamber music there. It was a great series, well-attended and a lot of fun.

It's important to remember that a lot chamber music originated as salon music, meant to be performed in small and often private spaces, such as people's homes. Some of what we consider to be the finest masterworks of the chamber repertoire, like Schubert's "Trout" Quintet, were originally written and performed at a party in a Viennese home. Taking chamber music out of the rarified environment of the concert hall and returning it to less formal venues is entirely appropriate, and brings the music back to its origins.

I'm 42, btw.

posted 2 years, 11 months ago
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Regarding the issue of childless people "paying" for other people's kids through tax breaks for families, paid parental leave, etc. There are a couple of issues here; the first is motivated by self-interest. If we don't support the next generation of children, who will be our doctors, our political leaders, our librarians/teachers/police and firefighters, just to name a few, as we age and the next generation continues to shape society?

The second issue is the more abstract philosophical argument that we are all obliged, as human beings and members of society, to look out for and care for one another, whether we have children of our own or not.

posted 3 years, 8 months ago
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My introduction to the outdoors was in the form of summer camps, very rustic ones with outhouses and no electricity. Also, my family used to go on the typical car trips, but we never camped. We visited sites all over the western United States, including the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone and Olympic National Park, along with a number of less well-known places, but we always stayed in inexpensive motels (my parents weren't into camping, but they loved day trips, hiking, picnics, etc.)

Are you considering only camping/backpacking visitors to be "visiting," or do you consider the kinds of trips my folks took me on to be spending time outside as well? I should note that my preferred outdoor vacation includes camping (I'd do more backpacking if I didn't have a family member with medical issues that make backpacking impossible for us). Despite my wish that my parents had taken me camping as a kid, their influence on my love of outdoor wild places was profound. How does this kind of interaction with the outdoors fit into your discussion?

posted 5 years ago
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