by Nicholas Stevens

Apologies for mentioning elections in what is ostensibly a review documenting the accomplishments of local musicians. But art must come from somewhere, and someone must have the time, space, and tools to make it. Decades of budget cuts have devastated public higher education across the nation. Undaunted, students, faculty, and staff at these institutions continue to prove themselves and their work vital to communities’ cultural lives. Northeast Ohioans recently had a chance to hear how much musical energy pours forth from the University of Akron School of Music in a live-streamed concert. In an election season, it afforded space and time to contemplate which public treasures we keep, lose, and still have a chance to preserve. [Read more…]