# Obama: good for music?



## martinlp (Jan 7, 2009)

A quick mention on the BBC News last night, while watching the parade, made me wonder. Will Barack Obama be good for (classical) music? 

I don't know the answer to this (and don't want to start a political debate) but is he a classical music fan?


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## PostMinimalist (May 14, 2008)

I liked seeing Yoyo Ma and Pearlman playing in the inaugural celebrations.
Who was the clarinetist?


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## jhar26 (Jul 6, 2008)

martinlp said:


> A quick mention on the BBC News last night, while watching the parade, made me wonder. Will Barack Obama be good for (classical) music?
> 
> I don't know the answer to this (and don't want to start a political debate) but is he a classical music fan?


Well, he told Renée Fleming that she's on his ipod and when asked about his favorite music he included Bach's cello suites, so he seems to like classical music. I don't know if it will make a difference policy-wise though. When there's a financial crisis the arts are usually the first to suffer cut backs. Let's hope not...


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## Rachovsky (Jan 5, 2008)

Since music is very important for many people (esp. young voters), I'm sure he put many genres of music onto his iPod. Personally, I'm not falling for it.


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## Lang (Sep 30, 2008)

Well, it was nice to hear classical(-ish) music at the inauguration, and even though I didn't like the piece it did seem to me to raise the tone a little.


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## Tapkaara (Apr 18, 2006)

Classical music and presidents? I don't see the connection. I really don't think Obama, or any past president, or world leader has much to do with classical music, and there are no good or negative effects. Music exists WAAAAAAY beyond politics, always have and always will.

Were, Bush JR, Clinton, Bush Sr., Reagan good/bad for classical music? 

Just because the current president had a classical-style performance at his inauguartion, I doubt any of the major clasical labels will report a spike in sales. People may want to buy Aretha Franklin's hat, however.


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## marval (Oct 29, 2007)

I can't see that he will be seen to be good for classical music. I suspect that he will have more important things to do. But having said that, if people thought he listened to classical music they might be inclined to give it a try.

This article about the inaugural celebrations, says the music was recorded two days earlier.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/obama_inauguration/7846472.stm

Margaret


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## martinlp (Jan 7, 2009)

Thanks to all for replies. Matter of interest I've just come across this via a Guardian UK link.


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## lakshwadeep (Oct 11, 2008)

I think that any aid to classical music will usually come from the local level.

On a side note, I learned recently that Jimmy Carter loved classical music and that the record companies would just offer him music to listen to.


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## SPR (Nov 12, 2008)

No.

C'mon now, be real. He is a politician, which means he is part of a generally shallow, shifty, and contemptible group. He will have no impact in the slightest on classical music. None whatsoever.

Maybe.. *maybe*... if he happens to frequent a symphony or 3.. but I highly doubt even that if it occurs as a 'regular thing' (which it wont) would be more than passing idle fodder for media crazies looking for something to jabber mindlessly about. 

of course, I could be wrong. 

I dont know who that clarinetist was either...


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## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

The clarinetist was Anthony McGill, by the way, the principal clarinet of the Met.

I'd just rather not bother analyzing every little detail about the inauguration stuff... I mean, the only thing that really matters is what ACTUALLY HAPPENS while he's in office. It makes no sense to say that he'll automatically favor the classical arts because he has Bach on his iPod and brought Perlman and Ma in to play at his inauguration. If he does, then he does; if he doesn't, he doesn't--and that's all I'm saying about it.


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## martinlp (Jan 7, 2009)

Naturally, I wasn't expecting Obama to step into the White House and ban all other forms of music than classical, or to divert all nuclear weapons funding to the New York Met. Nothing so obvious. 

But if a country's premier is a fan of something, you may find that the odd million dollars gets squeezed into one budget rather than another. These answers suggest that, at the very least, he doesn't think that classical music is anathema, so there's some hope, anyway.


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