The Mayor Of Exotica wrote:
Indeed, it is just another symptom of what has led me here. This community is all about the enjoyment of, and hence preservation of, an aesthetic, a culture, a lifestyle, that promotes socialization, fraternity, an celebrates life. To push down a landmark house such as that, and replace it with a McMansion, if I were in charge, just wouldn't enter people's minds, cuz there'd be consequences.
You guys here all get that, and that's so far beyond awesome, I can't even begin to tell you.
Sorry for the gap, I had to put on a record and mix a cocktail, as I had the feeling this was going to be longer than I originally intended. Hugo Winterhalter goes Hawaiian, and a dry Mai Tai, for those of you keeping score at home.
Anyway, now I feel better.
But back to the topic at hand...
It is frightening how the pace of erasing culture has picked up in the last 10-15 years. I see this everywhere I turn, and it begins with the kids. I teach music in schools where there used to be a strong band program at one time, and now, after budget cuts, retiring teachers not being replaced, and a wave of kids whose parents, for whatever reason, don't impart any kind of cultural imprint on them, and they kids lack any kind of ability to focus long enough to even make a good faith effort.
Not only does it not occur to some asshole not to buy a house that happens to be the product of one of the greatest minds in architecture this country has produced if it doesn't suit their needs, but then to destroy it forever, so that no one else can ever experience walking through it, or learn from it, and put up a cookie-cutter piece of prefab shit is the end product of a sickness from which this nation had better recover soon, before too much else is lost. I know it's just one house, but if it were just that, I'd be sad. But to see that, combined with the mothballing of our space program, combined with Jazz being in the toilet for how many years now??? And even Berklee has a hard time getting enough woodwind and brass players to populate all the ensembles which should have some kind of horn section.
Now, I probably should have mentioned that I have a deep appreciation for architecture, which stems from the many similarities I see in the two art forms. This is a bit difficult to explain, but in a nutshell, both artforms involve envisioning, then arranging a structure which creates a unique impression in the mind of each individual who experiences it.
The training and thought that is required to produce such works, and even the mindset that can take the time to appreciate them, is now an endangered species. When I travel, I see that while there is still considerable appreciation abroad for these things, other countries are baically headed in the same direction, though nowhere near as far along as here. I find this more disheartening than I can say here.
I realize I am preaching to the choir here; you guys are all on the same page, otherwise you wouldn't be reading this. The hardest thing in the world right now is to bring somebody over to our side, someone who doesn't recognize that we have arrived at a stage none of us ever thought for a minute would be possible, where the commercials are, with a few exceptions, more entertaining than the programs they punctuate. Not only are there no jetpacks, like we were promised 40 years ago, but in fact, we now have to hitch a ride with the Russkies to get into orbit now. Forget about sunken living rooms, and Cal Tjader, or even a live band much of anywhere you go these days (except Ohana). Unless we actively take on the task of introducing the younger generations to this way of living, it dies with us.
WOW, TIM!!! I want to print this post and nail it to a door somewhere. But what door? Where?
This is as demonstrative a thesis of our collectively shared aesthetic than anything I have ever read. Your passion is palpable...as is your frustration. We just have to hope that a preservation wave will continue to grow and grab the imagination and passion of younger generations, just like it has grabbed us.
Think about this, the green movement was born out of a generation raised primarily on a disposable mentality. Perhaps this was a cause and effect reaction to their reality? Preservation seems to go hand-in-hand with the ideas of going green (i.e. - not to be wasteful). So, maybe younger people will eventually become far more passionate about saving our history than our generation? Perhaps???
On a side note: I am terribly sorry to hear of the demise of the Key West Pops. My wife and I were members of the Arkansas Symphony Chorus, which also went the way of the dodo bird...and other cultural entities.
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There are so many things I want to say and so many directions I could go. I need a moment to process all of this. But for the time being, I'll just say this. Wow! Well said, Mayor. I owe you a drink the next time I see you.