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Thurs: Celebrity Lobbyist
posted at 2009-03-05 13:43 | Last modified 2009-03-05 13:43
Superstar saxophonist Branford Marsalis was in the house today (well, the Senate, actually), but he came to lobby lawmakers, not to entertain them.
Marsalis is chair of the NC Symphony Board, and he and his colleagues were working the halls, talking to legislators about the importance of funding for arts eduction. The Symphony gets about 2 million state dollars a year – about 20% of its funding, according to NCS President David Worters. They use the money to travel all over the state, performing concerts in small towns and schools where live classical music is rarely heard.
Marsalis was swarmed with admirers (including Sen Basnight and Lt Gov Walter Dalton) who wanted photos with him. In between rounds of fans, I talked with him for a few minutes about music education. (He’s a music professor at NCCU.) Some highlights:
Marsalis on minority access to classical music (1:20)
Listen Now!
Marsalis on classical music and critical thinking skills (3:09)
Listen Now!
Marsalis on Southern storytelling (:31)
Listen Now!
BTW, he says next time he's on Jones St., he'll bring his sax.
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