RDSO President’s Message

I’ve been asked, “Why would you want to be President of the RDSO? Don’t you already have enough to do?” The answer to the second question is easy: “Yes, I have plenty to keep me busy!” As to the first question, my answer is this: “Because I’m selfish.” How’s that for a bald-faced admission! Let me explain.

I’m selfish for the cultural wellbeing of our city and our region. My family and I love living in Red Deer and we value the many opportunities this community affords. We enjoy the miles of trails, the proximity to lakes and camping, and the top-notch athletic facilities. But we also enjoy the many cultural opportunities, both amateur and professional, that our region offers. Of these, the RDSO ranks as one of the premiere cultural focal points in our community. People are attracted to a city for numerous reasons, but it has been shown time and time again that the cultural life of a community plays a tremendous role in attracting and retaining businesses and employees. Cultural health and economic health are symbiotic.

I’m selfish for the cultural wellbeing of my family. The four of us are RDSO season subscribers, just like many of you. Along with (or in spite of?) Nintendo, RockBand, and swimming lessons, we want our sons to grow up to be teens and adults who value and support music because it has become part of their cultural DNA. At home the boys will sometimes haul out a music stand, find a piece of music that looks “hard”, load their favorite music on the CD player or iPod, grab my baton, and conduct with molto gusto. Look out Maestro Lapalme!

And yes, I guess I’m just a bit selfish for me! As a member of the RDSO Board I have the distinct honor of working with other like-minded individuals, all of whom are ordinary people, yet extraordinary in their commitment and dedication. We have the privilege and responsibility of dealing with lofty matters such as season programming as well as mundane tasks such as stuffing envelopes. There are few greater pleasures in life than being part of the cut and thrust of a fine team.

Above all, though, I’m selfish for the music itself. Music is a re-creational art; it requires repeated performances to keep it alive. We who have the means to do so are stewards of this heritage. Music connects us to our inner being, to each other as humans, and to a historical continuum that stretches from the past into the future. From the great to the yet-to-be-great musical masters, from the familiar to the unfamiliar musical works, all must be given a fair opportunity to make their case. I am proud that, through our Main Series concerts and now through our new Chamber Series concerts, we do not shy away from presenting the new along with old. We would do well to remember that Beethoven’s music was once “strange and foreign-sounding.”

Orchestral and chamber music is alive and well in central Alberta. To ensure that it remains so I will continue to be selfish.