<div dir="ltr">I think the SMT rightly has a vested interest in a strong NEH, and the politics (the question of such an infinitessimal amount of public money going to the study of the arts) is a very minor consideration in terms of representing constituents' interests, although I can understand others feeling differently. (And, of course, one need not be a member of SMT to subscribe to the smt-talk list.) When I followed the advertised link to show my support of NEH funding to my senators Levin and Stabenow, I noticed that the NEH listed SMT as an institution in which it was interested, presumably to measure levels of support. I was happy to indicate my SMT affiliation and curious as to how our group had been linked to the list of universities and other institutions. --walt everett<br>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Noriko Manabe</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:oenophilia@msn.com">oenophilia@msn.com</a>></span><br>Date: Fri, Apr 4, 2014 at 9:18 AM<br>
Subject: Re: [Smt-talk] Political postings<br>To: "<a href="mailto:smt-talk@societymusictheory.org">smt-talk@societymusictheory.org</a>" <<a href="mailto:smt-talk@societymusictheory.org">smt-talk@societymusictheory.org</a>><br>
<br><br>
<div><div dir="ltr">While I, too, may not want to see
postings, say, advocating a political candidate on the SMT listserv, I
would disagree with Dr. Whitcomb in this particular case. Many members
of SMT have benefited from fellowships and other programs
funded or operated by NEH (and NEA). Its elimination would adversely
affect the profession of music theory. Hence, I think it was entirely
appropriate for Drs. Long and Judd to send out their emails. <br><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div><div><div><font face="Calibri" size="3"><span style="font-size:12pt"><div dir="ltr"><span dir="ltr">
<br>
FYI, the Society for Ethnomusicology has made a number of position
statements that are political in nature. Not all the membership agrees
with them, and one might question their impact, but the Board and Council make them
when they believe a statement would support the membership.
<br>
<a href="http://www.ethnomusicology.org/?page=PositionStatements" target="_blank">http://www.ethnomusicology.org/?page=PositionStatements</a><br>
<br>
I'm not necessarily advocating that SMT have similar position
statements, but am simply pointing out that it is not entirely
inappropriate for academic societies to take a political stand if it
benefits the membership, and that other societies have chosen to
do so. Letting other members know about an initiative is informational
and involves no political commitment from SMT itself. <br>
<br>
Noriko Manabe<br>Assistant Professor of Music<br>Princeton University<br>
</span></div>
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</div> </div> <a href="http://www.norikomanabe.com" target="_blank">www.norikomanabe.com</a><br><br><div>> From: <a href="mailto:whitcomb@uww.edu" target="_blank">whitcomb@uww.edu</a><br>
> To: <a href="mailto:smt-talk@societymusictheory.org" target="_blank">smt-talk@societymusictheory.org</a><br>> Date: Fri, 4 Apr 2014 12:01:41 +0000<br>> Subject: [Smt-talk] Political postings<br>> <br>> Hello,<br>
> <br>> <br>> <br>> I am writing to encourage the SMT posting policy to be changed to disallow emails concerning politics. I am referring to the recent calls to political action by doctors Long and Judd. We are a diverse collection of individuals with different political ideas, and while a discussion of these political differences could be interesting, it belongs elsewhere.<br>
> <br>> <br>> <br>> -Benjamin Whitcomb<br>> <br>> <br>> Dr. Benjamin Whitcomb<br>> Professor of Cello and Music Theory<br>> University of Wisconsin-Whitewater<br>> <a href="http://www.benjaminwhitcomb.com" target="_blank">www.benjaminwhitcomb.com</a><<a href="http://www.benjaminwhitcomb.com/" target="_blank">http://www.benjaminwhitcomb.com/</a>><br>
> _______________________________________________<br>> Smt-talk mailing list<br>> <a href="mailto:Smt-talk@lists.societymusictheory.org" target="_blank">Smt-talk@lists.societymusictheory.org</a><br>> <a href="http://lists.societymusictheory.org/listinfo.cgi/smt-talk-societymusictheory.org" target="_blank">http://lists.societymusictheory.org/listinfo.cgi/smt-talk-societymusictheory.org</a><br>
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<br></div><br><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br><font color="#3333ff"><b>Walter Everett</b></font><div><font color="#3333ff"><b>Professor of Music</b></font></div><div><font color="#3333ff"><b>Department of Music Theory</b></font></div>
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