Why We Need the Symphony

I recently spent a lovely, very San Diego night at the Summer Pops. The city lights, the bay breeze, the surprisingly extensive wine list.

Ben Folds was the headliner, and somewhere in the middle of the show, he stopped the music and went on a tangential rant about the importance of the symphony. After all, Folds honed his chops in a city orchestra as a percussionist, and later went on to have a successful solo career. The gist of his speech was that the foundation of all music starts with the classics, and without it, well, to quote him directly, “We are effed up the A.” Folds expressed an appreciation for the discipline and tradition, in a world where things move at lightning speed and kids just want to stare at their smartphones.

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Admittedly, there is “something” about the swell of an orchestra. The emotional cadence. The way the musicians’ wrists and elbows—82 of them, to be exact—move in precise unison.

Folds also suggested you can tell a lot about a city based on the quality of its symphony orchestra, and that ours is pretty good. Whether he was just being nice is obviously subjective. But the fact remains that our symphony boasts some of the best, with talent hailing from the likes of Juilliard and Carnegie Mellon. Most have been playing a classical instrument since they were in elementary school, and now teach at local universities.

San Diego Magazine publisher Jim Fitzpatrick recently told me about his campaign to get the U-T’s new publisher, Austin Beutner, to join the symphony’s board of directors. Why? Because the symphony is a city’s cultural centerpiece. It is that important. [Full disclosure: Mr. Fitzpatrick currently sits on the board.]

So come on down, Mr. Beutner! And I want to personally invite of all you to discover—or rediscover —your love of classical music. And the symphony. Ben Folds pulled at my heartstrings, and now I’m pulling at yours.

Rant over. See you at the Pops.

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