President's Message, High River and District Lions Music Festival

This message appeared in the program of the High River and District Lions Music Festival in 2013.

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Dear Arts Advocates,

We are pleased you have joined us for this year’s High River and District Lions Music Festival.  We are so pleased to be surrounded by so many passionate musicians, parents, teachers and advocates.  Through an event such as this, it becomes quite obvious the value music has in our society and in our lives.

Thank you to the parents and teachers who advocate for their students so vehemently.  Thank you to the students, for refining your craft and sharing it with us, and for inspiring not only those who follow you, but also those who lead you.  Thank you to the solid foundation of volunteers who organized this festival and made it happen.  Thank you to the Sponsors who put their money where their heart is and by doing so make our Arts community stronger for it.  Perhaps most especially, thank you to the members of our audience, the receptors of our musical communication, for being the most basic and necessary form of Arts Advocates.

True profit in Arts and Culture is not measured in dollars, euros or yen.  It in fact is immeasurable, although its effects can easily be seen in the eyes of every student, teacher or parent who has been exposed to it.  Those who cannot package that experience and sell it have a difficult time understanding what electrifies us.  Yet we press on, knowing that intrinsic value is not always meant to be understood, just experienced.

Music itself is temporal.  Truly emotive music must be performed and experienced; no digital device can emote and express the way a living and breathing musician and audience member can.  With our High River and District Lions Music Festival, we see how that happens in each performance.  It is for this reason we work so hard to produce this festival, to continue to see that every year, and be inspired by it.

It should be noted that we are in desperate need of Arts Advocates, who are willing to put their time where their values already reside.  Our Board is in need of extra support, as in its current state, our Festival organization is not sustainable, and we so desperately want it to be so to the benefit of our young musicians.  As John F. Kennedy said over 50 years ago, “to further the appreciation of culture among all the people, to increase respect for the creative individual, to widen participation by all the processes and fulfillments of art – this is one of the fascinating challenges of these days”.  We ask that you seriously consider helping us take this challenge on.  We need teachers, parents and supporters, young or old, to take this challenge on.  We need you.

Please consider joining us as we seek to provide venue for the inspiration our young musicians offer.  Your life, and ours, will be enriched by your efforts, and you will make a real and lasting impact on the lives of our young musicians as well.

Thank you once again for supporting young musicians simply with your presence, and please continue to share with all those around you how rich you truly are because you have music.

Contrapuntally yours,
Joel Windsor