music people rock

I was emailed this from one of our music association people that know I'm leaving...

Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell on the arts
Sunday's (2/4) Nashville Tennesssean includes a commentary by Mayor Bill Purcell. Purcell writes: "The arts speak to the soul of a city. Here in Nashville we know that, and we have known it for the past 200 years ... It is essential, however, for government to help make sure that this reputation flourishes and expands so that the arts can continue to play a central role in the life of our city ... Over past seven-and-a-half years, the Metro Nashville Arts Commission's grants budget has been increased by almost 50 percent ... With the cooperation of the council, Metro has been able to provide substantial support for the Schermerhorn Center, as well as planning dollars for the long-awaited Museum of African-American Music, Art and Culture ... It is vital for us to remember that it takes vigilance to make a city's cultural life prosper. It takes funding, of course, but it also takes an unswerving conviction that the arts are not merely a frill or an afterthought. They are a treasure. They are part of what makes our city great."