here<\/a>.\u00c2\u00a0 It’s genuinely remarkable to me that this blog has amounted to anything.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\nI’m not being falsely modest, either.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
I know that I have the ability to write coherent sentences (thanks to the Writing through the Curriculum policy at the University of Puget Sound) and that I’m in a unique position to share my thoughts from the “inside”.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
However, I never started blogging as a way to get attention or forward an agenda, unless my agenda is the furthering of classical music in general, and the furthering of symphonic classical music specifically, in Portland.\u00c2\u00a0 That aspect of the blogging came for me\u00c2\u00a0later on in the journey.\u00c2\u00a0 I found myself reading what other musicians and critics where saying in reaction to the big events in classical music, and realizing that those events -\u00c2\u00a0which seemingly had little connection to Portland, Oregon – brought up issues or angles on issues which were staring me or my employer straight in the face.<\/p>\n
There are a lot of issues about blogging flying around in the mainstream media right now.\u00c2\u00a0 One of them is, at least in the sense that some bloggers see themselves as journalists, that bloggers don’t have an ethical obligation like print or broadcast journalists to adhere to.\u00c2\u00a0 I feel very strongly that above all else, the one thing that you can claim as your own is a sense of honor, a view of the world that takes in every viewpoint and expresses your own, without vilification or vitriol.\u00c2\u00a0 If one can keep to this philosophy, it’s possible to write about almost anything with a sense of respect and perspective.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
If you don’t have your integrity, you have nothing.<\/p>\n
There are many, many blog entries that have been started and then thrown out.\u00c2\u00a0 Either I was angry when I started writing them, or apathetic, or petty, but as soon as I saw what point of view I was taking, I realized that this was not who I really was, or more importantly – who I really wanted to be.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
It’s easy, so easy, to cast aspersions on others from a place of relative safety.\u00c2\u00a0 It’s much harder, however, to put yourself in the place of those with whom you disagree, and try to figure out what is driving them to the conclusion that they’ve reached.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Many times I’ll have a knee-jerk reaction to something that’s been said or done, and then, upon reflection, I find that I’ve got more in common with the opposing view that I thought possible before.<\/p>\n
Well, enough about me – I’m glad that many people are reading and getting something positive out of my efforts here, and I plan to continue as long as I find the inspiration to write.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Thanks.<\/p>\n
\u00c2\u00a0Send any comments you have about me or the article\u00c2\u00a0through the comments or contact me facilities here on the blog.\u00c2\u00a0 I’m always open to feedback, positive or otherwise.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I’m here in La Grande, Oregon with the Oregon Symphony, in case you’re wondering.\u00c2\u00a0 And it’s been a busy first day.\u00c2\u00a0 Yesterday my wife (a freelance\u00c2\u00a0cellist who plays often with the orchestra) and I arrived here at around 9:00 p.m., enjoying the great change of scenery and ecosystems that we continually marvel at when we […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":303,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[225,115,2],"tags":[120,3666,3662,62],"class_list":["post-954","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bloggers","category-music","category-the-orchestra-world","tag-classical-music","tag-oregon","tag-portland","tag-symphony"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pa8kC-fo","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":71,"url":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2006\/08\/28\/oregon-symphony-v20\/","url_meta":{"origin":954,"position":0},"title":"oregon symphony v2.0","author":"Charles Noble","date":"August 28, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"We're into our first rehearsals with Music Director Carlos Kalmar for the upcoming Waterfront Concert at Waterfront Park at the west side of the Hawthorne Bridge on Thursday night at 7:00 p.m.\u00c2\u00a0 Let me tell you, the orchestra is a different animal than even the last couple of years since\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "the orchestra world"","block_context":{"text":"the orchestra world","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/category\/music\/the-orchestra-world\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3294,"url":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2009\/10\/26\/a-new-way-to-look-at-the-oregon-symphony\/","url_meta":{"origin":954,"position":1},"title":"a new way to look at the oregon symphony","author":"Charles Noble","date":"October 26, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"After our last classical series concert, the orchestra stayed for an extra 30 minutes to get an important job done: it was orchestra photo night.\u00a0 Every few years, a new portrait of the orchestra and its music director is taken.\u00a0 In virtually every other year, the photo is a standard,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "the orchestra world"","block_context":{"text":"the orchestra world","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/category\/music\/the-orchestra-world\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"RCO001_VanBoxteljpg","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/RCO001_VanBoxteljpg-400x322.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3102,"url":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2009\/09\/11\/oregon-symphony-players-approve-contract\/","url_meta":{"origin":954,"position":2},"title":"oregon symphony players approve contract","author":"Charles Noble","date":"September 11, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"The voting results were announced at this morning's rehearsal: the Oregon Symphony players have voted to ratify the contract proposal hammered out over the summer.\u00a0 I'll have more details when a formal press release is issued.\u00a0 Many thanks to our tireless Negotiating Committee for their service to the orchestra!","rel":"","context":"In "labor issues"","block_context":{"text":"labor issues","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/category\/music\/labor-issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":12750,"url":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2013\/07\/01\/oregon-symphony-balances-budget-for-fourth-consecutive-season\/","url_meta":{"origin":954,"position":3},"title":"oregon symphony balances budget for fourth consecutive season!","author":"Charles Noble","date":"July 1, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"We won't know the numbers until an official audit is done, but the Oregon Symphony has declared that they have balanced the 2012-2013 budget - the fourth season in the black for the organization. This is tremendous news, as it means that we will keep our $1 million grant from\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "fundraising"","block_context":{"text":"fundraising","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/category\/fundraising\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":459,"url":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2007\/10\/04\/web-ticket-offer-from-oregon-symphony\/","url_meta":{"origin":954,"position":4},"title":"web ticket offer from Oregon Symphony","author":"Charles Noble","date":"October 4, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"This will be a great concert, and for $10 - c'mon, it's a steal! $10 Friends and Family offer Spanish Splendor with the Oregon Symphony October 13-15 Carlos Kalmar, conductor Patricia Risley, mezzo-soprano Join us for an evening filled with mystery and surprise\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 love, passion and seduction. Featuring the cheerful,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "the orchestra world"","block_context":{"text":"the orchestra world","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/category\/music\/the-orchestra-world\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/10\/oslogo.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":14158,"url":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2016\/07\/05\/oregon-symphony-announces-kalmar-contract-renewal\/","url_meta":{"origin":954,"position":5},"title":"oregon symphony announces kalmar contract renewal","author":"Charles Noble","date":"July 5, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Since The Oregonian doesn't cover the Oregon Symphony anymore (presumably because it's not prime click bait like naked Shakespeare or Obama mortgage rates), it has probably gone unnoticed amongst the general OSO patron population that \u00a0Carlos Kalmar just signed a three-year contract renewal with the Oregon Symphony. 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