Let's do the mob (let's do the rainstorm mob)

When I had heard that Rob Ford had voted against arts in the city, I wasn't surprised, only disappointed. No wait, I was surprised, too. I understand that he might not think it's important, or that arts don't matter to him. Or maybe he just think it's boring, beyond reach, or overrated. Whatever. The reasons don't matter. What matters is that, as mayor of the city, he's responsible for making Toronto as financially viable as possible and cutting funding to the arts is a step back.

Luminato just wrapped up in town and I was part of it both as media and participant. With the latter, I headed down to David Pecault square, lugging a viola I hadn't touched in two years, to play with a hundred or so others I'd never met before. We'd only managed to get through Ride of the Valkyries and the Triumphal March from Aida once before the rain got the better of us (and how!) but man, what fun was it. There was an instant camaraderie in the sections as though we'd all known each other for years, with fellow viola-ers helping each other tune (the humidity wreaked absolute havoc on strings and pegs), sharing stands and pointing out passages in the music.

The volunteers were amazing, too. One man with a kazoo walked around to each umbrella, offering up a t-shirt to us so that we could wipe down the rain from our instruments. After the rain had mostly cleared, a woman came by with two umbrellas and held one in each hand, sheltering pairs of us so that we could play.

You can't tell me that this doesn't matter. What would have happened if the $7 million hadn't been cut? What would the trickle-down effect be in years to come? Would it get kids started in the arts earlier in schools? Would Luminato be even bigger, allowing us to play through under a covered tent? How many tourists would come specifically to Toronto for Luminato the way they go to Edinburgh for Festival Fringe? And even if you disagree with what $7 million in arts funding can do for a city, you probably have a favourite song or band, the likes of which had to get its start somewhere. Arts do matter, and in more ways than one.

Plus, it's probably the only time in my life that I'll be able to say I was tuned and conducted by Peter Oundjian.