The Sequester Hits the Arts; the Hopkins Center Responds With Rock

Thanks to quick, hey-wait-a-minute-this-sucks thinking on the part of our elected officials in Washington, D.C., the airborne public may now have enough air-traffic controllers on duty to handle our summer vacations. Not to mention the frequent-flyer jaunts to and from said elected officials’ home states. Ahem.

But that isn’t going to help the West Point Band. Long scheduled to perform at the Hopkins Center with the elite 50-member Dartmouth College Wind Ensemble, the players are now limited to gigs within 100 miles of the U.S. Military Academy. Pentagon’s orders. Why? You guessed it: the federal budget sequester.

“No engagements outside of a 100-mile radius of West Point that weren’t of the highest priority, and a concert at a college campus simply didn’t make the cut,” writes the Hop’s publicity coordinator, Rebecca Bailey, in an email. “Oh, well,” she adds philosophically, “at a time when the sequester is hitting social services and other programs for the neediest folks, we certainly can’t cry buckets.”

True dat. But the college musicians didn’t take this lying down — no, sir. Instead, Bailey informs us, “The Wind Ensemble drew on the rebellious spirit of rock ‘n’ roll, and used this as an opportunity to blow the roof off Spaulding [Auditorium] with works by young composers inspired by rock.”

Which makes total sense: When you can’t get the army, bring in some attitude.