Face the music

Did you hear the latest Hillary Clinton scandal? Possibly not. Last I checked, her lackeys in the liberal media had hardly reported on it. \nBut it’s truly shocking. And it sends a disturbing message about not only those running her campaign but about the whole of American society. \nOn Tuesday, the Clinton camp released the shameful news: her official campaign song will be Celine Dion’s “You And I.” SHUDDER.\nEven worse, it was selected after it won a popular vote held among Clinton supporters, so we regular folks can’t even blame it on the machinations of out-of-touch D.C. campaign hacks, corrupt special interest groups or bureaucratic mismanagement. Aren’t liberals supposed to have, on average, better musical taste than conservatives? All those musicians who donate money and time to the Democratic Party every election – this is the result? It’s almost enough make one lose faith in democracy. \nThis fiasco once again underlines the general direness of the American musical mainstream. In the last couple of decades, we’ve managed to embrace the quality and variety of gourmet coffee, artisanal bread and micro-brewed beer, but the music most people listen to remains flavorless. However, coincidentally, today a possible remedy is being employed simultaneously in 110 countries around the world. \nIf you ever visit France, I highly recommend that you plan your trip to coincide with June 21. Why? Because that’s the date of Fête de la Musique – an annual music festival celebrated across the country, from major cities to small towns, with free performances in every genre imaginable by professionals, amateurs and anyone who wants to play. I’ve personally experienced it twice – and really, it’s no wonder that, in the 25 years since it was established by France’s Ministry for Culture, it has spread so far beyond the country’s borders. It’s simply that much fun. \nOf course, it hasn’t reached the United States yet – it is, after all, a French idea and, hence, inherently suspect. But trust me – this is up there with their best: French fries, French toast, French kissing, the Statue of Liberty, etc. Imagine wandering around on a beautiful summer evening (the day of the summer solstice, in fact) taking in a performance by a furious garage band on one corner, then going down the block for some New Orleans jazz, then hitting a park to hear the local symphony orchestra. Or hey, playing for a crowd yourself. \nSure, individual U.S. communities have their own music festivals – Bloomington has some great ones – but we don’t have a national celebration of music like this, nor do we often open them up for just anybody to play. We need something that brings us together in a collective experience, something that allows us to savor the incredible diversity of music in this country, something that allows us to show off our talents. The mass-produced, obsessively constrained “American Idol” just won’t cut it.\nC’mon – we could even call it the “Freedom Festival” if you want.