> This is the way of arts under capitalism, in a culture where the abandonment of government funding results in a void filled only by wealthy donors and bloodsu

> This is the way of arts under capitalism, in a culture where the abandonment of government funding results in a void filled only by wealthy donors and bloodsucking companies—it’s not altogether different from when composers and musicians worked as servants for the aristocracy. As a former professional classical musician (I kicked the habit when I became a father,) I'm always amazed at the sense of entitlement expressed by musicians. As if the state is somehow morally obligated to support their art. At the end of the day, it's a question of supply and demand. There's a ton of young people that go to music school each year, while on the demand side there's an ever-diminishing group of snotty white-haired patrons that are willing to pay to hear a symphony orchestra live. > Perhaps the most humiliating defeat was dealt to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, which went on strike for six months in 2011, only to concede to an almost 25 percent pay cut. I really don't get why musicians feel primordially entitled to a $100K job no matter the economic circumstances.