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TOTAL MUSIC MEETING 2003 - in danger

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Nou Dadoun

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Jul 6, 2003, 3:20:01 PM7/6/03

Received this message this morning from Bill Smith, former
editor of Coda magazine:

Please e-mail this on to anyone you feel could assist - Journalists,
Magazines, Presenters, Musicians, Websites etc. - Thank you - bill smith

------------------------------

Dear friends,

The Total Music Meeting Berlin is acutely endangered in its existence.
Berlin authorities have cut all fundings for the Festival which
traditionally takes place since 1968 annually and parallel to the Berlin
Jazzfest. The abandonment of the TMM aims at discriminating Improvised Music
altogether in favour of a more 4compatible4 and 4entertaining4 concept of
music as viewed by the local administration.

Since 2000 the Total Music Meeting is organized by Helma Schleif (FMP FREE
MUSIC PRODUCTION DISTRIBUTION & COMMUNICATION & ALL) together with Wolfgang
Fuchs (artistic director of TMM) and G. Fritze Margull (artistic
counsellor), the three of which form the TMM-Committee. They have since then
broadened the profile of the TMM by presenting acoustic, electro-acoustic
and electronic ensembles from all over the world, giving master musicians
and young improvisers an equal forum and by extending the musical program
with workshops, lectures, panel discussions and exhibitions.

In 2001 George Lewis lectured on his VOYAGER-project (besides playing
twice), and for the first time we showed a collection of paintings (4Visual
Sounds4) by Improvising Musicians such as Bill Dixon, Tony Oxley, Floros
Floridis, Peter Kowald, Paul Lytton, Alexander Schlippenbach, Sven-Ake
Johansson, Uli Gumpert, Carlos Zingaro and Hans Reichel. Additionally we
invited master photographer Roberto Masotti to show previous work and
participate in the festival as its photographer. Evan Parker directed in
2002 a workshop for young improvisers which attracted musicians from the US,
Italy, England and Germany. Last year's festival had been dedicated to Peter
Kowald, a co-founder of the TMM, whose sudden death shocked and saddened the
community worldwide. Almost all musicians participating had played with
Peter in the past. A fulminant final concert had then been rendered by Cecil
Taylor and Tony Oxley paying homage to Peter and showing their solidarity
with the TMM (which has received a lump sum by Berlin authorities of EURO
25,000 last year. In comparison: Berlin Jazzfest had a budget of EURO
560,000).

In the past three years all musicians who have participated in the festival
have manifested their profound solidarity with and support by playing for a
tiny fee, re-establishing eventually its very beginnings as improvising
musicians4 festival.

This year's festival (November 6 - 8) will stage again international
groupings and extraordinary fine players as well as the King \b| Vrchestr|
which is celebrating its 20th anniversary, featuring also vocalist Phil
Minton, harpist Anne leBaron, and the double bass-players Fernando Grillo
and Bertram Turetzky on this special occasion.

Major works of Scottish painter and improvising musician Alan Davie will be
shown for the first time in Berlin, executed in collaboration with two
renowned galleries and our festival venue Podewil.

In order to maintain and support the festival we have now established an
association to raising funds for the Total Music Meeting. Renowned painters
like Max Neumann, Hanns Schimansky, Hans Schnell and others have already
signaled their help by donating works for sale.

You can be instrumental in the continuation of this festival by writing
articles reporting on the situation which might be crucial in opening the
eyes and ears of local and federal politicians to the immense musical and
artistic value of Improvised Music.

Help us to convince them that this is Music that matters.

Thanks for your time and consideration.

Helma Schleif (FMP FREE MUSIC PRODUCTION Distribution & Communication,
a/l/l)
Wolfgang Fuchs (musician/composer; artistic director TMM)
G. Fritze Margull (artist, artistic counseller TMM)

For further information please contact:

Helma Schleif
FMP FREE MUSIC PRODUCTION Distribution & Communication & a/l/l
Markgraf-Albrecht-Str. 14
10711 Berlin (Germany)
Tel.: +49 30 323 7526
Fax.: +49 30 324 9431
fmp.dist...@t-online.de
www.free-music-production.de

or
Wolfgang Fuchs
Knesebeckstr. 97
D - 10623 Berlin
Tel/Fax + 49 30 313 7552
wolf....@gmx.net

-----------------------------------------------------> Nou

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