Well, no one said fixing the quagmire that is U.S. foreign policy would be easy. We’re a long way from, uh, anything, but that doesn’t mean our hardworking government isn’t exploring every option in boosting our street cred overseas. As reported in the Christian Science Monitor, the State Department, in conjunction with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra’s “Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad” program, is funding “jazz ambassadors” to represent the United States overseas.
What might be surprising to the casual jazz appreciator is that such endeavors have existed for decades (Eisenhower sent jazz musicians to combat those pesky Communists), albeit inconsistently. Equally surprising for others might be the choice of ambassadors.
The name Ari Roland isn’t that mainstream (a roomful of Music School seniors in the Jazz Department gave me blank looks when I mentioned it), though he’s been in the New York City jazz scene for years. But Wynton Marsalis, the LCJO’s musical director, is a seriously mainstream musician with a house full of awards somewhere. Regardless, it may be that national recognition (and even international recognition) on a musical level is not as important as the fact that the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs is actively supporting musicians and sending them overseas. Score one for the arts as a heal-all.
Obviously this isn’t a silver bullet for anything, the U.S.’s image or otherwise. But the Monitor’s piece pointed out the startling (and I’d hazard largely unknown in liberal-college circles) fact that funding for public diplomacy programs has more than doubled since 2000 to about $465 million. Not bad, but then again, we really need all the help we can get. According to the Monitor, the musicians from “Open Road” have been touring the historic Silk Road in Asia, consciously targeting groups with little access to American culture.
The intentions are fine. I can’t imagine arguments against the legitimate spread of American culture could hold much water these days. And another positive is that the State Department has no qualms with the personal politics of any of the jazz musicians. They can answer any and all questions freely and truthfully.
The effort is important. Let’s hope it stays afloat.