Support letter
Dear Sirs,
I am an Argentinian composer of electroacoustic and computer music who has been a member of the CEC (Canadian Electroacoustic Community) for many years: since 1993. Even before that date, I was officially in contact with the CEC as in 1990 and 1991 I was kindly sent some sample issues of the marvellous publication "Contact!" and also was informed of several of the activities they were developing at the time. I was an undergraduate student in composition in the National University of Cordoba in those years. Then, the kind of information I received from certain CEC members like Jean Francois Dennis was of paramount importance for a composition student with an internationalist interest in the field of electroacoustic music.
After that, the years were elapsing and I decided to get involved in a stronger way. I joined the CEC. I became an Associate member. I started getting the CEC publications (Flash, InfoMus, Contact!) in a regular way. They were very useful for me in both a technical and aesthethical manner not to say its international orientation. Articles by members from Germany, Australia, the USA... very good articles.
A little bit later, during 1994, I had my first email account. I got in touch with CEC member Kevin Austin. Also with CEC member Ian Chuprun... it seemed unbelievable then to be in touch for free with people living in the other hemisphere... but it did happen! I received key information by email. The CEC did it. Very few electroacoustic associations were offering Internet services at that time. The CEC was one of them. Later, the cecdiscuss list was started. I am proud to say that I count among its first 5 subscribers. I am still a subscriber to that wonderful list. I have been a regular subscriber for all these years. I of course also contribute frequently by posting my opinions, comments, my knowledge on Latinamerican electroacoustic music, etc.
And a few years ago I curated some concerts with electroacoustic pieces by Latinamerican composers in the University of Concordia's EuCuE concert series:
http://www-fofa.concordia.ca/music/EuCuE_Series_XVII.1.html
Some of my electroacoustic pieces are featured in the self-funded CD projects of the CEC and *PeP*:
the double CD PRESENCE:
https://cec.sonus.ca/cd/Presence.html
and the double CD PRESENCE II:
https://cec.sonus.ca/Presence_II/index.html
the PRESENCE CDs are well-known by the electroacoustic music community worldwide. They were broadcasted and performed in the most remote places: Mexico, Cuba, Croatia, Belgium, etc.
Nowadays the CEC Home Page: https://cec.sonus.ca is one of the most informative and varied among all the Internet sites of the international electroacoustic music community. I am in charge of the Latinamerican section of the CEC website. Although it is physically outside of the Latinamerican region, it's the most important source of information in matters pertaining to Latinamerican ea/cm.
All of the above is to let you know, officers of the Canadian Council for the Arts, that the CEC is making a highly valuable task in favour of electroacoustic music, a task that has been much appreciated outside of the Canadian borders fro several years. The CCA should not only continue its support to the CEC but also increase it. And this support, in my humble opinion, becomes a REAL support when it comes along with concrete facts like funding and grants targeted to the different CEC activities. Moral support is very important as well, but without a material counterpart it is insufficient. I know that very well as in Argentina we lived a unique experience when our National Endowment for the Arts did aument the amount of money of the grants, competition prizes, and no-interest-rate loans for artists. Before that, the Argentinian NEA had been a merely rethorical government agency, now when the lowest amount for a composition contest is U$5,000 we are proud to say that contemporary music is a serious word in what concerns to official funding.
The necessary funding for the electroacoustic music practise is higher than for other musical activities as it involves the use of technology, which changes every day. I would like to stress the importance of the proper funding for our field. Our membership duties are a meaningful part in the CEC bufdget but the official funding coming from organizations like the CCA is called to play the most important role in it. I think my words concisely explained you the long-term and international importance of the CEC for which I am kindly asking you the full support of the CCA.
Thanks in advance for your cooperation.
Sincerely yours,
MARTIN FUMAROLA
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