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>>> Coming up next on "Arizona
Horizon," we'll hear about a
forum designed to improve the
way Arizonans talk and think
about education.
Also tonight, a preview of the
Phoenix symphony's upcoming
season.
And we'll hear about a tribute
to a long-time local rock-n-roll
hot spot, those stories next on
"Arizona Horizon."
>>> "Arizona Horizon" is made
possible by contributions from
the Friends of Eight, members of
your Arizona PBS station.
Thank you.
>>> Good evening, and welcome to
"Arizona Horizon," I'm Ted
Simons.
Arizona's jobless rate increased
.3 of a percent in August, it's
now 8.3%, a full point higher
than of national unemployment
rate.
It's the widest gap between the
national and local jobless rates
in two years.
A state economist cautioned
against reading too much into on
month's numbers.
>>> The Rodel Foundation of
Arizona is an organization
charged with helping create a
world-class system of Public
Schools in the state.
Earlier this week the Rodel
Foundation hosted a forum that
included education leaders
acting as table hosts to
facilitate discussions with
business and civic leaders.
Those conversations were
followed by a panel discussion
on education reform.
I spoke with Jackie Norton, a
CEO of the Rodel Foundation
about the program.
Good to have you here.
Thanks for joining us.
>> It's a pleasure to be here,
Ted, thanks.
>> Let's talk about, this was a
big discussion, a lot of folks
here on Tuesday.
What was it designed to
accomplish?
>> A lot of things.
First and foremost it was
designed to be different, not
just for the sake of being
different, but on our invitation
we were rather irreverent and
said no more blah, blah, blah.
We recognized that everyone in
that room had been to so many
convenings, conversations about
education.
There's plenty of talk, not
enough action.
Part of it was to really drive
towards action.
But equally important and
somewhat novel was to bring
intentionally opposing points of
view.
We think there's great danger in
the echo chamber.
People go to conversations.
They have listened to news, they
can pick what they want to hear.
People tend to hear only what
they agree with.
That doesn't drive compromise,
that doesn't give us any
traction.
We intentionally picked a broad
spectrum of people who would
have different points of view.
We wanted the audience to hear
that, not to necessarily agree
or disagree but to realize that
on these arguments will not be a
uniform sense of what is the
right thing, but we still have
to make progress.
>> Did you think progress was
made?
First, talk about the folks that
attended, talk about the folks
on the panel, and what you
heard.
>> Well, it was a unique
convening.
And part of our approach to this
was to get a stellar panel of
hosted by you.
And I don't mean to just flatter
you.
But your ability to facilitate
that conversation with six
people who we knew would
disagree with each other, was
part of the draw.
Then we recruited 44 what we
call table hosts.
These were people who have a
following in their own right.
They represented the education
sector, the business sector, the
philanthropic sector and the
government sector.
We wanted the panel to be
diverse and each table to be
diverse.
We paired up table hosts with
different backgrounds, who could
bring out interesting points of
view.
Then at each table the guests
were, again, a cross sector.
We were lucky to have as many
people willing to come as we
did.
At every table you would have an
interesting mix.
A young person with children
just starting school, a
grandparent perhaps, someone who
spent their life in education,
somebody who didn't know where
their neighborhood school was.
We think that led and our
audience feedback was that it
was fun.
It wasn't an intentional goal.
But if you can have fun while
airing divergent views, all the
better.
>> Talk about recurring themes,
solutions or compromises you saw
or at least got people thinking
about as they left the
discussion.
>> Again, based on the feedback
we've gotten so far, people
thought it was a refreshing way
to address this.
What the next steps are are
always the big question.
We are not so immodest to think
that we can lead a solution to
all that ails Arizona's
education system.
But we do think getting that
diverse group of people, all of
whom are key to solutions, to be
willing to share their views and
for an audience to accept all of
those different views, how we
turn that into progress is yet
to be determined.
We didn't have an outcome when
we started this.
If you convene around an
outcome, by definition you limit
the debate.
We didn't want to do that.
>> I mentioned recurring themes
because I noticed that teachers,
all aspects of teachers, who
they are, how they come
teachers, should others become
teachers, how they are
compensated, how they are
considered in society, took up a
major part of the early
discussion.
Surprise you at all?
>> No, but I was very happy to
hear that.
At the end of the day, as I've
looked at the research and
writing and controversy around
education, the one thing
everyone tends to agree on,
whether you're a fan of charter
schools, district schools,
whether you're working in
poverty districts or of a fluent
districts, no matter what your
point of view.
Whether you're a home schooler,
everyone agrees the key to
students' success is in large
part in the hands of a teacher.
I liked seeing that coalescence
around teaching.
What that means has yet to be
determined.
That didn't surprise me, but I
was happy that it surfaced and
we got the range of views on how
do we improve teachers.
As you heard, not everyone said
it was just pay them more.
>> Right.
We did have a lot of ideas, a
lot of suggestions, a lot of
conversation talking points.
How do you want to see some of
these ideas?
And perhaps a solution or two,
facilitated?
I know one panelist said this is
all great, but lawmakers, you
gotta pay attention, I think she
said.
You have an attention problem
here.
>> Right.
>> This was a great forum a
great discussion, great
conversation.
But again, how do you make the
discussion turn into action?
>> Well, we won't do it
single-handedly.
What I think we will do is
really think through what should
the focus be.
Should it be about focusing on
better teachers and more of them
because eternal the Rodel
Foundation can't do everything
and no foundation or program
can.
Prioritizing what is the most
important thing to focus on,
what will have the broadest
reach, is probably where we will
start.
Then of course our first step
will be, who are the logical
partners?
Who's willing to work on this
with us?
And then from there perhaps try
and build a model around that
where we get all -- you know,
the number of organizations,
groups, businesses who are
working on teacher improvement
and teacher quality, we haven't
even gun to identify.
If we got all of those people
really coalescing, it would be
powerful.
>> I want to ask you a question
I asked the panels, the closing
question.
What does Arizona need to be
considered an education leader,
so people all around the country
go, Arizona?
Yes, they have good schools.
>> I think a good start would be
part of what we did this
morning, where you showed that
the community collectively
really is concerned about this.
I was so gratified.
Massachusetts came up as an
example of success.
And dean kerner spent time in
Massachusetts, and yes, they do
well.
But you would never get a group
like in this Massachusetts, a
broad section of the community
to show up and agree this is an
important issue.
Not only that it's important but
they are willing to work on it.
I think the first step for
Arizona is to look at what we
have going for us.
And that is a group of concerned
citizens who are willing to work
on this.
>> All right.
Well, I thought it was a very
encouraging event and certainly
an enlightening discussion.
Thank you so much for inviting
me to be a part of it and
congratulations.
>> Thank you, Ted.
>>> The Phoenix symphony's new
season kicks off this month.
It'll include visits by movie
maker Steven Spielberg and
composer John Williams.
And CEO Jim Ward joins us to
talk about this upcoming season.
It's good to see you.
The title is big names, big
music.
>> We have a wonderful season,
Ted, and it is big names and big
music.
>> Talk about what John Williams
and Steven Spielberg are doing
here and when do they get here.
>> In my previous lives I spent
over a decade working with
George Lucas at Lucas Film, and
I was fortunate to meet a lot of
great people including John
Williams and Steven Spielberg.
I was lucky to get John to come
to Phoenix.
I knew Michael Gorfay and his
agent and asked them to come to
Phoenix.
Not only John but Steven is
coming, as well, doing a benefit
concert for the Phoenix Symphony
for education outreach.
All of their services are for
free and they are coming and
donating the dollars to the
Phoenix Symphony.
>> Williams will conduct music
used in Spielberg's films?
>> The first half of the show
John will come out and conduct
non-Spielbergian music like my
Alma Mater, "Star Wars."
He's going to sit on a stool and
talk to the audience and we will
play different scores from his
music.
But not only that, he'll talk
about his collaboration with
John.
We'll also have a giant screen
where we're going watch scenes
from his movies, from Raiders of
the Lost Ark, and we will play
that without the music.
Steven will talk about what he
thought the music should be for
that, and people will have the
opportunity to see how that
scene comes to life with music.
>> Are they touring behind this?
>> No, no, we're very special.
They have done this at the
Kennedy Center, and once in
Atlanta.
But it's a special event for us.
As you know, Steven is from here
originally, went to Arcadia high
school.
>> Indeed.
>> So it's somewhat of a
homecoming for him.
We're very lucky to have both
John and Steven come to the
community.
>> Big names, big music, a lot
of pops in here, as well.
Was thar Otto McDonald doing
show tunes?
>> We have a great pops season
lined up.
We have increased it by a couple
of concerts due to popular
demand.
We're bringing in Audrey
McDonald, Mary-Chapin
Carpenter, the Indigo Girls.
>> For those expecting to hear
Beethoven and Bach, and they are
not all that crazy about the pop
stuff, how do you explain that
the jersey boys is not such a
bad thing?
>> The midtown men were the
original jersey boys, they will
come in and rock the stage with
original 60s music.
It's a great, great fun time.
But you know, we have different
audiences, too.
We have people that love classic
concerts and that's the music
they like and they buy
subscriptions and single
tickets.
We have people that buy pops
concerts.
Sometimes they overlap but
people like different kinds of
music.
We have that, and we even have
family programming for families,
as well.
It's an entirely different
series.
I noticed that Mary-Chapin
carpenter will be here, she's an
artist, as well, but backed by
an orchestra.
>> That's a trend now, it's
great to do solo with her band
but wonderful to sit in front of
a 70-piece symphonic orchestra,
playing lush, beautiful music.
It's a different experience for
them.
We brought in Deanna menzel and
sold that out last season.
>>> How far do you veer from the
"war horse" and the classics?
>> This weekend is our opening
weekend, with just the masterful
and joyous Beethoven's Ninth.
Our Phoenix Symphony choice, 140
members of the choir on the
stage, 70 members of the
symphony on the stage, soloist.
It end with the Ode to Joy,
everyone's familiar with.
We also have concerts that pair
these more well-known pieces
with pieces people might not be
as familiar with, but they are
going to be exposed to them.
We often here more often than
not it's the pieces they hadn't
heard before they enjoy the
most, it's a new experience.
>> We will have superstar
long-long here.
I kind of call him the Elton
John of the classical piano
world.
He's a young, dynamic, Chinese
performer.
He wears tennis shoes when he
plays but amazing facility,
technique and motion.
It's going to be a fantastic
concert.
>> Early response from patrons
so far to a fairly diverse
schedule?
What do you hear?
>> Clearly we're almost sold out
on opening night, that's
tomorrow, so if people want to
come down there are still some
tickets left.
Get on the phone or go to the
web.
People can get subscriptions and
single tickets, a subscription,
you can get for just three
concerts, all the benefits of a
subscriber.
It's not that hard to be a
subscribers of the Phoenix
Symphony.
>> Rough times of late, we've
had you on in previous years and
a rocky ship there, what are you
seeing?
>> The community rallied behind
this symphony.
Over the past almost three years
we've been able to take it from
a definite situation where we've
just closed our books and we are
in a surplus foundation.
So we have stablized the
organization and we have been
used as a benchmark for the
entire country in terms of a
turn-around.
And with our labor management
relations, with our musicians.
If you look across the country
many orchestras are on strikes
or walkouts.
We have a great relationship
with our musicians because they
have truly sacrificed for this
community.
>> And I remember that wasn't
always that great, are you
turning it around with the same
bunch of folks?
>> In any relationship it's
about communication and on and
on and transparent dialogue.
It's sharing the financials so
everyone knows what's at stake
and then working to solve the
problems.
>> They have been with the
symphony for 30 years and know
how it works inside and out.
I've learned how to solve these
problems, working with them
together, rather than an us
versus them situation.
>> Last question: In a social
media world that's changing all
the time, people don't even go
to sporting events like they
used to.
How do you manage this?
>> There's nothing really that
can replace the magic of a live
performance.
No doubt about it, but it didn't
replace a live performance Jean
Reynolds finding that our
patrons wants to experience John
William and Steven Spielberg on
TV.
Rarely do you get an up close
and personal experience with
them live.
>> So to agree we can create it
with a live performance, the
more people get involved.
>> Thanks so much, good to have
you.
>> Appreciate it.
>>> For more than two decades
the Mason Jar was a fixture of
Phoenix's music scene.
By the time the Mason Jar closed
in 2005 it had welcomed
thousands of performers
including one musician who
refuses to let the past go.
Producer Christina Estes and
photographer Ed kishell show us
how that musician's passion for
The Mason Jar is leading to an
encore of sorts.
>> The sign along Indian school
road reads the anvil.
It would rather be his version
of cheers.
>> A lot of us were big fish
here in a little pond.
>> He and the other fish are
diving back in.
>> Cool.
>> For one special night called
legends of the Mason Jar.
>> And this building, you know,
only holds a couple hundred
people.
But when it was packed in here
you just felt great.
>> Crimson band played the Mason
Jar when it opened in 1979 and
it kept playing with its second
band, the Urge.
>> In Phoenix if you're a
musician you're pretty much
forced to play cover songs,
cover tunes.
My girl, brown-eyed girl, just
like the records.
Us musicians whose wanted to
play originals, this was the
only place to do it.
>> The Mason Jar was around
when, you know, in the 1980s
before a lot of bands became
big.
So when they were doing their
first tours, they would come
through and they would play this
place.
>> Promoter Danny hung out there
with the others.
>> I remember being in the place
with Bon Jovi, he didn't play
but he went to see somebody.
I was there one time with Tommy
Lee, the dump you go to, to
check out the scene and see
what's going on.
>> Nearly a quarter century
later Crimson still gets
excited.
>> The Cars was the biggest band
right then.
The stage was right over there
and he was sitting right there.
He goes up and goes, hey, Roy,
we'd like you to play an
original if you could.
He walked out halfway through
the song.
Awesome!
>> Local acts like the jetsons,
blue shoes and schoolboys
performed on the same stage as
megadef, no death and Nirvana.
>> It's described as a hole in
the wall but means it in the
nicest way.
>> It's like Wrigley Field.
Everybody loves Wrigley Field.
Any player who is now used to
Camden Yards and Diamondbacks
park, they have these luxury
dressing rooms and buildings,
Wrigley Field is a hole but it's
my favorite park in the world.
>> I have certainly played in
this building more than any
human alive.
>> He's ready to do it again.
That's why he hit up bartender
Kyle McDonald with the idea of
a 1980s rock band reunion.
>> I referred him to the
management, pitch it to them and
see what they say.
>> Well, I never heard of you, I
know the Mason Jar was something
in the day, but I don't know
anything about it.
So we're not interested.
I left -- I almost cried and
called my guitar playing friend
in tears.
So this building has a lot of
history for me.
>> Although he never experienced
the Mason Jar, McDonald says
seeing people visit and
reminisce, he's a fan.
>> The way people act, you could
just tell, it was their
childhood, they were young and
having fun.
They weren't in a recession and
worrying about who was
President, it was the music and
I got it.
>> They got the green light.
>> We will play in this corner,
we will set up staging here in
this corner.
>> And crimson worked with the
anvil to turn back the clock,
he's hearing from a lot of older
rockers.
>> My family wants to see me
play there one more time.
I've talked to this guy, I
remember we used to hate each
other back in the day and now
we're just best friends and
respect each other.
And it's --
>> That's what -- it was the
concert experience, that's what
it's all about, that mass gather
of humanity, whether it's 100
people or 10,000 people.
Everybody getting together and
enjoying something in the same
room at the same time is what
it's all about.
>> Whatever it's called even 20
years from now, it'll still be
the Jar.
The Mason Jar reunion will be
tomorrow night at 21st and
Indian school.
We're told that nine bands will
perform along with a special
guest appearance from Franco,
the long-time owner of the club.
That is it for now.
Thank you so much for joining
us.
You have a great evening.
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