OK,

So... There my wife and I are, 2004 Convention on TV. We are having a great time, thinking the world was going to become sane again, "Bring It On" and the like, when this unlikely guy steps up, looking good, smiling and... brings this powerhouse of a speech.

It immediately struck me, being bi-racial (born in Chicago) that this guy had the inner message. the perspective and point of view only someone with that background can have...and there he was bringing it together. I'm telling you my wife and I were in tears, joyful for the moment when we felt like this country could be whole, instead of the harsh fight we were undergoing, and were about to face.

Since then, we, Missouri folk have been following Mr. Obama with keen interest. I downloaded his podcasts, taking them on the road (35 date national tour as an opera singer) and listening to the weekly and then more sporadic jewels of thought. The decrease in the amount of his podcasts directly coincided with his schedule as a much sought after young Senator, and then as the eventual candidate for President. I admit, I miss those talks, because they gave me an insight that has held my conviction about Barack Obama from the getgo, through very adverse times.

As an internationally touring artist, I have sometimes an insane schedule, working 80-?? hours per week. Press junkets, learning new repertoire, drumming up new business. It gets a little hairy. But on other occasions, I am not occupied with aught but other business and drumming up new things to do.

SO this early campaign season I set out to make it my goal to go on the road for Obama. You know, make my time worthwhile and parlay my talents on behalf of the inspiring message and leader.

Well... I didn't get very far.

More touring (singing) and a few phone calls for South Dakota during the primary season. A little disappointed I girded myself for the summer campaign... I made my calls to the local offices, set appointments and, there lies the real story, at least for me.

Late June, The Kansas City Star (my wife and my hometown newspaper) laid off about 400 people from their company. My step-dad being a machinist for The Star had taken (forced) early retirement, so though a bit upsetting, it wasn't news to me.

Yet when I learned that The Star had laid off the only person that covered Classical Music and Dance on staff, sometimes trying to cover three events a day, removing his position, and worse not to be replaced, I was struck with shock.

*Paul and former KC Star staff, if you are out there, I'm sorry this happened to you, everyone is. It's a shame. please read on. *

This hit many people in the performing arts community the same way. You see, Kansas City has a burgeoning arts community right now. Infrastructure being built, new groups, ensembles and artists both in music and other art forms stepping up to the plate, contributing all they have to the community. New Companies and organizations, borrowing scraping and declaring The Arts as an integral, crucial part of our life here in Kansas City.

But one of the major companies, critical to the success of the arts, did not think this argument was real, and in the end, cut it's coverage, disenfranchising thousands of readers, as well as raising rates on the arts organizations already spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on advertising and other coverage at that paper alone.

As the only major publishing source, feeding substantive national and international stories about our community to the world, it was all we had. Now, yes. The Star DOES currently freelance writers, and there are other publications writing and covering the Performing Arts, but the dedicated service in covering its community only goes to the major companies (who actually have to write their own substantive articles themselves). with budgets to cover this sort of thing.

For me, having started to prepare for a long arduous audition season, getting more work, having suffered my bout of recession, I was all enthused to get back to work...and to work the Obama trail.

But that day, with the lay-offs, I saw my community suffering a disaster. You have to know that the arts are huge part of the economy of a city, making revolving revenues that far outstrip the big sports teams and their huge budgets. *Taxes from the sales of tickets for performances that happen every day alone provide a sizable and stable boost to a city's income*. So having this news was a huge blow to all of our economics.

It's not just Lion King, it's the community theaters, the solo recitals, the church concerts, club gigs, it's all part of the deal.

Barack has talked about people becoming part of their community, talked about being more committed to their local causes and helping make where they live a better place. I thought about my career and getting to New York and doing the things necessary in making my path for the next two decades... I thought about going on the road campaigning and meeting the population head on, talking about Barack, getting out the vote.

And I, couldn't - go... I asked myself what did Barack mean by serving your community? The risk that there would be with one less person on the trail...

The outcome - of a loss to McCain... our country, embroiled in more division, hate and fear coalescing, more tax cuts for the wealthiest few, more jobs leaving for overseas, more war and more of The United States of America's ideals and freedoms being torn asunder, under the name of freedom. I can't say I alone can change this, but to not throw my hat into the ring and make a go of making a change, working for all of us, this was a huge moment. A choice had to be made.

I decided that, going back to John F. Kennedy's words, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." as well as the 'global village' Hillary Clinton penned years ago... was what Mr. Obama was getting at.

Campaigners and Mr. Obama, it pains me to not be standing by your side in re-uniting this country on the political front. But I could not just sit back and see the ravages of yet another corporation shirk its community, their investors taking unprecedented dividends, by lessening the substance of their product.

So I and a friend formed KCMETROPOLIS.org, Kansas City's new online journal of the Performing Arts. We have eighteen writers right now, covering all forms of the performing arts. Classical Music, New Classical (including Jazz and performance art), Dance, Theatre and Film. We are in our fifth week of publication and have more on the way.

This trend of major newspapers laying off their performing arts staff is going on around the country, and to be honest, it's hitting all departments, not just the performing arts.

As these layoffs occur and if you see KCMETROPOLIS.org out there, even under a different name in other cities, please know it is because of Barack Obama that this happened. Win or lose, we are inspired.

Nathan Granner
co-founder
KCMETROPOLIS.org
and singer
www.TheAmericanTenors.com
www.myspace.com/lostladyviolin1234
www.grannerbledsoe.com
www.AMA.bz