I can only shake my head:
Within 24 hours, the controversy had garnered the attention of GIA Publications. In the world of choral music, GIA is not merely a publisher; it is the major publisher of religious content, thanks to its association with the post–Vatican II Roman Catholic Church. GIA was Elder’s publisher, and an important source of his income. On the morning of June 1, GIA President Alec Harris and media editor Susan LaBarr contacted Elder about posting an apology.
This apology had already been written by GIA; all Elder had to do was post it. The remarks prepared on his behalf are as follows, and worth reading in full:
“Over the weekend I made a post on my social media accounts that was insensitive and wrongly-worded. I deeply apologize for the anger, offense, and harm that this post caused. While this offense was not intended, it is what was created. For this I am truly sorry.
“There is no justification that I can offer for my post. So, rather than try to offer an excuse for what was done, I offer a promise for what I will do going forward. I commit to making amends and to dialogue. I commit to continue educating myself about privilege and bias. I commit to continue seeking an understanding of the experience of others, especially the Black community. I know that working for justice requires that we each first act justly. My work begins now.”
LaBarr added that while “we know that you write music that promotes social justice,” this was not clear to people who had read the Instagram post.
“We’re feeling time pressure on this as some people are calling for boycotts,” added LaBarr. “It’s all very heavy.”
Elder wasn’t inclined to make such a groveling apology, and was dismayed to see his colleagues siding with his critics.
“I chose to be that guy who didn’t issue the apology,” he says. “Things went from there and it wasn’t good.”
Within hours, GIA issued a denunciation of Elder.
“The views expressed in composer Daniel Elder’s incendiary social media post on Sunday evening do not reflect the values of GIA or our employees,” it read. “GIA opposes racism in all its forms and is committed to do what Michelle Obama called ‘the honest, uncomfortable work of rooting it out.'”
Note this PR statement endorses the view that Elder had made an “incendiary” statement. Neither Harris nor LaBarr responded to a request for clarification as to which aspect of Elder’s anti-arson agenda they oppose.
GIA also announced that the company would no longer publish Elder.
“We are grateful to those who brought this to our attention and to all who continue to hold individuals and organizations to account,” the statement concluded.
GIA made this announcement on Facebook. Virtually all the comments were supportive, though one person asked why the company had not scrubbed all referenced to Elder on its website. (“What’s the plan?” asked this individual. “Keep supporting a bigot?”)
For Elder, the consequences were far-reaching. The coronavirus pandemic had already upended his business: In the era of COVID-19, few activities had become as verboten as choir singing. Without the support of a publisher and professional network, Elder’s work was impossible. Moreover, local choral directors refuse to do business with him because of the controversy. They are afraid to associate with him, or to be seen as defending him in any way.
“It’s a bad look for them,” says Elder. “It’s really quite extreme, the effect this has had.”
The toll on Elder’s mental well-being has been equally catastrophic: losing countless friends, colleagues, and fans is no small matter for an artist. He has seen a therapist and a psychiatrist, and he says he has needed to be “talked off the ledge” several times. Needless to say, he has struggled to compose new music since everything fell apart.
Go here to read the rest. Freedom of speech is meaningless in this environment.
All this social media crap: twitter, instagram, facebook, snapchat, etc; Why even bother? Is what we have to say so damned important that we have to blare it out to the world? Today we KNOW what the reaction is going to be when posting something that someone doesn’t consider “woke” enough! Really? We let some idiot somewhere in la la land determine who or what qualifies to be posted on social media? With the current lack of reason and/or commonsense in our society today post on social media at your own risk. You know what will happen. If you get cancelled you can’t say you didn’t know. We all know today. Want to say something on twitter, facebook, instagram that’s controversial? Pray it privately instead. Disconnect from these lines of communication from hell. Would we have presented our Jewish spouse to friends at a Nuremberg rally in the thirties or forties? No? They why social media?
The toll on Elder’s mental well-being has been equally catastrophic: losing countless friends, colleagues, and fans is no small matter for an artist. He has seen a therapist and a psychiatrist, and he says he has needed to be “talked off the ledge” several times. Needless to say, he has struggled to compose new music since everything fell apart.
He didn’t lose any friends. He learned who his friends actually were.
Moreover, local choral directors refuse to do business with him because of the controversy. They are afraid to associate with him, or to be seen as defending him in any way.
Another reason, in case you needed one, to spit in their faces. It’s hard to think of an occupational segment which does such a persistently lousy job.
, GIA is not merely a publisher; it is the major publisher of religious content, thanks to its association with the post–Vatican II Roman Catholic Church
What happened to Oregon Catholic Press? Or is OCrap now a subsidiary of this GIA business?
This is one of the perps.
https://sbmp.com/ComposerPage.php?ComposerNum=241
The company has ‘temporarily removed’ their staff page. I suspect they’ve been hearing from end users.
Justice would be served if this company went under. The trouble is, that the repulsive crew responsible for this controversy would go on to make the world worse in some other company.
We have a body of sacred music compiled over 1,000 years. We don’t benefit one bit from the issue of the publishers of contemporary congregational music. If the producers who generate content for the Hallmark Channel won’t hire these dreckmeisters, they might just defect to an honest line of work.
/ rant off.
If you get cancelled you can’t say you didn’t know. We all know today. Want to say something on twitter, facebook, instagram that’s controversial? Pray it privately instead
You’re blaming the victim. Go away.
No I’m blaming everyone who spews their guts out and then complains about being cancelled. There is no victim here. We know what happens on social media. Accept the consequences or refrain from using that media, no one is forcing you. Now…go away.
And a fond fair well to Freedom of Speech. The Soviets under Stalin had the freedom to open their yaps and accept the consequences. The canceling is also one way only and solely on behalf of the party that controls Congress and the White House .
No I’m blaming everyone who spews their guts out and then complains about being cancelled. There is no victim here.
You have a finely attuned sense of how social life is properly conducted, I see.
No. We are still free to express ourselves and we’ve always had to deal with the consequences, good or bad. My beef is that commenting on social media today is toxic and to expect everyone to just accept what we say with grace is not going to happen and we better be prepared to deal with it. We can still have freedom of speech but there will always be people who will try to deny you that freedom. Because of the nature of the beast, big tech right now has the power to try to influence how people will react to your voice and cancel you. Don’t expect to say things that people don’t want to hear and think nothing will come of it. It will. Just be prepared when you exercise your freedom of speech in certain circles.
No. We are still free to express ourselves and we’ve always had to deal with the consequences, good or bad.
No, by your logic, I’m free to beat the living hell out of you. They’ll be no victim. You opened you mouth in a public forum. Just take the consequences.
One thing that’s happened in the last several years goes under the heading of gleichschaltung. Everything gets subsumed under the imperatives of politics, and its always the same politics. The man writes music for a living. What he says to his social circle on extraneous topics would not have interested his business partners 40 years ago and should not interest them today. The people involved in this are enforcing a political orthodoxy and give no indication that even they themselves know why they’re doing it.
No I’m blaming everyone who spews their guts out and then complains about being cancelled.
You’re blaming the victim.
“Don’t set stuff on fire” and “don’t beat up people you disagree with, it’s wrong” are both things people have been “canceled” over, usually with false witness used to make it sound like they said something terrible.
You cannot control other people, and demanding that folks somehow just ‘know’ that saying DON’T SET THINGS ON FIRE is a trigger for social excommunication is nonsense on a pogostick.
It appears that we see the SJW version of the stoning of St. Stephen.
“The toll on Elder’s mental well-being has been equally catastrophic: losing countless friends….” He hasn’t lost a single friend. He has learned that some people had never been his friend.
I understand the intention of that kind of statement, but what it sounds like when you’re hurt, and alone, and depressed, is:
Nobody ever liked you anyways.
Not, “these guys failed their duty as friends,” not “people do stupid stuff when they’re scared,” or even “those guys thought they could use you because you’re such a decent guy.”