Arts ^Entertainment
Monday, October 30, 1993 Page 9
State
of them
Doug Kouma
The arts:
unsung and
underfunded
i
I sat amazed yesterday as I listened
to my 9-year-old sister play her piano
recital piece for me.
After only a year of lessons, she’s
playing classical songs with names I
can’t pronounce and key signatures
cluttered with sharps and flats.
And she’s playing them all from
memory.
I, too, started taking piano lessons
about that age, but after a year, 1 was
still struggling with songs like “El
ephant Walk” and “Old Jo Clark.”
But she has a good teacher who has
instilled in her an appreciation for
music, even at her young age.
I was scared of my first piano
teacher. I worried about geltingyelled
at when I hadn’t practiced or done my
theory. Lessons, to me, cut into my
free time, and practicing was a chore.
Despite that, I gained a love of
music that was furthered as I went
through school.
Throughout junior high and high
school, a year didn ’ t go by that I didn ’ t
take at least one music class.
Looking back on those years as a
whole, I have to bel ieve that including
music and the arts in my studies made
me a more well-rounded person and a
better student.
As with sports and physical educa
tion, the difference music and the arts
can make in students’ lives is great.
It’s too bad that this is so seldom
recognized by those in positions who
should know better.
When I was in high school, the
athletic department, like at so many
other school s, defined who we were as
a school. And honestly, we weren’t
that good. In fact, we were downright
horrible.
At the same time, though, the choirs
were winning regional and state com
petitions, the bands were being in
vited to national festivals, and the
orchestra was fast becoming the envy
of the state.
Arl students were winning compe
titions and pulling in scholarships like
there was no tomorrow. The forensics
team didn’t know what a second-place
finish was, and the drama department
sold out the auditorium for every per
formance.
Still, the golf team alone seemed to
get more support than the arts depart
ment as a whole.
All too often, it seems, school offi
cials and administrators in glass of
fices fail to recognize the value and
the importance of the arts.
Sports?They build character. They
keep kids off the streets and out of
trouble.
The arts? Nothing more than—as
a friend puts it—glorified study halls.
With that attitude, it’s easy to see
how when the budget ax falls, the arts
are often first on the chopping block.
In an age of fiscal responsibility
and spending cutbacks on a national
level, let’s hope that we can still sup
port the arts in our local schools.
My little sister’s got a great start in
music. I hope she’s given the chance
to continue.
Konma is a senior news-editorial major
and the Dally Nebraskan Arts & Entertain
ment editor.
. . Courtesy of Monarchy Enterprises
Criminal psychologist Helen Hudson (Sigourney Weaver), officer Ruben Goetz (Dermot Mulroney) and police detective M.J.
Monahan (Holly Hunter) try to figure out a brutal serial killer in “Copycat.”
‘Copycat’ a spooky serial; killer thriller
By Gerry Beltz
Film Critic
Don’t believe the ads. Harry Connick Jr. barely
shows up in “Copycat.” Sean Connery had more
-.screen time and dialogue in
Movie Robin Hood: Prince of
. Thieves.”
ReVleW But Connick’s still cool.
Although “Conveat” ex
plores a different part of the
human psyche than “Seven,”
it’s just about as creepy.
Helen Hudson (Sigourney
Weaver) is a brilliant psy
chologist who specializes in
-studying the minds ot serial
killers. After del ivering a college lecture on serial
killers, she is attacked by a killer (Harry Connick
Jr.) she delivered professional testimony against.
Jump ahead 13 months.
Detective M.J. Monahan (Holly Hunter) has
her hands full with a brutal murderer on the loose,
but several anonymous phone calls — from
Hudson — eventually reveal the murder to be a
copy of the infamous Boston Strangler.
But Hudson doesn’t want to be involved.
Since the attack, she has become an agoraphobic,
suffering from panic attacks and reaching out of
her apartment just to get the morning paper.
Hudson and Monahan are two opposing forces
that go at it tooth and nail without ever making
contact. Hudson doesn’t want to help or get
involved again, but Monahan manipulates her
into the situation.
Director Jon Amiel (“Sommersby”) has cre
ated a tale of intrigue and suspense with “Copy
cat,” but he makes a couple of mistakes.
One, he lets us see the identity of the killer far
too early in the film, thus killing some prime
suspense and also a mystery in which to further
engross the moviegoer. Two, he lets the suspense
Film: “Copycat”
Stars: Sigourney Weaver, Holly Hunter
Director: Jon Amiel
Rating: R (violence, adult themes,
language)
Grade: B >
Five Words: Intriguing film makes skin
crawl
run a little too long toward the end, losing the
moviegoer in the fright.
Still, “Copycat” is quite good, and well worth
making time to see, especially on a fright night
ike Halloween.
Forte flight
Symphony gets scary
in Pop concert tonight
By Brian Priesman
Staff Reporter
The Lincoln Symphony Orches
tra gets into the spirit of Halloween
tonight.
The latest edition of its Pop se
ries has a Halloween theme and a
twist. With upwards of 80 musi
cians, a dozen dancers and State
Sen. David Landis taking part in the
concert, the Lincoln Symphony Or
chestra will perform music from
Bach to “Batman.”
Andrea Bclgau-Hocking, who
choreographed the show, said the
first act would be traditional. Music
styles ranging from Bach to Berlioz
will be conducted by Yong-yan Hu
dressed aseverybody’s favorite vam
pire, Dracula.
The second act features more
modem horror music, ranging from
Danny Elfman’s “Batman” to the
famous “Psycho” theme.
A new twist to the concert is the
addilionofadozen dancersand gym
nasts. Belgau-Hocking said the col
laboration was “an interesting meld.”
“I think it’s very unusual,” she
said. “The dancers share the stage
with the orchestra.”
The entire production is a col
laboration between the UNL dance
department, the Lii&oln Symphony
and the local law community.
The number of dancers originally
numbered unlucky 13, but due to
emergency knee surgery, one of the
dancers had to drop out.
The dancers themselves are a
combination of professional danc
ers, gymnasts and university stu
dents.
See SYMPHONY on 10
Travis Heying/DN
Yong-yan Hu, conductor of the Lincoln Symphony
Orchestra, will get into the Halloween spirit tonight by
conducting dressed as Dracula.