Dec 18, 2008 6:09 pm US/Central
Obama Faces The Music
Bands Bump President-Elect Obama Due To Midwest Music Clinic
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Obama is forced to face the music --the Midwest Clinic of bands and orchestras booked the same hotel Obama has been using for his cabinet appointments.
CBS
It's not every day you get a chance to tell one of the most powerful people in the world to step aside. CBS 2's Vince Gerasole met some young musicians who managed to pull that off.
Chicagoland is Obamaland and no matter where the President-elect or his motorcade travel, everyone seems to be more than happy to move out of the way… except for about 15,000 student musicians and their teachers.
"Not too many organizations can say that they bumped the President-elect," Kelly Jocius said.
Jocius describes the event as the collective might of the music education field coming in to play.
Normally in the very same hotel space where students from across the country are trying out drum sets, President-elect Obama would be announcing the featured soloists of his administration.
For now, Obama is forced to face the music --the Midwest Clinic of bands and orchestras has had the hotel space booked for years. In fact, the organization has been coming to Chicago since 1973.
Without skipping a beat, Obama moved his press conference this week from the spacious Chicago Hilton to the smaller, yet tony Drake Hotel one mile up Michigan Avenue.
The young musicians know the score when it comes to Illinois politics.
They're interpreting Obama's gracious move as a sign he's making overtures about supporting arts and education.
"I think that's pretty cool 'cause sometimes people at schools, like the first thing they cut are the arts," eighth grade student Haley Barlow said.
The talented young musicians and their educators have been gathering in Chicago for the Midwest Clinic since 1946. Timing is apparently everything because if the Obama transition team had needed the space this same week next year, it would have been open. Since the conference is growing in size, it is now moving to McCormack Place.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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