Stephen Fine

You're splitting hairs. You say you believe her. That means you believe that she told the President of Curtis. But this isn't enough? She needed to tell her parents or the police? What if she DID tell her parents? Would that absolve her of all blame in your eyes? Or would she also then need to tell the police if her parents didn't act. What if she did tell the police as well? What if they didn't act, as was and is so common in these cases? What then? Would you still blame her for not quitting violin and picketing the school? At what point has the 14 year old girl done enough? Victim blaming places all or some portion of the blame for the acts of the offender on the victim. I would argue that the onus is entirely on the school to create a safe environment and entirely on the man to not be a rapist. Acting like a 14 year old girl should have the skills to deal with a powerful and skilled manipulator is what makes you seem ignorant. 14 year olds are clever, but they're pretty susceptible to social pressure. It's well-known about them. Child predators depend upon it.

So... this is called victim blaming. You shouldn't do it. It's both ignorant and cruel. She was 14, being abused by the most powerful person in her life, a person with the power to make or break her entire career. And she did speak up. She reported the man to his boss. I don't have any daughters, but I have a student applying to Curtis this year and two violists I taught attended. I've had students tell me important things that they don't tell their parents. Talking to parents can be difficult.

And no part of that addressed how wrong you've been about every single thing so far. Care to try without the ad hominem attacks?

The album in question is from 1996 so maybe you need to research the history of File Sharing. Take as long as you need. Go read a Mozart biography, go read some of Mozart's letters to family and friends, go listen to some of Mozart's operas. I'm just absolutely stunned that someone could be so ignorant but post with such confidence. You really don't even know what you don't know. Pseudo-intellectual. Keep trying to convince us.

So, it's your opinion that Lara St. John and the other women quoted in the Inquirer story are lying? How many women would have to come forward before you agreed that Lara St. John was telling the truth? What kind of "evidence" are you expecting Lara St. John to come up with, 30 years later? She reported it at the time. There's corroboration from other former students that he was a creep at the same time. Are they lying too? "Debuts half-dressed". Her debut album COVER ART in 1996 was not her debut. She was 25 years old. She debuted as a little girl in the 80s. She had already had a soloist's career by the time she released that album. But, please, continue with your learned commentary. And please, tell us more about how using sex to sell is the sign of an "attention seeker" not the sign of a record label wanting to make money.

The feet screw in and out.

Man... the end of that article: Last week, St. John took an additional step. She called the Curtis hotline herself. The woman on the other end of the line asked her to relay her complaint. St. John told her when the abuse happened, where, and the name of the abuser. St. John said it sounded like the questions were being read from a script, until she mentioned that she had been 14 when the rape occurred. The woman was silent for a moment, and then said, “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry, thanks so much for talking about this.” It was, St. John said, the first apology she has received from anyone in an official capacity.

Yeah. Shame on 14 year old Lara St. John. SHAME ON HER! She should have confronted him THEN! BAD GIRL! We must protect the sacred memory of her rapist. After all, he was SUCH a GREAT teacher. (see, now that's rape humor) Side story: I was recently summoned for jury duty involving a case of attempted murder with a man and his wife. I was dismissed after voir dire, but since the case involved a history of sexual assault, the lawyers questioned the jury panel about history of sexual violence/abuse, and I was absolutely stunned by how many of the women had a history of chronic abuse from the men in their lives. I mean, I've read horrifying statistics before, but hearing the stories from what seemed like most of the women on the panel... obviously, it was only like 25 women, so not a scientific sample size, but I left quite shaken. PS- the presumption of innocence, while an essential part of the Common Law and trial by jury, needn't operate in everyday life outside the courtroom. If I see a pattern of behavior, I can form my own opinions using common sense. It is a pattern that young girls have trouble speaking out against their powerful male abusers. It is a pattern that power corrupts. It is a pattern that he raped his students. So... my logic dictates that Lara St. John is obviously telling the truth, and that old man was a horrible pervert who never should have been allowed to continue teaching at the Curtis Institute.

Also, lawyers and law firms hire teams of private investigators. They are often on staff at a large law firm.

Yes. Jokes against Stalin when Stalin is in power. Very powerful. Jokes about rapists when rapists are in power. Very powerful. Jokes about rape when rapists are in power. Super lame and not funny.

Yeah. I probably wouldn't have bothered except my label didn't have a year on it and I've always been curious about the provenance of the NAZI brand on the back. It was a bit pricey. I've got some more detective work to do to figure out the branding now, but at least I think I can write off the idea that the Roths branded the instrument themselves.

I take the issue of sexual abuse in the music studio very seriously. It's a problem in the industry, and I want to make VERY clear that here at Maestronet at least some of us are decent human beings with a bit of compassion. If you are up on stage doing a standup set, good luck making funny rape jokes. It takes a talented comedian to pull them off. If you are here at Maestronet, get ready to be heckled by me EVERY TIME you try to make a joke about rape in the teaching studio. PS- the reason your joke isn't funny is because while it DOES make fun of the rapist (and yourself? are you an old man?) which is a good start in a rape joke, it also minimizes the experience of the person who was raped. Considering that for decades (centuries?) we've minimized sexual abuse by men in power, your joke isn't original, funny, or appropriate in this or any other setting. And, yes, I am the funny police.

Rape jokes are always funny! Especially to rapists and people who've been raped!

I finally got around to wiring money to Germany for a certificate. My Roth's tag didn't have a year on it, so I've always wondered when it was from. They were able to date it to August 1931 by the serial number in the brand.

Haha! Rape jokes are hilarious!