"A lot of people have families and mortgages and all this stuff. They're just ripping their hair out," Hanna says. "To see people who've worked very hard and done their job well then have to deal with this is frustrating. Some people have already moved away to places where there are better freelance opportunities."

Upheaval has become part of the territory in Michigan, particularly here in the southeast corner of the state. But at some point it becomes a question of who you are. Do we deserve a great orchestra in this region? Can we have a great orchestra in this region? Are the arts an essential part of our landscape or are they window dressing to be tossed off during financially trying times?

These are the questions being wrestled with at the DSO right now, but the questions will come again and again in municipalities across the region as we struggle to regain our economic footing.�

As a metropolitan area the DSO is also part of what makes us attractive to others, either tourists or potential businesses. If we cannot maintain an orchestra here, it's yet another sign that things are indeed dire.

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