Good morning: Last week Smashing Pumpkins’ frontman Billy Corgan suggested that music editing software like ProTools had “made music worse.” He said: “Pro Tools, as a sort of way of making music, on some level, has levelled the playing field that allowed people who can’t sing to sound like they can sing. And people who can’t play guitar now sound like they can.” His point: that technology has allowed people without talent to sound like they have talent. But what if the tech has instead democratized the means of creating music? What if the bar for what musical talent is has been raised? More here.
Here are the rest of this weekend’s highlights:
- The Glass Timpani: An intriguing account of a unique concert held in Washington, D.C., featuring two timpanists and seventeen timpani, showcasing rhythmic and melodic mastery that redefines percussive performance. – The Washington Post
- Spain’s Dilemma with Hernan Cortes’ Remains: A riveting narrative detailing Spain’s ongoing debate over the handling of Hernan Cortes’ remains, symbolizing the complex legacy of the conquistador in both Spanish and Mexican history. – El País
- Heartstopper’s New Direction: This article explores the reflections of Andy Newbery, the new director for season three of “Heartstopper,” on the significant impact such a series could have had on his own childhood, emphasizing its potential to foster acceptance and reduce stigma. – BBC
- Ukrainian Ballet Dancers Persist Through War: Highlights the resilience of the Ukrainian National Ballet amidst the ongoing war, underscoring ballet’s cultural significance in Ukraine and the dancers’ determination to maintain their art as an expression of national identity. – Washington Post (MSN)
- Reevaluation of WordPress’s Community Role: A detailed analysis of WordPress creator Matt Mullenweg’s blending of commercial, nonprofit, and personal interests within the platform’s ecosystem, examining the implications for the open-source community and the broader web landscape. – The Verge
As usual, Jump down to see the rest of the stories we’ve collected, organized by topic. See you tomorrow.
Doug
