Douglas McLennan
Doug is the editor of ArtsJournal
Jerry Lee Lewis, 87
Lewis ultimately transcended category. With typical arrogance, he would frequently declare that there were only four real stylists in American music: Al Jolson, Jimmie...
All About The Chemistry: What Makes A Stradivarius Extraordinary? New Study Suggests…
That quest for answers got a boost from Italian researchers in a paper published by the American Chemical Society that outlines the findings of their chemical...
Politics In Art – There Really Is A Role
It seems reasonable to pose the question of art’s relation to politics in the context of the specific crisis that democracy seems to have...
Quixotic? One Man Tries To Recreate The Orchestra Mahler Would Have Heard
Mahler would be appalled at the recorded perfectionism of the modern Vienna Philharmonic. He changed his mind from one rehearsal to the next. His...
Broadway’s New Hot Play? About A Man New Yorkers Love To Hate
Starring Ralph Fiennes as Robert Moses, the play has churned up considerable interest: Performed in a 500-seat theater, it’s already sold out for the entire two-month...
What Museum Directors Think About The Climate Change Protesters
“We shouldn’t be vehicles for political protest and we shouldn’t be vehicles in and of itself for political change. I regard museums as civic...
Which Way Up? Museum Discovers Its Mondrian Had Been Hung Upside Down For 75...
The first clue that the painting, an adhesive tape version of the similarly named New York (which hangs right-side up in Paris at the Centre Pompidou), was...
Just What Did Elon Musk Buy In Twitter?
As of early last year, just one in five U.S. adults said they ever use Twitter—a slice that plateaued by 2018. The research shows...
Not Creepy At All: Disney Wants To Integrate Your Data Across All Its Businesses
Once the company unites data collection capabilities between its various divisions, “we can give you a better experience in the park, because we know...
Mindful Music Programs And Mental Health
In the U.S., teachers are turning to music to aid students of various ages with increased levels of depression and behavioral issues. - Pittsburgh...
The Art Of Persuasion (As Opposed To Coercion)
At the heart of such suspicion is the assumption that persuasion is to be understood as an act done by someone to someone. One party is active, the...
How Cate Blanchett Trained To Play A Conductor For “Tar”
“Tár” is a tantalizing example: an elite acting talent taking on a rarefied slice of the classical music world. The preparations Ms. Blanchett and...
Conductors And The Cult Of Personality: “Tar” Nails It
“TAR” is uncomfortably spot on. It’s more about abuse of power than music, though the classical trappings are a convincing gilding. - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
New Study: Playing Video Games May Help Young Brains
The gamers did better than non-gamers in tests where they had to control impulsive behavior or memorize information, according to the National Institute of...
Biden Goes After “Junk” Ticketing Fees
Some examples of these "unfair hidden fees" given by Biden were bounced check charges, bank overdraft fees, credit card late fees, resort charges at hotels, processing...
Gilbert and George Face Social Media Ridicule Over Museum Complaints
"These two white British men are getting themselves their own museum because lack folks and women have taken over the white man's art institutions."...
How Sundance De-platformed A Documentary. Does It Say Anything About Our Current Culture?
In January, Sundance Film Festival screened it, and some employees of the Sundance Institute, which operates alongside the festival, soon resigned in protest. Even...
Tip Of The Iceberg: Spotify’s Latest Tool For Defining Your Music Taste
Icebergify collects data from your top 50 artists in your short-term, medium-term, and long-term listening trends, according to Icebergify. So the artists on your chart...
Bored By Music? TV? Movies? It’s Not Because There’s Nothing Good. You Need A...
Today’s boredom is not hungry, a response to deprivation; it is a loss of cultural appetite, in response to the surfeit of claims on...
Is “Quiet Quitting” A Problem In The Arts?
The global report determined that ‘only 21% of employees were engaged at work, and most didn’t find their work meaningful following the pandemic’. In...
Dancing Times To Sell Its Historic Trove Of Pictures
The collection consists of approximately 35,000 images, the majority dating from the early years of the 20th century through to the early years of the...
Why Critics And Audiences Often Disagree
So what’s the actual reason for the gap between audiences and critics? Simply put, it’s that audiences tend to be easier to please because...
Bard Announces New Maya Lin Performing Arts Building
The swirling effect is meant to gently integrate the building into the surrounding meadow while creating a structure that complements — but never competes...
Parent Complaints About “Pornographic Books” In Utah School Libraries Pour In After New Law
Utah parents have filed hundreds of requests to remove specific titles from K-12 libraries since a new law took effect in May banning “pornographic or...
Spotify Reports Big Subscriber Gains, Profits; Stock Price Falls
Spotify reported 456 million monthly active users, up 20% from a year earlier and above the company’s guidance. Paying subscribers, Spotify’s most lucrative type...
