The livestreams haven't calmed the complaints about Coachella's lacklustre audiences — many who watch online have commented that the crowds aren't as hype as they believe they would be if they were in attendance. - CBC
“The Sonic Heritage project is a collection of 270 sounds from 68 countries, including from famous UNESCO-designated sites such as Machu Picchu and the Taj Mahal, … a monarch butterfly sanctuary, … wind turbines, rare whales and the Amazonian dawn chorus.” Also, sea lions who sound like drunk frat boys. - The Guardian
Since their return in 2021, the Taliban have waged a war on music, claiming that it causes “moral corruption”. According to figures from its own Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, the group has destroyed more than 21,000 musical instruments over the past year. - Index On Censorship
“It’s not that these are great pieces that happen to be long; the length itself is the point. The language – ‘endurance’, ‘epic’, ‘marathon’ – is that of extreme sport. Test yourself, we’re implicitly urged. … In that moment, an act of artistic engagement … becomes solipsistic and a self-congratulatory cultural flex.” - The i Paper (UK)
The orchestra is facing “financial challenges driven by inflation, shifting consumer behavior, an increasingly competitive landscape and broader economic uncertainty.” - Nashville Business Journal
This odd wind instrument, whose name is Italian for “little goose,” was invented more-or-less by chance in 1853 in a little town near Bologna. That town now manufactures hand-crafted ocarinas, boasts an ocarina septet which tours internationally (and sells out concerts in East Asia), and hosts an international ocarina festival. - Atlas Obscura
Coachella’s payment plan is just this: For a $599 GA ticket (including fees), fans had the option to put $49.99 down when tickets went on sale in November 2024, then pay off the remainder of the balance in monthly installments through March of this year. - Los Angeles Times
For the past several decades, Greg Sikora has tuned and voiced pianos for the biggest musical artists to play this region, from Frank Sinatra to Lady Gaga and everyone in between. He also served as the chief concert piano technician for the Philadelphia Orchestra for many years. - Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
Parker Ramsay: “Could you conceive of a world in which a harp work occupies your attention like an opera or a violin concerto? That might be a stretch, but I’ve been able to commission music that makes me think it’s possible.” - The New York Times
Like every other sector of cultural life, classical music has been roiled over the past decade by intense debates about the field’s ongoing lack of diversity, among performing artists, composers, and leaders of musical organizations. - The Atlantic
While music discovery used to be a social event, now most of us cower to simply accepting whatever the Spotify algorithm feeds us. While there is convenience in turning off our brains and mindlessly listening to an AI-generated lo-fi beats playlist, there are real world negative consequences for both the artists and listeners. - SoundGuys
As a classically trained flutist, I expected to feel unmoored without structure. But improvisation has made space for a freedom I didn’t know I needed: timelessness. - Washington Post
The Los Angeles Philharmonic led the charge into their first Coachella performance on Saturday with the "Ride of the Valkyries," helmed by Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel, in his latest move to reach out to new audiences. - Reuters
Hania Rani, 34, has become a shooting star in a genre of pop-inflected minimalist music often referred to as neoclassical, or alt-classical... “It’s not being composed to help people relax,” she said in a recent interview. “The music might be slow — not so loud, not upbeat — but it’s actually intense.” - The New York Times
The world of the all-controlling label is changing, and Atlantic Records—historically among the top three labels—has struggled to launch hot new global superstars. Atlantic’s market share in new music more than halved last year from 2019. Its parent Warner’s share price was down around 40 percent from its 2021 peak. - The Wall Street Journal
