One old pay phone booth in Maryland is for bird calls, thanks to a musician and audio producer. Of the calls, he says, “Some of those will just blow your mind. You know, you hear the sound of that, you'll think, what planet? And you're like, this planet." - NPR
In a suprise to no one, one of the American Federation of Musicians' "biggest concerns is the film and TV industry’s transition to streaming, which has significantly altered the way musicians are compensated for their work." - Los Angeles Times
There were more than 17 billion visits to music piracy websites worldwide last year, a staggering 13 percent increase from 2022, according to research firm Muso. After years of downturn in music piracy brought about by streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music, the uptick is somewhat startling. - Wired
"The trumpet soloist materialized in different parts of the virtual room … Flutists appeared and vanished. … At one point, when I tried giving one of the cellists a needed shoulder massage, the virtual musician seemed to standoffishly crumble in my hands. (The project's mastermind) shrugged. 'Well, he is German.'" - Classical Voice North America
"London-based ballad publishers commissioned, bought and distributed songs which were performed in ale houses, markets and town squares, hoping that people would buy the song sheets." Says historian Christopher Marsh, "It was the first time in history that people tried to publish songs to make money, to make hits." - The Guardian
Live-events company Fever is one such disruptor. Founded by Ignacio Bachiller Ströhlein, a McKinsey & Company alum, and Francisco Hein, creator of city guide Secret Media Network, the company touts its data-driven approach to “democratiz access to culture and entertainment in real life.” - San Francisco Classical Voice
To consider Gershwin’s work declassé, kitschy, corny and/or inflated, chastising it for sinful appropriation or for outshining worthier works, seems to me to miss the fun. - Mandel's Media Diet
This month the 63-year-old Dutch conductor began his term as music director at the Seoul Philharmonic. That orchestra had been considered one of Asia's most prominent, but it has suffered a decade of nasty management conflict and financial difficulties; van Zweden is looking forward to rebuilding the ensemble. - The New York Times
Nina Yoshida Nelsen, a mezzo-soprano and the cofounder of the Asian Opera Alliance, joined the company as an artistic adviser in 2021. She becomes the first person to hold the permanent artistic director position following the 2021 departure of general and artistic director Esther Nelson. - MSN
"The Los Angeles Opera has scrapped plans for the world premiere of Mason Bates's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay this fall because of finances. The work will instead open with a student cast at Indiana University" ahead of a planned run at the Met during the 2026-26 season. - AP
