New piano sales fell from a pre-Covid peak of 400,000 in 2019 to 200,000 in 2022. China’s imports of pianos—mainly high-end instruments for conservatory and professional use–fell from a 2021 peak of US$272 million to $197 million in 2023. - Asia Times
”The competition feels stiffer (perhaps oversaturated), though artists searching for opportunities during the audition season—typically winter through spring—are finding community through research and collective commiseration.” - American Theatre
For London's Prince Charles cinema, threatened with a huge rent increase, “the listing provides the local community with the right to try to raise funds and bid for the building first if it is put up for sale.” - BBC
Perhaps not for the reasons you might suspect, though. “I found myself longing for someone, Aldridge perhaps, to mine Christie’s exquisite autobiography more broadly and create an entire one-woman play.” - Los Angeles Times (Yahoo)
“It’s a show where you’re always thinking about the other people onstage. … Everyone is both lead and chorus, and you really can’t have an ego because it requires five minds to work as one.” - The New York Times
“Women make up 11.3.% of the directors in the United States, which is on par with the average. The percentage of women of color in the director’s chair (5.7% in 2024) has doubled in the last decade (2.5% in 2015).” - Variety
Shira Perlmutter had been hired by also recently fired Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. The firing came two days after Perlmutter’s office released a report saying AI training may not be fair use. - Seattle Times (AP)
And a bunch of Disney adults are not exactly thrilled about it. “It’s another fracture within one of the largest and most intense fandoms, one that I think signals trouble for Disney’s generational appeal.” - Spitfire News
“For the truly birdpilled, it’s about tuning in to a new layer of reality around you and decoding it. The word bird becomes not just a noun but a verb, and you are always birding.” - Slate
“Digital platforms like Boiler Room — the hugely popular video series that pioneered the de facto online D.J. video format — have changed the trajectory of what it means to be an electronic music artist or fan.” - The New York Times
“We live in an era in which there is too much information but not enough knowledge, and even less wisdom. This excess of information makes us arrogant and then it makes us numb.” - The Guardian (UK)
