Drake’s lawsuit claims that Universal Music Group ‘chose corporate greed over the safety and well-being of its artists’ by allegedly promoting Kendrick Lamar’s song with bots and payola. - The Verge
What a lot of these criticisms seem to miss is the crucial element: that we can still choose what we listen to. No one is making you stream the lowest common denominator playlists and you’re not forced to let the algorithm direct what you listen to. - Spectator
European Union Youth Orchestra director Marshall Marcus, who's seen a lot of El Sistema's educational work up close, argues that those who denounce the program, its flagship orchestra and its most famous alumnus for providing window-dressing to the Maduro regime are missing the point — and overlooking the good El Sistema does. - The Guardian
Bonnie Brennan, a 51-year-old Michigan native, succeeds Guillaume Cerutti, a 58-year-old Frenchman who is stepping down after an eight-year run. Cerutti plans to continue as the house’s board chairman. - The Wall Street Journal (MSN)
The composer’s son, now 83 years old, stored over 100,000 of his father’s scores at Belmont, in addition to photographs, letters, books, posters and more. The scores were held in a digital back-up, but this was also destroyed in the fire. - ClassicFM
In the days after, Los Angeles-area musicians and industry pros began to circulate a spreadsheet noting who had lost a home or workplace. The list stretched over 200 entries. - Los Angeles Times
"(He) was the creative force behind the United Colors of Benetton campaigns of the 1980s and 1990s that featured images such as a Pope kissing an imam on the lips, a priest embracing a nun, … and a black woman breastfeeding a white baby, part of the brand’s advocacy for diversity and tolerance." - AP
"Normally, a paid version of the service operates at 290 museums across Italy. One of the company Bauadvisor's dog-sitters meets the owner outside the museum and takes the dog for a walk. … This promotional, free version of the service will take place for one day every month … in a different Italian city." - CNN
Most game makers keep their expenditures secret; Call of Duty was recently reported to have cost over $700 million so far. But multiplayer space simulator Star Citizen publishes its figures, updated in real time, on its website. Currently it's approaching $800 million and may reach the billion-dollar mark next year. - The Guardian
The 57-year-old Finn, currently music director of the Gulbenkian Orchestra and Choir in Lisbon and of the Finnish National Opera & Ballet, begins his term with the 2026-27 season. He succeeds former Houston Symphony and Calgary Philharmonic music director Hans Graf, who departs Singapore at the end of next season. - The Straits Times (Singapore)
The paper, which was owned by the Sun-Times for six years before being sold to a not-for-profit in 2018, has continued to be plagued by the issues facing local news generally in the US. Six non-union staffers have been laid off and the publisher has resigned. - Chicago Sun-Times
The city government is facing possible bankruptcy due to a £52 million budget gap over the next five years. Among the drastic measures being seriously considered are winding down and ending the Cultural Investment Programme (which distributes funding grants to arts institutions) and closing three local historic sites. - The Guardian
"The nonprofit outlet has built a brand on connecting the knowledge of professors and researchers to both the news cycle and a general audience … But could it also work on a sub-national level ... and try to make a dent in the local news crisis? That’s the idea behind The Conversation Local." - Nieman Lab
Timothy O’Connor, former chief executive of the Harvest Rain Theatre Company in Brisbane, Australia, faces charges from seven accusers aged from 12 to 29; alleged offenses include rape, attempted rape, sexual assault, indecent treatment of a child, recordings in breach of privacy, fraud, common assault and indecent acts. - ArtsHub (Australia)
The urge to track our reading habits is never so strong as it is near the turn of the year, when cultural forces press us to revise ourselves. Like the things we eat or the ways we move our bodies, the books we consume get talked about as yet another avenue for self-improvement. - The Walrus
