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Has 21st Century Culture Lost Its Creativity?

Music without instruments and lyrics without meaning. Endless reboots, sequels and superheroes in the cinema. After a burst of magnificent TV dramas in the noughties, every glitzy new show is hailed as a must-see when most are mediocre. The algorithm has vanquished imagination. - The Economist

Sarasota Orchestra Releases Design For Its New $425 Million Music Center

The 32-acre campus, designed by William Rawn Associates of Boston and HKS Architects of Orlando, will include an 1,800-seat concert hall, a 700-seat recital hall, and education center, rehearsal facilities, courtyards, and parkland with wetlands and water features. - Observer (Sarasota)

New Study: 97 Percent Of Listeners Can’t Identify Whether The Music They’re Listening To Is AI

A staggering 97% of listeners cannot distinguish between artificial intelligence-generated and human-composed songs, a Deezer–Ipsos survey showed on Wednesday, underscoring growing concerns that AI could upend how music is created, consumed and monetized. - Reuters

How Schools Across America Are Responding To AI Use

In the face of a revolutionary change that many educators believe will alter the career trajectories of school-aged kids and the instructional methods of their schools, a handful of districts across the country have responded with drastic measures to meet the moment. - Edutopia

Preservationists Fight To Save New Deal-Era Murals In Building Called “The Sistine Chapel” Of Such Murals

The clock is ticking for Washington, D.C.’s 85-year old Wilbur J. Cohen building, described by preservationists as the “Sistine Chapel of New Deal Art” for the impressive art collection it holds, including works by Philip Guston and Ben Shahn. - Artnet

Editing Video News Footage Has Become A Fraught Matter (Thanks To You-Know-Who)

“In the space of a few months, a straightforward journalistic skill — editing tape for broadcast — has been behind a $16 million legal settlement, a network’s change in how it offers interviews ... and, now, the resignation of two top leaders at the BBC. The other common denominator: President Donald Trump.” - AP

Spotify Launches A “Catch You Up” Feature For Audiobooks, To Summarize What You’ve Read So Far

The company likens the feature, called Recaps, to a “previously on” segment at the start of episodes in a TV series. - The Verge

Ticket Prices Continue To Soar, But Lawsuits Abound

 There are currently multiple class action lawsuits at various stages, as well as a Department of Justice antitrust lawsuit against the world’s largest concert promoter, Live Nation, which programs concerts at PPG Paints, Acrisure Stadium and PNC Park and owns the ticketing platform Ticketmaster. - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Landmark AI Ruling On Song Lyrics

The court ruled on Tuesday that OpenAI should have acquired licenses for German song lyrics in GEMA’s repertoire before using them to train and operate ChatGPT. The verdict marks the first time a European court has legally examined and ruled in favor of creators whose works have been used by generative AI systems. - Music Business Worldwide

Turmoil At Palm Springs Art Museum Over Hiring of New Director

Trustee Patsy Marino, who chaired the search committee, has resigned (along with two other trustees) over the elevation of chief curator Christine Vendredi to the directorship. The objection is not to Vendredi herself: no outside candidate was interviewed and the final decision was made, Marino says, behind her back. - Los Angeles Times (Yahoo!)

“The Hunger Games” Has Now Become An “Immersive Theatrical Experience”

“To succeed, critically and commercially, the stage version must balance the horror the novel describes with enough verve and spectacle to delight a discerning, CGI-attuned crowd. Are the odds in its favor?” Journalist Alexis Soloski visits the show at its purpose-built theatre in London. - The New York Times

City Council Restores Funding To Dallas Black Dance Theatre

“On Wednesday, Dallas City Council voted to grant $225,000 for cultural programming to (DBDT). Last year, $248,000 in funding was cut in response to (DBDT’s) settlement with the National Labor Relations Board. The agency found merit to dozens of unfair labor practice charges …, including the firing of dancers due to union efforts.” - KERA (Dallas)

Sting Will Revive His Old Broadway Musical At The Metropolitan Opera House

The Last Ship flopped in its initial Broadway run in 2014-15. Sting has now revised the show, with new songs and a new director, and it will have nine performances at the Met this June after runs in Amsterdam, Paris, and Brisbane. - Playbill

George Lucas’s Museum Of Narrative Art Gets Official Opening Date

“After years of delays, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles will finally open its doors to the public on September 22, 2026. … Designed by architect Ma Yansong, the museum will be home to a collection of more than 40,000 works centering illustrated storytelling as a universal language.” - Artnet

World Cup Draw Will Take Over Kennedy Center For Three Weeks At No Charge: Report

The Dec. 5 draw, the World Cup’s highest-profile pre-tournament event, was expected to be held in Las Vegas. Trump reportedly swooped in at the 11th hour to offer use of Kennedy Center performance spaces and other facilities, for free, for almost three weeks, requiring cancellation or postponement of scheduled events. - The Washington Post (Yahoo!)

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