Stories

How Fans Have Taken Control Of Beloved Franchises

The use of parody and humour to pour scorn on the series is a common practice among fans. New digital technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) allow fans to create a sense of realism that again demonstrates their knowledge and love of the original works. - The Conversation

Inside Trimpin’s Sound World

“The kind of idea in my work with music dealing with three parameters — timbre, pitch, and time,” said Trimpin. “But my interest to give it a fourth dimension or parameter — adding space, movement, and motion. - San Francisco Classical Voice

How Do You Get Kids Into Classical Music? The “Wow Factor,” Says Charlotte Symphony’s Kwamé Ryan

Speaking of his own experiences as a child in 1970s Trinidad as well as conducting children's concerts at the BBC Proms in London and in North Carolina in the 2020s, Ryan says the secret is the same. - The Guardian

How You Make Decisions: Going With Your Gut?

"My recent research findings suggest that people are often well-advised to decide intuitively, in terms of how it makes them feel. There is emerging evidence that the act of deciding – and, in particular, making gut decisions – is emotionally rewarding." - Psyche

Fandom Is Increasingly Becoming A Problem

Fandom has changed over the last decade to become more of a discourse, but while celebs have had to hear more and more of what fans have to say, now fans are getting a peek at what their actions mean to their favorite stars — and a lot of it is not so flattering. - Vox

Archaeologists Using AI Discover 303 Unknown Geoglyphs In Peru’s Nazca Desert

"The large number of new figures has allowed the researchers to differentiate between two main types, and to offer an explanation of the possible reasons or functions that led their creators to draw them on the ground more than 2,000 years ago." - El País (Spain) (in English)

Off-Road Joyriders Are Damaging Ancient Geoglyphs In Chilean Desert

"The rugged terrain of Chile’s Atacama Desert is etched with giant images of llamas, cats, fish, birds, and humans. … At Alto Barranco in the Tarapacá region, ... the most persistent damage comes from motorcycles and 4×4 vehicles, whose tire tracks are erasing the geoglyphs." - Artnet

Because Of New State Laws, Book Bans In U.S. Schools Are Soaring

"PEN America officials said that the organization has counted more than 10,000 cases of book censorship in public schools during the 2023-2024 school year, nearly triple the number from the previous school year." - Publishers Weekly

In U.S. Libraries, At Least, Book-Banning Efforts Are Slowing

"The American Library Association released its preliminary data documenting attempts to censor books and materials in public, school, and academic libraries, finding that the number of tracked challenges fell significantly for the first eight months of 2024." - Publishers Weekly

Dallas Black Dance Theatre: Where Things Stand Now And What Comes Next

With DBDT management having fired all the dancers (with an unconvincing explanation) after they tried to unionize, both the National Labor Relations Board and the city of Dallas are investigating the company. There will be no quick resolution: NLRB investigations take months. - KERA (Dallas)

UK Culture Secretary Says Previous Government Had A “Violent Indifference” To The Arts

Lisa Nandy said that, under the 14 years of Conservative government which ended this past summer, "there's been a vandalism of the arts" and pledged that the Labour government would get arts funding spread throughout the country and arts education back into state schools. - The Guardian

Why San Diego Symphony’s Concert Hall Needed That $125 Million Renovation

"Audience members had long complained about lousy acoustics under the balcony overhang and bad views from many seats. … Musicians coped with a backstage area that felt like a cramped obstacle course. … Guest performers had to walk out to steel catwalk stairs and down four floors from the artist entrance." - Los Angeles Times (MSN)

Venmo Is Actually A Social Network, Sort Of

Unless a user opts out, every profile is visible to the public and every transaction is shown in the feeds of a user's friends. So now — unlike video-focused TikTok and (increasingly) Instagram, or Facebook, dishing out political disinformation and "Shrimp Jesus" — Venmo feeds show what one's friends are up to. - The Atlantic (MSN)

Longtime Houston Ballet Executive Director Steps Down

James Nelson who began his career as a dancer and went on to to serve in a succession of roles with Houston Ballet: company manager, general manager and then chief executive in February 2012, taking over from C.C. Conner. - Houston Press

Does “The Show Must Go On” Create Unhealthy Workplaces?

Theatre workers across the sector have now described to The Stage how they feel pressure to "power through" all but the most extreme health conditions due to financial insecurity and a "strict" culture. - The Stage

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