Wearing sneakers onstage (and a Nehru jacket rather than a tux) is just one of numerous steps which the new Baltimore Symphony music director is taking to show ordinary folks that classical music does not have to be stuffy and intimidating. - The New York Times
Quebec RCMP say they seized 62.7 kilograms of cocaine hidden in the walls of a grand piano during searches in the Lanaudière and Sherbrooke areas following a tip from US Homeland Security. Four suspects have been arrested. - Canadian Press (Yahoo!)
"The museum workers’ union says management is violating their contract by not allowing employees to work from home up to two days a week if they previously had permission to do so. … A grievance about the issue was lodged in February and (should) go to arbitration soon." - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
Initiatives such as an ethical returns policy that restored twenty-nine looted Benin Bronzes to Nigeria—shifting the global conversation around restitution—and a more recent effort, spurred by a Washington Post investigation, to reckon with the scientific racism behind the Smithsonian’s collection of human remains. - The New Yorker
Charting its way through changing times, MoMA is building out how it tells that history in the 21st Century, increasingly embracing women, African-American artists and others who have gone under-recognized in its narrative. - The Forward
Dozens of San Francisco Symphony Chorus members say leadership has proposed slashing their budget by up to 80%, a move they believe could further tarnish the institution’s reputation. - San Francisco Chronicle
This basic mismatch between the scale of the problem and the scale of possible solutions is a source of many of today’s failures of global governance. Nation-states and the global governance institutions they have formed simply aren’t fit for the task of managing things. - Aeon
Verizon "knowingly provides its high-speed service to a massive community of online pirates," said the complaint filed in US District Court for the Southern District of New York. - Ars Technica
Music being too easy to make means too much of the same music is made, “making it harder to find really exceptional things.” Because of the creative dependency there’s likely not much exceptional to listen to, anyway. - 3 Quarks Daily
"The 2024 Olympics could be a turning point for dancers who are accustomed to making a living performing and teaching." What's more, "like dancers, athletes have short professional careers, but Olympic success can extend their shelf life: There’s a well-constructed off-ramp for Olympic athletes." - Dance Magazine
The entertainment giant is developing a host of new features aimed at lengthening the amount of time subscribers spend viewing its shows and movies. The goal is to mitigate customer defections and generate more revenue from advertising sales. - The Wall Street Journal
"Now known at the highest level as 'artistic swimming,' it was for decades one of the few athletic activities women could pursue, albeit in uncomfortable, baggy, not-exactly-aerodynamic attire. Despite — or perhaps because of — its popularity, synchronized swimming’s status as a legitimate sport would be contested for just as long." - The American Scholar
The plan includes putting culture and creativity at "the heart of education" and advocating "for the role culture can play in local renewal", as well as strengthening freedom of expression among creatives. - The Stage
"The new programme, called Refúgiate en la cultura (Take Shelter in Culture), offers free flamenco shows – in the Prado, the Reina Sofía and the Thyssen-Bornemisza museums, and the Royal Collections Gallery – as well as free comic monologues in libraries and discounted cinema tickets for screenings before 5pm." - The Guardian
The tool lets people hum the song, sing the song or even play the song on another instrument. The feature is rolling out to YouTube music subscribers on both iOS and Android. - Engadget
