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Beautiful, Complex, Even Dangerous — The Recorder, Perhaps The Most Underrated Instrument

So many people cringe at the memory of the cheap little plastic instruments played by grade-schoolers. But a wooden recorder in the hands of a pro can be enchanting and even thrilling, and there's now music written for it in virtually every genre, including jazz, rock and pop. - The Guardian

40-Year-Old Portland Oregon Theatre Shuts Down, Blames “National Crisis” In Theatre

Leaders of Portland’s Artists Repertory Theatre announced on Tuesday they are canceling the 2023-24 season, just as the company was beginning rehearsals for one of the shows it planned to produce. - Oregon Public Broadcasting

Bread And Puppet Theater’s Founder Is 89. What Happens When He Finally Passes Away?

"'(It's) always been an iffy little enterprise that depends way too much on me,” said Peter Schumann. 'Is it sustainable when I'm gone and will people recognize it as important?' Those questions remain unanswered as Schumann's incessant creation of new work keeps the focus on the present." - The New York Times

Goodbye Toxic Online Comments? OpenAI Building AI-Driven Content Moderation System

The company wrote in a blog post that GPT-4 can not only help make content moderation decisions, but aid in developing policies and swiftly iterating on policy changes, "reducing the cycle from months to hours." - Engadget

Younger People In England Are Making Morris Dancing, Well, Actually Kind of Cool

"Now Morris, long a poked-fun-of example of British eccentricity, is opening up to younger dancers who approach it as a living tradition. For some, this means exploring ways to pull apart and reinterpret the form. And for traditionalists, it means perfecting ancient technique." - The New York Times

Justin Davidson Spends A Day On Set Of Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein Movie

"I’m not sure I envy Cooper (who is directing the film and co-wrote the script) the task of getting into that storm-strafed mind or giving vent to Bernstein’s complexities." - New York Magazine

Jan Morris Was Right: We Should Just Let Venice Sink

"And yet Morris predicted that this would never be Venice's fate, because 'the world would not allow it.' That may be true. What she wasn't right about was the time frame of the impending tragedy. She thought it would be a long time coming." - Wired

Study: Products Launches During A Recession Do Better

“I thought discretionary-product launches would be more likely to fail, because nonessential purchases tend to decline in tough economies. But the effects are consistent across products and categories. A recession might be the ideal time to launch your product no matter what it is.” - Harvard Business Review

Milan’s Landmark Futurist Sports Stadium Has Been Saved From The Wrecking Ball

"The iconic San Siro in Milan, which was set to be replaced by a Populous-designed stadium, has been saved from demolition because of its 'cultural heritage'. The stadium, which is shared by Italian football clubs Inter Milan and AC Milan, was rescued from demolition … due to its distinctive appearance." Dezeen

70 Years After It Was Discovered, An Ancient Near Eastern Script Is Being Deciphered

"The researchers have proposed the name Eteo-Tocharian to describe the newly identified language, which is believed to have been, at one point, one of the official languages of the Kushan Empire" (200BC-700AD). - Artnet

Iran Jails Filmmaker For Showing His Movie At Cannes Without Official Permission

"A court in Iran has sentenced prominent film director Saeed Roustayi to six months' prison for the screening of his film Leila's Brothers at the Cannes film festival in 2022. Leila's Brothers ... has been banned in Iran since its release last year." - The Guardian

More Turmoil At West Virginia Public Broadcasting As Executive Director Steps Down

"The executive director of West Virginia Public Broadcasting has stepped down after one year on the job, the latest sign of upheaval at a news outlet recently shaken by a reporter's allegation that she was fired for writing an unfavorable story about a division of the state health department." - AP

Orlando Museum Of Art Sues Its Former Director Over Fake Basquiat Scandal

"(The museum) has sued its former director, Aaron De Groft, as well as others who were instrumental in bringing the now disgraced 'Heroes & Monsters' exhibit of work attributed to Jean-Michel Basquiat to the institution in 2022." - Orlando Sentinel

Opera News Magazine To Cease Publication As Metropolitan Opera Guild Shuts Down

The Guild, founded in 1935 to support the Met, has been suffering with financial troubles similar to those faced by many arts nonprofits in recent years. Its education programs will be taken over by the Met itself, while Opera News will become a foldout section of Britain's Opera magazine. - AP

Soprano Renata Scotto, 89

"Like Callas, Ms. Scotto possessed a voice that was riveting without being traditionally beautiful. … Also like Callas, she was known for fully inhabiting her roles, bringing intense dramaticism to an art form in which singers had once been content to stand onstage and trill." - MSN (The Washington Post)

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