“While those born in the Sixties may cling to notions of pop’s ‘importance’, younger generations appear far less obsessive or even interested. Many argue that computer games, the internet and social media have filled the gap where buying vinyl and the music weeklies used to be.”
A Conference Of Performing Arts. Claudia La Rocco Wonders Why
“I’m not sure what all there is still to say about this kudzu-like circus of festivals clustered around a weirdo outdated conference that no one I know even attends anymore.”
Why Do American Orchestras Neglect American Music?
“For a nation with a century-and-a-half of substantial orchestral compositions, this is a disgrace. Orchestra conductors and musicians are largely unaware of — and show little interest in — any but the handful of the most well-worn pieces.”
Shakespeare’s Globe’s New Indoor Theatre Will Boost Attendance By 25 Percent
“The newly-opened Sam Wanamaker Playhouse is expected to attract an additional 100,000 annual audience members to the Shakespeare’s Globe South Bank site, the venue’s directors have said.”
Harvey Weinstein: No More Films Glorifying Gun Violence
Says the producer of Quentin Tarantino’s movies, “I have to just choose movies that aren’t violent – or as violent as they used to be. … I can’t continue to do that. The change starts here. It has already.” (video)
How An Amateur Debunked The Mathematical Formula For Happiness
“According to the graph, it all came down to a specific ratio of positive emotions to negative emotions. If your ratio was greater than 2.9013 positive emotions to 1 negative emotion you were flourishing in life. If your ratio was less than that number you were languishing.”
Why Doesn’t Audio Go Viral?
It’s hardly a fair fight, audio vs. cat video, but it’s the one that’s fought on Facebook every day. “People will watch a bad video more than [they will listen to] good audio.”
New Orleans City Council Wants to Crack Down On Music
“Lawmakers on the city council are now seeking to tone down the tradition with a new noise ordinance that critics have claimed would threaten both the rich musical culture of the city, as well as the livelihoods of its thousands of musicians and the venues that host them.”
Paramount Stops Distributing On Film
Paramount Pictures signals the end of film by distributing The Wolf of Wall Street in digital format only – at least to U.S. theatres.
Relax, Theatre People: Streaming Isn’t Going To Kill You
“I know perfectly well that fresh salmon and smoked salmon don’t taste the same but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to sample both.”
Why Is Nashville Such A Great Music Town?
“Nashville doesn’t need great density or a large population. It requires a critical mass of talent from all over the world. Nashville is the Horta of wayward musicians.”
The Time Of The Golden Movie Producer Is Over
The 1990s were “a time when the film business was flush with cash, to entice their first occupants into production deals. Studios regularly gave producers millions of dollars a year as part of so-called ‘on the lot’ agreements. In exchange, they got the right of first refusal on any project the producer generated. Life is different for producers in the new, tightfisted Hollywood.”
The Wild West Of Fast (And Feminist) Free Game Design
“I knew I couldn’t seek some false catharsis. The only ending I could put in my game was real life. Which is hard and unpredictable, but it’s where we live and what we have to work with.”
Oscar-Nominated Movie About Slavery? Bet On A White Savior Narrative
“Hollywood’s insistence that white people have set black people free seems like a sign that maybe, possibly, we could stand to hear other truths.”
Is Ellen The Successor To Oprah?
Oprah Winfrey left a huge hole in the talk-show world when she decamped for her own network. But is Ellen DeGeneres, who’s about to host the Oscars, the heir to that crown – or a different phenomenon entirely?
The Dark Side Of Inside Llewyn Davis Actress Carey Mulligan
“I feel my job isn’t to be a dancing monkey and entertain people on television.”
What’s Up With The Explosion Of The Creativity Industry?
“Are there just more and more people who feel creatively unfulfilled out there searching for meaning? Is it somehow a reaction to technology and social media? Is it related to the diminishing arts programs within our educational system?”
When WILL We Have A Machine That Can Predict Bestsellers?
“This kind of book, Archer wrote, is ‘not favorable toward sex, lust and passion, bodies described, marital relationships or remote natural settings. It also doesn’t like emotional expression. What it does like are middlebrow thematics. Education, law, travel, money, cities, technology, childhood relationships, history and dining out’ are all wise subjects to cover ‘if you’re penning a future bestseller.'”
Balanchine’s ‘Lost Muse’ – And The Rest Of His Young Companions In Russia
“Ivanova served as the original model for Balanchine’s many muses—that long line of beautiful, otherworldly ballerinas who filled his personal and professional lives up through his death in 1983.”
Is Claudio Abbado’s Orchestra Mozart Shutting Down?
Huge cuts in funding by the Italian government. The maestro’s health issues. After ten years the orchestra suspends operations – maybe for good.
Copyright Laws Aren’t Working For Anyone Right Now
Our current copyright laws clearly don’t account for the role technology plays in our lives.
Google Has Tried To “Map” Pop Music. Weird.
“What it provides, then, is a rough-and-ready map of the popularities of genres and artists over the years. Bear in mind, it’s not logging what people listen to, but what they own. And equally, note that Google Play users are a pretty small subset of music fans.”
What Does It Actually Mean To Be “Culturally Relevant”?
There’s room in the world for all kinds of art, and that includes retro art. But I also think that “how does this relate to other things from its own time?” is a more productive question for composers than “does this appeal to young people with mainstream tastes?”
How The Artworld Is Reacting To MoCA’s Choice For A New Director
LA’s Museum of Contemporary Art is troubled. In trouble. So the choice of a new director means more than it would in a usual leadership transition.
How Van Gogh’s Sunflowers Got To Be Ubiquitous
“Flower painting has a long history, but no other flower, Bailey argues, is so strongly associated with a particular artist as the sunflower is with Van Gogh.”