On every campus, I meet scholars eager to share what they know outside the walls of their institutions. They find themselves stalled by three factors: lack of knowledge on how media works as an industry, fear of being scorned by their colleagues, and the realization that, in the chase for tenure or promotion, such public work rarely counts toward academic credibility or formal metrics. – Pacific Standard
Author: Douglas McLennan
Spotify Accuses Apple Of Unfair Business Monopoly Practices
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek says that if Spotify pays this cut it has to “artificially inflate” its prices “well above the price of Apple Music.” But if it doesn’t pay, Apple applies “a series of technical and experience-limiting restrictions” that make Spotify an inferior experience. Ek also notes that Apple “routinely blocks our experience-enhancing upgrades,” including locking Spotify and other competitors out of Apple services like Siri, HomePod, and Apple Watch. – The Verge
Jill Lepore On The Animating DreamS Of American Democracy
The history of the United States is a history of bias and brutality and hubris, but it is also a history of idealism and hard work and soaring optimism. What emerges is an invitation to regard these tessellated truths and conflicting motive forces with an equanimous understanding that can inform a juster, more beautiful, and less conflicted future. – Brainpickings
Does Listening To Classical Music While You Work Help Your Productivity? Study Says It Depends
For instance, on the simplest task, if someone was generally not prone to boredom, they tended to perform better when listening to the most complex form of music than with either simple music or complete silence, albeit when the volume of the music was relatively low. If the volunteer was prone to boredom however, the opposite was the case, and silence was the best condition. – Forbes
Oakland Ballet Needs a Home. Oakland’s Civic Center Needs A New Purpose. Is It A Match?
“We want this public asset used for the maximum public benefit. Not only is there a housing crisis, there’s also a crisis in terms of us being able to preserve culture.” – KQED
A Gaggle Of Geese, A Pride Of Lions. A ??? of Emojis?
In written English right now, there’s little consensus on this question. National publications have not settled on a regular style. The Atlantic, for instance, used both (emoji, emojis) in the last quarter of 2015. – The Atlantic
Hirshhorn Proposes New Entrance Garden To National Mall
“The plan recognizes the shifts in art-making in the 40-odd years since we were founded,” said Hirshhorn Director Melissa Chiu. “Many artists create work on a larger scale, and we want to create a space for performance and other interactive work.” – Washington Post
Report: Rural Communities Do Better When They Develop Creative Industries
Rural counties that are home to performing arts organizations experienced population growth three times faster and higher household incomes (up to $6,000 higher) than rural counties lacking performing arts organizations. – Medium
Orchestra Proposes New Hall In City Park. Community Protests Loss Of Said Park
“They’re moving us to a swamp, with no opportunity to grow our vision,” said Sami Scott, who helped organize a petition drive against the orchestra’s proposal. That petition has accumulated 300-plus signatures. – Sarasota Herald Tribune
Our Cities Are Lousy With Memorials. One Thing: Do They Really Help Us Remember?
Parks and squares are littered with markers that failed at their only job: to keep their topics from falling into oblivion. You may have paused a thousand times at the feet of that mounted king with the two swords crossed above his head in Central Park, but would you be able to pick Jagiello out of a lineup or recite a single fact about his exploits at the Battle of Grunwald? – New York Magazine