Author: Douglas McLennan

Elon Musk Proposes Bach To Protect Cars

To prevent vandalism of his expensive cars, Musk announced plans for new theft prevention. “The latest details of the car monitoring system — that sound like a joke, but knowing Musk are possibly real(??) — were introduced on his Twitter page Saturday night. Musk claims the watchful cameras will play Bach’s Toccata and Fugue composition. He also said thieves might hear the metal versions of the classical piece.” – Mashable

The Religion Of Economics Is Done

Fareed Zakaria: “Let me be clear: Economics remains a vital discipline, one of the most powerful ways we have to understand the world. But in the heady days of post-Cold War globalization, when the world seemed to be dominated by markets and trade and wealth creation, it became the dominant discipline, the key to understanding modern life. That economics has since slipped from that pedestal is simply a testament to the fact that the world is messy.” – Foreign Policy

Ambitious New Classical Music Radio Station Launches, Aimed At Young Listeners

“The launch of a new classical entertainment station aimed at younger listeners is based on more than a hunch. Research found that a new generation of listeners was switching on to classical music through different sources, with 48% of under-35s exposed to it through classical versions of popular songs, such as the Brooklyn Duo version of Taylor Swift’s Blank. And 74% of people in the same age group had experienced classical music via a live orchestral performance at a film screening, according to analysts at Insight working for Bauer Media, owner of the new station.” – The Guardian

New Mellon Foundation Study: Leadership In The Museum World Is Getting More Diverse, But It’s Slow

The takeaway: “At a high level, the study has found some meaningful progress in the representation of people of color in a number of different museum functions, including the curatorial. We also found an increase in the number of women in museum leadership positions from 2015 to 2018. Nevertheless, the data also shows that progress has been uneven. While trends in recent hiring are encouraging, certain parts of the museum appear not as quick to change, especially the most senior leadership positions.” Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

A Dismal Trajectory For Investment In American Culture

Tim Schneider: “A sharp fall in public funding for cultural organizations since the 1980s has coincided with a sharp rise in private wealth held by the very few. And rather than being some wacky coincidence, these developments have a direct causal relationship, as many elites have spent billions of dollars on think tanks, lobbying firms, and politicians to enact policies that keepsafe mountains of revenue that once went to public causes, including arts and cultural institutions.” – Artnet