“You know, I went north all those years ago, as a romantic young crusader and artist, and I imagined that in Alaska I could step outside my own culture — which is patently ridiculous. But somehow I was able to draw music from the air and the earth, and that has served me well. Even though it’s obviously a ridiculous idea, it’s given me a life’s work.”
Author: Douglas McLennan
Why Progressive Rock Gets No Respect (But It Should)
Pop culture at large has enjoyed mocking prog obsession via negative portrayals of prog-rock fans (see: the weird misfit characters of The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Buffalo ’66, for example). But, David Weigel argues, the genre doesn’t get enough credit for its dynamism and inventiveness.
Scientists Report Birds Use Jazz Technique In Their Songs
The ‘swinging’ birds were found after scientists used mathematical analysis to study the song of the thrush nightingale. The nightingale’s song deviates slightly in its note timing, making it more ‘expressive’ like a jazz swing track, the researchers, from the Max Planck Institute in Frankfurt, Germany, found.
Small Music Venues In The UK Are Disappearing – Is The Arts Council’s Support Of Classical Music To Blame?
“Across the UK, music venues that have flourished for decades have begun to disappear. This week, the Music Venue Trust, the charity that supports the interests of Britain’s small music venues, questioned Arts Council England’s decision to reject its application for funding. The trust argues that while Arts Council England does much to support new music, with money for the internet radio station NTS, live-streaming Boiler Room and contemporary music curators Capsule to name but three, 85% of its music funding has been allotted to opera and classical music, according to the charity, with £96m given to the Royal Opera House alone.”
The End Of Spain’s Traditional 3-Hour Lunch Break?
“This week, change could finally be on the way, as 110 professional bodies in Catalonia have signed up to a plan to change the region’s daily timetable by 2025, shortening the classic three-hour lunch break so that employees can finish work earlier in the evening. Such a change would radically reshape ordinary people’s lives—and controversially, it could drive a wedge between Catalonia and the rest of Spain.”
Inside An Immersive Theatre Experience Below The Streets Of Manhattan
We’re are not in Hoboken but in a space beneath the 14th Street entrance and exit of New York City’s High Line, and this is the immersive theatrical experience of Seeing You.
Netflix Ramps Up Movie Production, Challenging Hollywood’s Primary Business
“Netflix’s bold foray into movie-making and directly-to-couch distribution is an explicit challenge to the traditional Hollywood model, analysts say, although it remains unclear if a company propelled by binge-watching TV at home can alter the future of going to the movies.”
Dutch Composer Michel van der Aa On Making Art Relevant
“When you work with film, there’s a risk of things becoming very concrete. I think a strength of art is that you can steer people in a certain direction, but they have to take the last few steps themselves—everyone can find their own truth in the piece. I like to push people in a certain direction, but leave a few things for them to interpret themselves.”
Does Tate Modern Provide A Model For A New London?
“The museum may be the among the best-known examples of the now fashionable transformation of derelict factories into dynamic cultural space. Since its inception, the Tate Modern has never rested on its laurels, continuing to redefine itself as an institution of outreach, self-reflection and learning. The museum’s evolution over time provides a potential blueprint for how London, and indeed any city, can provide spaces that encourage its inhabitants to be collectively present. You cannot experience the Tate Modern through Facebook or a tweet; you must show up, with an open mind, surrounded by your fellow visitors.”
Small Foundation Offers Major Award To Arts Journalists
“The Dorothea and Leo Rabkin Foundation made a splash in the world of art criticism and journalism this week, announcing a new annual prize that offers American art writers who write for general audiences (rather than academic readers) a $50,000 unrestricted grant in recognition of their work. The grant matches the highest awards given by the Creative Capital | Andy Warhol Foundation, which range from $15,000 to $50,000, and is five times the sum awarded to Pulitzer Prize winners.”