Changemaker conference
I’m flying today — so happy to say this! — to DePauw University, where I’ll take part in … [the] 21CMPosium. … I’ve spoken many times about change in classical music, but this is the first time I’ve had an audience of changemakers. … read more
AJBlog: Sandow Published 2016-09-08
Brubeck Trio: Two “Indianas” Explained
Drummer, Rifftides reader and close listener Tarik Townsend expands here on his analysis of two 1949 Dave Brubeck Trio takes of “Indiana.” The discussion grew out of … read more
AJBlog: RiffTides Published 2016-09-08
The Higher Criticism and The Good Food Guide
The Good Food Guide is a peculiarly British phenomenon, founded in 1951 by one Christian socialist classical scholar … and edited for many years by another. More accurately, they … read more
AJBlog: Plain English Published 2016-09-08
Gard Foundation Symposium–Our Communities: Day 2
Yesterday I began my reporting from The Robert E. Gard Foundation’s Our Communities: A Symposium on the Arts at The Johnson Foundation at Wingspread’s conference center. Today was a full day presenting the history and … read more
AJBlog: Engaging Matters Published 2016-09-08
[ssba_hide]
Author: Matthew Westphal
It’s Official: Fort Worth Symphony Musicians Are On Strike
“The musicians officially went on strike at 12:30 p.m. Thursday and symphony management subsequently canceled this weekend’s upcoming concerts … The strike, which was authorized by union members on Tuesday evening, comes one day after symphony management issued its ‘last, best and final offer,’ in contract talks. The offer was characterized by union leadership as the same proposal that musicians voted to reject on Sunday evening.”
Even At 75, Curious George Is Still Great, Says Michael Dirda
“It’s really little wonder that these boisterous yet gently soothing books endure. Consider, for instance, the over-the-top masterpiece of the series, Curious George Gets a Medal. It begins quietly when the little monkey receives a letter. He puts it aside and – like Chekhov’s gun – that letter remains in the background for many pages, nearly forgotten, until it reappears at a dramatic turning point. Before that, though, George …”
Reason Won’t Make Life Meaningful, Argues Neuroscientist
Robert A. Burton: “Any philosophical approach to values and purpose must acknowledge this fundamental neurological reality: a visceral sense of meaning in one’s life is an involuntary mental state that, like joy or disgust, is independent from and resistant to the best of arguments. If philosophy is to guide us to a better life, it must somehow bridge this gap between feeling and thought.”
Three Big Fall Movies Address Racism – But Don’t Call Them ‘Black Films’
“The Birth of a Nation, Hidden Figures and Loving are three films with the same theme (racism), the same ambitions (Oscar glory) and the same pathway into theaters (big studio labels). … A closer look at [them] reveals drastically different artistic statements and cinematic approaches.”
Did Shakespeare Really Invent All Those Phrases The OED Says He Did? Nope
“Shakespeare did not coin phrases such as ‘it’s Greek to me’ and ‘a wild goose chase’, according to an Australian academic. In an article for the University of Melbourne, Dr David McInnis, a Shakespeare lecturer at the institution, accuses the Oxford English Dictionary of ‘bias’ over its citation of Shakespeare as the originator of hundreds of words in English.”
Is FringeNYC’s Contract For Subsidiary Rights Fair?
Most fringe festivals, because they don’t actually produce the plays they present, don’t demand a cut of revenue from subsequent productions. But the New York International Fringe Festival requires a 2% cut of subsidiary rights revenue from any production anywhere on Earth for the next seven years. Howard Sherman gets both FringeNYC and the Dramatists Guild to explain their opposing positions on the issue, and then gives a verdict.
Master’s Program In Critical Theory Canceled By College Six Days Before Classes Start
“Six days before the start of the fall semester at Pacific Northwest College of Art [in Portland], a group of Master’s candidates and professors received an email from the dean of students informing them that their program was suspended and they would not be teaching or studying as planned.”
Nacho Duato Out, Sasha Waltz In At Staatsballett Berlin
“Nacho Duato is on the move again. After two years as artistic director of Staatsballett Berlin, Duato has announced that he will be handing his post over to a co-directing team of choreographer Sasha Waltz and Johannes Öhman, who is currently artistic director at Royal Swedish Ballet.”
Philadelphia Orchestra Musicians Call First Contract Offer ‘Regressive’
“Musicians of the Philadelphia Orchestra are negotiating to regain their place as among the highest-paid members of U.S. orchestras, while management has offered minimal raises in talks over a new contract.”