The standardized tests, it turns out, aren’t so standardized when you account for the disparities of students taking them. Where you grew up matters. How good was your school matters. So new algorithms attempt to measure these factors and level the field. – The Atlantic
Blog
Could New “Indie” Social Media Sites Solve What’s Bad About Social Media?
Could the IndieWeb movement—or a streamlined, user-friendly version of it to come—succeed in redeeming the promise of social media? If we itemize the woes currently afflicting the major platforms, there’s a strong case to be made that the IndieWeb avoids them. – The New Yorker
How The LA Phil Turned A Beethoven Concerto Marathon Into More Of A Relay
This music story has more sports metaphors than most sports stories, but let’s just run with it: Lang Lang got injured and could only perform one of the five concertos, and now, ‘four pianists are pinch-hitting: Conrad Tao, Beatrice Rana, Yulianna Avdeeva and Javier Perianes.” The LA Times spoke with all of them to find out how they’re handling this unexpected experience. – Los Angeles Times
Sammy Shore, Co-Founder Of The Comedy Store, Has Died At 92
Shore, a stand-up comedian who opened for Elvis’ comeback and comeback tour, and for everyone from Barbra Streisand to Sammy Davis Jr. to Bobby Darin, spent the last 20 years touring with his son, comedian Pauly Shore. – Variety
Book Clubs Are Getting Rather Niche
They’re niche, and sometimes they include industry professionals, but also, they’re more than that. “These expanded horizons imply responsibility: ‘You know these meetings are a tryout. The people at them are gonna be your collaborators, your co-conspirators, the people you start businesses and families with.'” – The New York Times
James Arkatov, Founder Of The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Has Died At 98
Arkatov was “a child from Russia who landed in San Francisco, befriended violinist Isaac Stern — whose fame was still to come — took up the cello and decided to pour his life into making music.” He lived long enough to see the LA Chamber Orchestra’s 50th anniversary after it lived through a lot of adversity (and some earthquakes). – Los Angeles Times
Shepard Fairey And 30 Other Artists ‘Transform’ An LA High School With Huge Murals
The buildings of Dr. Maya Angelou Community High School was drab gray and green until Saturday, when the artists got to work. “The Maya Angelou school project, which includes prominent artists such as the all-female collective Ni Santas, the artist known as Rabi of the collective Cyrcle and French artist JR’s Inside Out Project, has undergone rigorous planning during the last three years, organizers said. Students brainstormed themes for the artists to work with.” – Los Angeles Times
Hollywood Is Stressing Out Over The Elton John Biopic Because It’s ‘So Gay’
No pressure, but if this movie doesn’t do well, Hollywood might force itself back into its (extremely long lasting, tight, and transparent) closet, or at least that’s the threat. “Rocketman trails glitter — a million Swarovski crystals adorn the costumes and eyewear — and depicts gay sex, a first for a major studio.” (In 2019, y’all. 2019.) – The New York Times
A Theatre In Western New York Cast A White Woman To Play The Enslaved Character Tituba In ‘The Crucible’
Here’s how the play’s director responded to a mild backlash: “All I was doing was trying to put on a show. … It’s a community theater and the community of people that showed up to auditions were cast in the show.” – Olean Times Herald (New York)
A Playwright Says It’s Time To Dismantle Theatre’s Hierarchy
And, she says, it’s time to stop seeing playwrights as god. Morgan Lloyd Malcolm: “What I enjoy more as a creator is to be in a room with a bunch of people working it out together. … We need to think of a new structure for how we create things.” – The Stage (UK)