The Pulitzer for music, which was first awarded in 1943, generally goes to contemporary classical music; a quick scan through the list of previous winners reveals a lot of operas and symphonies. Lamar, however, is a hip-hop artist, and DAMN. is a hip-hop album. Lamar is now not only the first person to win a Pulitzer for a hip-hop album but the first person to win a Pulitzer for any music that’s not classical or jazz.
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So Doing Math Doesn’t Make You Smarter?
Various studies point to the conclusion that subjecting the mind to formal discipline — as when studying geometry or Latin — does not, in general, engender a broad transfer of learning. There is no sweeping increase of a general capacity for tasks like writing a speech or balancing a checkbook. But surely a narrower claim is true: that mathematics, so systematically built as it is on inference, must develop logical thinking. Right?
Is Comics Master Stan Lee Being Held Prisoner?
Few creators have left as profound a mark on popular culture. According to The-Numbers, a box office data site, films featuring Mr. Lee’s superheroes have grossed more than $24 billion worldwide. “Stan is right up there with Walt Disney as one of the great creators of not just one character, but a whole galaxy of characters that have become part of our lives. Right now, I think he’s probably bigger than Disney.” Yet at the summit of Mr. Lee’s career, storm clouds have gathered.
What Kind Of Person Ought To Lead San Francisco’s Museums?
As much as I share the Bay Area’s love for these two great museums, I see endemic weaknesses that threaten their otherwise promising future. The Fine Arts Museums’ board cannot control the ambition of its director, and shouldn’t even try. What the board most needs at this crucial moment is not someone it can master, but a willing partner.
In Praise Of The Traditional Concert Hall
Yes, the physical manifestations of music worship, structures so Romantic that they wouldn’t be foreign to Richard Wagner. Though some argue that the etiquette for concert halls is outdated, elitist, and partly responsible for classical music’s struggle to find new audiences, concert halls actually provide unique experiences that have become all too rare.
Netflix Spending $8 Billion On Content This Year
The company is competing against a range of traditional entertainment companies around the globe, and of course, against the need to work, sleep and do other things. Speaking at TED in Vancouver, CEO Reed Hastings noted that $8 billion is about what Disney spends. “That’s spread globally,” he said. “It’s not as much as it sounds.”
Broadway’s “Harry Potter”‘s Eye-Popping Production Numbers
“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” a two-part drama now in previews and opening April 22, cost about $68.5 million to bring to Broadway, including not only $35.5 million to capitalize the show — more than for any other nonmusical play in history — but also another $33 million to clear out and redo the theater.
Julia Bullock On Inventing The New Young American Musician
“I’m leery of any musician who doesn’t admit to going through a period of trying to emulate their musical idols, or their favorite performance of a piece, or even just trying to match what you’re hearing. Jazzers do it all of the time, and aren’t ashamed to admit it. I think it’s part of how you learn what it is that so struck you about the music or performance in the first place, it’s a path to discovering your aesthetic.”
This Copyright Case Could Change American Education Policy
At first glance, the case looked like a fairly straightforward dispute—a small, non-profit education publishing company alleged that FedEx violated its copyright by printing copies of its mathematics curriculum. But two factors make this case exceptional.
Meet “High Def” Vinyl
Rebeat Innovation is creating “HD vinyl” that the company claims will have “30 percent more playing time, 30 percent more amplitude, and overall more faithful sound reproduction.”