Just kidding about the Millennials. Sort of. The thing is, streaming has messed with everything related to the music industry – and now there’s the elaborate rigging of streaming with “stream farms” and bundling. – The Guardian (UK)
Blog
All Of The Winners Of The SAG Awards
Just a list, with no interpretation (look for that in another post). – Los Angeles Times
Edith Kunhardt Davis, Author Of ‘Pat The Bunny’ Sequels, Has Died At 82
Davis followed rather literally in her mother’s footsteps when she wrote the sequels to her mother’s bestselling and beloved children’s book. But she didn’t write the children’s books until she got sober – and that was after she was pregnant and had a son whose weak heart killed him when he was young. “His death from heart disease in 1990 became the subject of Ms. Davis’s 1995 memoir, I’ll Love You Forever, Anyway. An account of her grief made all the more anguishing by her guilt, it stood in stark contrast to the cheerful children’s tales for which she was known.” – The New York Times
To Research How To Make A Better Museum, Ask Kids
Says one designer who experienced many a test lab with kids and families at London’s V&A: “A nine-year-old said: ‘Objects have rights.’ The phrase has stuck. It captures both the need to conserve objects and to consider them as active participants in the museum experience. It has brought the collection alive, allowing us all to imagine and design around objects’ ability to talk to visitors and to each other.” – The Observer (UK)
Movie Theatres With Shaking Seats Are Gimmicky – And Also A Good Education In Filmmaking
Basically, The NYT says, you could easily tell how bad Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was by going to a theatre with 4DX technology. The experience “should really be considered an intellectual exercise. Sure, the wind occasionally makes it hard to hear dialogue, and the flashing lights take you out of the movie when they light up the theater’s walls. But a lot of thought is required to artfully complement a film by adding multisensory elements. Especially when the film itself lacks artfulness.” – The New York Times
Life As A Young, Award-Winning Cellist
Sheku Kanneh-Mason has had quite the life in recent years, what with winning the BBC’s Young Musician Award in 2016 and performing at the wedding of Harry Windsor and Meghan Markle. He says, “A lot of musicians like a beer after a performance. I don’t know why exactly – maybe it’s because they enjoy more what’s well-deserved. The classical composers were often drinking a lot and doing crazy things, but I don’t think their music came out of alcohol – it’s more to do with musicianship often not being a well-paid thing, and also that music can take up so much of your mind, thoughts, passion.” – The Guardian (UK)
We’re Losing Any Sense Of Place Because Now Everywhere Feels The Same
You can watch movies, order groceries, talk to friends, or do just about anything from anywhere, thanks to smart phones. “Nowhere feels especially remarkable, and every place adopts the pleasures and burdens of every other. It’s possible to do so much from home, so why leave at all?” – The Atlantic
This Austrian Village, Overrun By ‘Frozen’ Tourists, Wants Them To Go To The Salt Mines
Only 780 people live in Hallstatt, Austria – but a million tourists visit each year, hoping for the perfect Frozen-style photo. The town had had enough. “Hallstatt is embarking on a campaign to focus on quality — not quantity — tourism, according to local officials. Tour buses, which tally as many as 90 on the busiest days, will be capped at 50 and must register with the tourism office. Groups that arrange lunches at local restaurants, sign up for boat cruises or visit Hallstatt’s famous salt mines will be given preference.” – The New York Times
What A ‘Narrative Performance’ Is – And What It Can Do For An Audience
Helen Shaw breaks it all down: “Our critical function operates differently with the storyteller than with scene-player, because we immediately wonder about truthfulness. … The narrating performer demands the close involvement and even participation of her audience, and so our belief and ability to be persuaded (and betrayed) are her main tools.” – Vulture
A Royal Ballet Dancer Says It’s On Dancers (And Companies) To Make Sure Ballet Doesn’t Look Elitist
Marinela Nuñez: “When I’m dancing, I always think – even when I am in a fairytale ballet such as The Sleeping Beauty – that it is real. It touches me and it makes me think of my life; it should have that impact when you’re watching. Some people always say that ballet is elitist and it’s definitely not. It is this beautiful piece of art, unfolding live in front of you, not like something in a museum.” – The Observer (UK)