“The promise for musicians is that a stray festival encounter or its ripples across the Internet can bring new opportunities, and many of them spend the festival in a whirlwind of performances, interviews, handshaking and making contacts.”
Category: music
The Seoul Philharmonic’s Tour Cancellation Might Have Come From Its Deep, Troubling Infighting
“When the respected Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra announced this month that it was canceling its United States tour set for April, it cited fiscal woes. Left unsaid were the lurid allegations of sexual harassment and financial improprieties that have rocked the orchestra recently, culminating in a police raid of its offices.”
Did Buena Vista Social Club Sell A Tourist-Approved View Of Pre-Revolution Cuba?
“There is a huge disconnect between what Cubans are listening to and what tourists want. There is more modern and international-sounding dance music. There is timba or salsa cubana, a mixture of son, US funk, jazz and reggaeton, and local folklore drum styles. It’s very modern-sounding, very dense rhythmically.”
Classical Music Should Be A Short Click Away From Every Kid
“Spotify and iTunes have plenty of classical music. Unfortunately, they hate it. (Or seem to.) Keeping the four movements of one symphony together can be a stiff challenge because the only unit of music these sites recognize is the ‘song.'”
Student Musicians Are Using Virtual Reality To Prepare For The Concert Hall
The simulator “includes realistic backstage and on-stage areas, with authentic signage and lighting. An interactive life-size virtual audience projected on to a large screen features individuals who will sway slightly in their seats, close their eyes or fidget.”
Music Labels Put More Pressure On Spotify To Limit Free Streaming
“Universal is leveraging current contract negotiations with Spotify to pressure the streaming service to put harsher limits on its free service. The label hopes that such a move would convert more free users into paid subscriptions, which cost $10 per month.”
A First: Revenue From Stream Music Beats CD Sales For First Time
“According to data on music sales from the Recording Industry Association of America, sales in the US from streaming music were $1.87 billion in 2014, the RIAA said, while CD sales were $1.85 billion.”
Nashville Symphony Creates A “Composer Lab,” Names Aaron Jay Kernis To Head It
“The program aims to discover the next generation of outstanding American composers by providing them with the opportunity to develop their talents, gain hands-on experience working with a major American orchestra, and showcase their work for local audiences. Coupled with the announcement is a nationwide call for submissions for its inaugural session.”
Sphinx Foundation Founder Named To Head University Of Michigan Music School
“I wasn’t looking to leave Sphinx,” said Aaron Dworkin, the organization’s founding president. “But this job gives me the opportunity to make a difference and have an impact on a broader scale. Schools are at a critical time in thinking about what it means to have a life in the performing arts.”
A (Female) Bach Scholar Takes Down The Anna-Magdalena-Wrote-The-Cello-Suites Theory For Good
Ruth Tatlow: “My decision to undertake this analysis of Written by Mrs Bach was not taken lightly. I had to weigh up the pain of writing critically about the well-meant research effort of an acquaintance, against the temporary relief but longer-term discomfort of remaining silent. I offer this analysis in the hope that it might help clarify some of the confusions and defuse some of the widely-felt frustrations.” (pdf)