“Most of us don’t want total originality in music; we want small variations and hybrids of known ideas, a delicate balance between novelty and familiarity. That balance will tilt one way or the other, depending on the listener.”
Category: music
The ‘Blurred Lines’ Verdict Could Be A Disaster For Symphonic Music As Well As Pop
“There was no issue of ownership. Pre-existing material was nothing more than building blocks, just as an A major scale might be. Music was born as an art of absorption. When Bach made concertos out of pieces by Vivaldi, he bettered Vivaldi, and the pieces became Bach.”
The Pittsburgh Symphony Asks Potential Audiences What They Think Of Classical Music, And Finds Painful Answers
“Participants described classical music performances as boring, relaxing, soothing and long. They said older people, musicians and rich people were the sorts who attended them. And they said the genre made them feel relaxed, sleepy, peaceful and mellow.”
The Seoul Philharmonic, In Turmoil And Under A Police Investigation, Cancels U.S. Tour
Accusations of sexual harassment, misappropriation of funds and more led to the this point: “The orchestra issued a statement Friday saying it was forced to cancel the tour because Seoul’s municipal government, a leading source of its funding, had withdrawn financial backing for the trip.”
Why Sampling Music Is A Creative Act
“Among sampling musicians, discovery has the same creative status as invention. DJs always want to play something that listeners don’t already know but that they will immediately like, and hip-hop producers have inherited this attitude. In a world saturated with recordings, creating more music ex nihilo is not the valuable service to humanity that it once was. I make sample-based music because I feel like it’s more worthwhile to identify existing sounds that have been overlooked, to bring them to fresh ears, and to give them fresh meaning in new contexts.”
How Do Young Musicians’ Brains Develop?
Learning a sport develops gross motor skills “like how to kick a ball,” while music training develops fine motor skills, “like the way you draw a line. They’re complementary. Both are necessary and important.”
If There’s A Crisis At English National Opera, It Certainly Isn’t Artistic
“Let’s be absolutely clear about this … there has been no crisis in ENO’s run of productions over the past year and two months, indeed in the bigger picture of the last 10 years. … So where’s the problem? Clearly, as usual, in the management, not in the artistic team.”
This Week’s Copyright Ruling Against Pharrell Was Based On Sheet Music? In 2015?
“Owing to the specifics of copyright law, the jury was instructed to base its decision on the sheet music, a fact that reflects how inadequate copyright law is when it comes to contemporary songwriting and production practices. In 2015, the arrangement of notes on a sheet of paper is among the least integral parts of pop music creation.”
Barbara Hannigan: Gender Is Not A Trait Of Conducting An Orchestra
“Conducting is one of those few final frontiers in which there is a dearth of women. For me, though, the issue is much more complicated than a call of “We need more women conductors!” It is musicianship, psychology and technical skill all bound together in a rare type of leadership that is elusive. It is neither male nor female.”
What Are We Really Losing As The Sheet Music Business Dies?
“There are a few publishers that understand the problem and are adjusting in the way that recording companies adjusted to the MP3 revolution. The problem is that many of them are trying to cling to their old models as they see their income dwindling. This is a tragedy because no one will produce this high-quality type of musical research that their editions will produce.”