Category: music

“‘Irregular’ time signatures are anything but unusual in other parts of the world – some musical cultures from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Balkan Peninsula commonly use metric structures that don’t follow the same set of rules as Western music … But people raised in North America often have a particular trouble with irregular time signatures. ”

“With opera companies taking a broader view of how to foster and present new work, young composers who are inspired to experiment with the challenging form will have more places to try it out.”

“Some subscribers [to the locked-out Minnesota Orchestra and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra] may be seeking their ‘classical fix’ elsewhere – a few classical groups have noticed a spike in ticket sales. Others are staying home and mourning the loss of a seasonal tradition.” Says one fan, “Not having the concerts, it’s stressing me out. I’m staying home, playing music and getting angry.”

“Many contemporary jazz artists include standards in their performances, and a large number of these songs are now about 90 years old. But despite attempts to add contemporary pop songs to the canon, jazz standards may be losing some of their appeal among younger players.”

“The research shows that more than a third earn on average between £10,000 and £20,000, and the majority of those artists have more than ten years’ experience in the profession.”

“For the first time in the 55-year history of the Grammy Awards, a videogame soundtrack has been nominated. The honor goes to Austin Wintory, composer of the score for the mesmerizing PlayStation 3 game Journey, published earlier this year.”

A study from Finland reports that “musicians who consider their instrument an extension of themselves are more confident, and feel less performance anxiety.”

“The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra has canceled concerts through Feb. 8 because of the labor dispute with its musicians. … On Oct. 21, the board locked out musicians when they failed to vote on a contract proposal that would severely cut salaries.”

The CEO of the 28-year-old chamber orchestra blames “the orchestra’s inability to reach an agreement with [the musicians’ union]. … For much of this year, Orchestra Nova had been in talks with the union over salary increases and the proposed change from typical yearlong contracts to concert-by-concert contracts for musicians.”