Has “digital rights management” which allows copyright holders to control access to their work, gone too far, choking off innovation? And is public access to the airwaves something that should be open or should the broadcast band be tightly owned and managed? Two conferences in California last week chewed over increasingly complicated issues of control of ideas and innovation.
Tag: 03.02.03
Taking Aim At Norah – Critics Pile On Norah Jones
Everyone’s focusing on Norah Jones, who won big at the Grammys last week. “Sure, listeners worldwide love her, scooping up 6 million copies of her debut album, ‘Come Away With Me.’ Yes, the album has been on The Billboard 200 chart for 52 weeks. And fine, Grammy voters awarded her best new artist, best pop vocal album, album of the year, record of the year and song of the year honors.” So why are critics taking pot shots at her?
Channel Islands Ballet Cancels Performances
The Channel Islands Ballet in Southern California told its dancers last week it has a $150,000 debt and can’t afford to pay them. “While two performances have been canceled, the company’s board of directors is still hoping the money can be raised by April 1 so the troupe can finish the remainder of the season, which ends in June. The company had planned for two more performances in May and June.”
Broadway Musicians Set Strike Deadline
Broadway musicians have set a strike date of Thursday after talks with producers failed to lead to a new contract. “The parties continue to be very far apart, and there’s not going to be a settlement tonight. We have set a strike deadline for Thursday midnight March 6.”
Cable TV Prefers Alphabet Soup To Real Names
The Learning Channel, The History Channel, Black Entertainment Television – they’re all proper names for their respective cable networks. But those networks have been abandoning the names for letters. It’s a matter of branding. “If you think about a lot of brands and how they are successful – Tide or Cheer – it’s because they have simple, short names that people can remember.”
The Cost Of Music On Broadway
The musicians’ dispute with Broadway producers over how many musicians must be hired for a show centers on the cost of musicians. But “most people are misinformed about the world of Broadway pit orchestras. They’re not as expensive as you might think (only $1-$6 of a $75 ticket goes to the musicians), and successive contract concessions have whittled their size to a fraction of their Golden Era heyday. There used to be 30, 40, even 50 (musicians) in the pit at a Broadway show. Now the (size) is as small as three. ‘Phantom’ is probably the biggest show on Broadway, and it has only 26.”
Raising Money From The Arts – A Conflict Of Interest?
Should politicians who support the arts be trying to raise campaign money from the arts community? Connecticut’s governor, an arts supporter, recently solicited the attendance of arts groups for a $250/plate fundraiser. “He calls and says, ‘I’m having a fund-raiser for Gov. Rowland and I’d like to see you there.’ There’s pressure to attend.” Some feel coerced.
Critical Reading – A Critic And His Letters From Readers
Bernard Holland goes through his files of reader letters over the past six years. “Critics open their mail with a blend of gratitude (someone cared enough) and apprehension (we have been found out), but most will recognize an imbalance of justice at work. Reviews and columns come, potentially at least, before many eyes; the letter reaches only two. Yet when accurately aimed, it can hurt. The accusation might concern a wrong name or an unnoticed change of cast, or a fact just plain wrong. If writing accepts the privilege of public exposure, it cannot flinch from the returns of service whizzing back at it in swift postal forehands and backhands. Hovering just beyond this building lurk the grammar gestapo and the spelling storm troopers, issuing postcards in wavering hands and eager to point out the illiteracy of the addressee.”
Interpreting Dance Outside The Studio
“Dance, by its very nature, lends itself to a wealth of interpretations — by critics, audience members and even the performers themselves.” Paul Taylor says that once his dances leave the safety of the studio, “they cannot help but be transformed into something else, for better or worse. A conversation with Mr. Taylor shows how fraught the relationship between criticism and artistic control can be. He views criticism with a mixture of pleasure and disdain, although he does not follow reviews as diligently as he used to, he said.”
Radio Consolidation Blues, Miami Style
South Florida radio is woefully narrow. “Looking for local news? Buy a newspaper. Want to hear rock en español? Load up the CD player. Crave a Triple-A (adult album alternative) outlet like those in other cities that play such new, talked-about artists before they break through? Get a moving van. And if you have a desire to hear classical music on FM, well, tough tubas. How about alternative country, progressive/alternative hip-hop or Hindu chants set to dance beats? Uh, you’re kidding, right? Miami’s 36 English-language and 17 Spanish-language stations have each carved out their little piece of the pie with generally narrow playlists, and their owners are perfectly happy about it.” Let’s blame consolidation.