Sergei Prokofiev’s grandson is 29 and is “already one of Britain’s hottest producers of garage music.” His new project is a string quartet, and he’s hoping to attract the young hip crowd to a nightclub to hear it.
Tag: 03.02.04
Robin Wood, 79
Wood was one of Canada’s most prominent music teachers. He helped build the Victoria Conservatory of Music. When he and his wife arrived in Victoria in the 1960s, “the tiny school had only 40 students and 12 faculty. Nearly four decades later, the renamed Victoria Conservatory counts more than 2,000 students, 25 staff members and 130 faculty.”
The Starsky And Hutch Of Homeland Security?
A new series being shopped around for American TV is about Homeland Security agents. “It’s about two D.H.S. agents who hurry to trouble spots and fight no-goodniks with the help of local police. According to the production company, President Bush and Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge both endorse and contribute sound bites to the introductions of the series. The producers also claim to have ‘clearance’ from the FBI, the California State Counter-Terrorism Unit and the Los Angeles Police Department. Now, you and I might scoff, but this is a serious business.”
Australia’s Blockbuster Sale
“One of Australia’s most prominent art collectors, John Schaeffer, has been forced to put his $30 million mansion and his entire collection of paintings and sculpture up for sale. Christie’s claims next month’s Sydney auction of hundreds of art works will be the biggest sale in Australia in decades.”
Help For UK Museums?
The British Parliament debates the country’s level of support for museums. Museusm are under budget pressure, and a change in the tax code will only make it worse. “It does seem rather odd to me that there is this shift away from museums in favour of other sorts of public expenditure … at a time when so much more is being demanded of museums and galleries.”
The Bolshoi’s New Experiments
The Bolshoi Ballet is one of the most tradition-bound of arts institutions. But there are signs the Bolshoi is loosening up, willing to experiment. “What has changed is that the Bolshoi has abandoned its preconceived notions of what is right for it, the idea that certain styles – even if artistically meritorious – are best left to other theaters. Now anything is fair game at the Bolshoi, at least if it takes place on the New Stage.”
Hip-Hop Lit
Hip-hop has become a major part of the popular culture of music and movies. Now it’s taking on publishing. “To some they’re urban or street fiction; others prefer the term “hip-hop lit. It’s hip-hop fiction, because it’s mirroring the things you saw in the music.”
Teachers Fighting Online Plagiarism
The internet has revolutionized education. But it’s not all positive. “Since the Internet became readily accessible to students in the 1990s, it has become in some ways the educator’s worst enemy. In secondary schools and universities alike, students are taking advantage of the fact that ready-made papers are only a few clicks away. An entire industry has sprung up to provide free homework or – at a price – papers purported to be custom-made. But now teachers are fighting back.”
Warner Music To Lay Off 1000
The recording company Warner says it will cut 20 percent of its 5000 worldwide workforce. “These significant steps to streamline Warner Music Group’s operations are essential to the future success of the company and to the expanding, ongoing opportunities for its people.”
Why New Zealand’s Film Industry Is On The Rise
New Zealand is a country of only 4 million people. And yet, systematically, New Zealand has built a film industry that culminated in its Lord of the Rings success. “This commitment paid off in increased tourism and business creation. It also brought into existence a substantial filmmaking infrastructure: Mr. Jackson has built his own film processing lab and postproduction facility and is about to build a sound stage to service his next production, a remake of “King Kong,” currently scheduled to shoot in Wellington in August.”