In case you are unaware, video games and video game music have come a long way from the 8-bit MIDI sound effects of Donkey Kong. It’s a musical realm that has produced its own roster of superstar composers beginning in the 1980s with synthesizer “techno” scores created for games like The Revenge of Shinobi and Streets of Rage by Yuzo Koshiro; Koji Kondo’s accompaniment for Super Mario Brothers; and Nobuo Uematsu’s influential scores for the highly successful Final Fantasy series. To the point that Uematsu has gained the title of “the Beethoven of video games music.” – San Francisco Classical Voice
Tag: 09.28.19
A Day In The (Very Busy) Life Of The Ailey Company’s Production Stage Manager
“While [Kristin Colvin] Young’s job involves the responsibilities that immediately come to mind when you think of stage management — like calling the lights and sound during shows — her role encompasses everything from prepping casting inserts for programs to finalizing rehearsal schedules to giving preshow audience announcements as the ‘Voice of God.’ During a recent tour stop in Copenhagen, Young documented what a typical performance day entails.” – Dance Magazine
When The Culture Wars Was About Your Aesthetic Taste
There was a time when we judged people, labelled them, loved them or hated them because of their taste in literature, art and even pop music. – The Spectator
Why Did Librarians Remove Dewey’s Name From One Of Their Most Prestigious Awards?
Dewey is a legend – you know, the Dewey decimal system for ordering library books? – and perhaps was responsible for the entry of women into the profession. Yay, but, he also was censured and removed from office in 1906 – 1906, people – for his handsy ways (we call that harassment or assault now) and the racism and anti-Semitism he exhibited at his private club. His defense? Some of my best friends are Jews. – Slate
Film Criticism Is Perhaps Better Done On Video
That’s right, streaming film criticism, in which critics break down scenes through clips and show how lighting, sound, or other effects add to the emotional and intellectual resonance of a movie, is now moving into a more mainstream form, and a lot of it – as good as a cinema studies class or two – is online for free. – The Guardian (UK)
The Eternal Optimism Of The Silicon Valley Mind
Silicon Valley (and all of the tech people who inhabit it and its environs, on- and offline) doesn’t have a political point of view, really. It’s not conservative nor liberal. It’s only always optimistic about technology making life easier and better. “This creed burns brightly, undimmed by the anti-tech backlash,” and it is deeply rooted in sunny, optimistic American culture. – The New York Times
José José, Mexico’s Prince Of Song, Has Died At 71
His career spanned four decades and millions of albums, and the singer was nominated for six Grammys, though he never won. (The Los Angeles Times has collected five of the best of José’s performances for those who don’t know El Principe de la Canción.) – Variety
Syria’s Secret Library
In 2013, in the war-ravaged town of Daraya, people collected books after shelling and wrapped them in blankets to take them to a secret basement location. “The self-appointed chief librarian, a 14-year-old named Amjad, would write down in a large file the names of people who borrowed the books, and then return to his seat to continue reading. … The library hosted a weekly book club, as well as classes on English, math and world history, and debates over literature and religion.” – The New York Times
Chicago Festival Has To Cancel A Highly Anticipated Premiere Because Immigration Denies Visas To Playwright And Crew
Conchi León and her touring cast and crew had been making Chicago-specific plans since March, building a special traveling set for her Yucatán- set play La Tía Mariela. It was set to premiere at the Chicago’s International Latino Theater Festival … until the US Department of Citizenship Immigration Services decided not to issue visas to the cast and crew because “they were determined to not be ‘culturally unique.'” What? – NBC News
We’re Living In A Post-Happiness World
So we’re pursuing “joy” instead – something that comes and goes and that we don’t feel we need to sustain. Could this actually be a boon for the arts as we start to realize that collective experiences are important? “Contentment is the next growth industry.” – The New York Times