Montreal Modern In A Grain Silo?

The Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal wants to build a home in a grain silo. “The museum’s project, titled Silo No. 5: Musée d’art moderne, imagines the revamping of three historic grain silos on the western edge of Old Montreal, a project that would include a luxury-condo complex and a museum devoted to modern and contemporary art with a special emphasis on the emergence of abstraction in Quebec. The proposed museum would be housed on the 10th and 11th floors of a concrete grain elevator built in 1957 by C. D. Howe and Co. and would showcase the permanent collection of the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal.”

Study: Music Sharing Could Be Major Sales Force

A new study suggests that online music sharing could become a major force in marketing music. “Nearly one quarter of frequent online music users say that the ability to share music with others is a key factor when selecting an online music service. And a third were interested in technology that helps them discover and recommend music, such as tools that allow Internet users to publish and rank lists of their favorite songs. Perhaps most important for the recording industry, a tenth of those surveyed said they frequently make music purchases based on others’ recommendations.”

A Magazine Outsiders Can’t Get

Even as owner David Bradley is moving the Atlantic magazine out of Boston, he’s starting another magazine in Boston. This one is a publication for Harvard alums only. “It’s certainly an original gambit, to market a subscription-based magazine to a group that outsiders can’t join. Alumni magazines typically lose plenty of money, and it’s hard to see who would want to read this one, apart from the not-inconsiderable universe of narcissistic Harvard graduates.

Celeb Mags Headed Down

After seeing big circulation increases earlier this year American celebrity magazines have seen some shrp declines. “Us has seen the steepest drop-off, with fourth-quarter sales running about 15 percent below its January-through-September average. People is down about 9 percent; Star, 8 percent, and In Touch, 5 percent, said sources. (People, Us and In Touch are all on pace to report a year-over-year increase for the second half as a whole, however; Star will be slightly down.)”

John Simon In Three Volumes

Critic John Simon is out with three volumes of his collected pieces. “The irony of this is that writers (and bloggers) who benefit, likely without realizing it, from Simon’s path-blazing, pre-eminent debunking of crap are some of his most vocal critics. It seems almost foolish to have to point out that Simon’s reviews were politically incorrect well before the tide began to turn against PC, yet his detractors, who remain determinedly stuck on autopilot, could use a little nudging.”

John Tusa’s Case For Why Arts Matter

“The arts matter because they are local and relevant to the needs and wishes of local people. They help citizens to express their needs and to clothe them in memorable forms. They offer a way of expressing ideas and wishes that ordinary politics do not allow. The arts regenerate the rundown and rehabilitate the neglected. Arts buildings lift the spirits, create symbols that people identify with, and give identity to places that may not have one. Where the arts start, jobs follow. Anywhere that neglects the arts shortchanges its people.”

Kitty Carlisle Hart At 95

“George Gershwin asked me to marry him, but I knew he didn’t love me, so I said no. He was sweet and vulnerable, successful and good-looking with an instant appeal. So terribly boyish. But he needed constant approval. So he had constant ladies. Whenever he met one, he pretended that he had written a waltz, just for her, that moment. He’d always use the same lyric and just put her name in the blank space. It was his mating call.”

Harper Collins To Digitize

Harper Collins say it will digitize 20,000 books in its catalogue in a bid to rein in potential copyright violations on the internet. “The move comes as the US publishing industry is bringing lawsuits against web search leader Google over its effort to scan copyrighted books in libraries – a move the industry fears would set a dangerous copyright precedent.”

A Symphony Based On Three Gorges’ Dam

“Personally, I was impressed by the passion of those who are working at the construction site. I used to think that passion or enthusiasm only has something to do with the artists and never connected it with the scientists or engineers until I stood at the site.’ The song-symphony ‘Echo from the Three Gorges’ composed by Liu Yuan and performed by Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra, will make its premiere at the Beijing Concert Hall.”