Not quite as much fun as the real thing, though
February 12, 2011A critic’s take on tantric orchestra musicianship.
Still talking in Detroit
… which is good news. Where there is life talk, there is hope: The two sides in the Detroit Symphony Orchestra strike were in last-minute talks Friday evening trying to avert cancellation of the rest of the 2010-2011 season. The DSO board had earlier stipulated an agreement had to be in hand by 5 p.m. […]
When Die Walküre meets Den Schneesturm
February 2, 2011…the blizzard wins. Here in Milwaukee we’re having the first day of rehearsals canceled for snow that I can remember. We had a run-out to Green Bay canceled due to snow a number of years ago, but given that traffic was moving at 25 mph on the freeway and Green Bay was 100 miles away, […]
Dinosaurs falling from the sky in theater-land?
February 1, 2011The head of the NEA seems to think so: Count on Rocco Landesman to stir the pot. Speaking at a conference about new play development at Arena Stage in Washington on Thursday, Mr. Landesman, the chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, addressed the problem of struggling theaters. “You can either increase demand or […]
This isn't good….
January 27, 2011This morning’s news from Detroit is discouraging: Prospects for productive talks in the Detroit Symphony Orchestra strike seem to be taking a turn for the worse. After an executive committee board meeting Wednesday, management released new figures casting doubt on whether the organization could meet the financial burdens of its current proposal. For their part, […]
Devastating Impact
January 17, 2011I recently purchased an Internet radio, so am now about to access (without charge) my favorite public radio stations from throughout the US. One theme that I hear on all of them is that proposed public (government) funding cuts will have a devast…
Musicians Can Now Sell Directly on Facebook With This New App
January 15, 2011If you have a band and are trying to get your name around, Moontoast might be something to consider. They’ve come up with an app that allows musicians to connect with their fans and sell directly on Facebook. Check out the article here:
http://ma…
What's the difference between practicing and child abuse?
January 14, 2011It’s not very often that practice techniques make the Wall Street Journal. It’s even less often that they become the stuff of vitriolic debate, but that’s what’s happened in response to this: A lot of people wonder how Chinese parents raise such stereotypically successful kids. They wonder what these parents do to produce so many […]
Arts in the suburbs
January 8, 2011Anne Midgette had an interesting piece in Friday’s Washington Post on the boom in arts facilities in the DC area: If the 1970s saw an increase in performing arts organizations, the 1990s and 2000s have seen a notable increase in places built to house them. The boom is reflected nowhere better than in the Washington […]
Orchestras aren't about "peace"
January 7, 2011I’ve been trying to figure out just what exactly bugs me so much about this: Music can change the state of the world, stop conflict and bloodshed, and bring peace to war-torn regions. If that sounds far-fetched then you haven’t met Russia’s famed maestro Valery Gergiev. “The power of music can be (a) very quiet […]