Uncategorized: Page 7

Imagine if instead of spending billions of dollars on invasions and bombings, we had used the same resources to fund educational systems, build infrastructure, and provide medical care in the Middle East and beyond.

Minnesotans are known for being averse to conflict, generous to arts and educational groups of all kinds, and generally plain-spoken (unless, of course, such speaking would lead to conflict). So, on top of the ongoing Minnesota Orchestra lock-out, this comes as a shock, even if not a surprise: The Twin Cities’ distinctive status in the […]

The Los Angeles Philharmonic has pulled the plug on its attempt to emulate the Metropolitan Opera’s successful series of live broadcasts to movie theaters: When the Los Angeles Philharmonic launched its series of live broadcasts to cinemas in 2011, the organization touted it as an innovative program intended to broaden the popular reach of the […]

In 2008, I made my first visit to Venezuela to see El Sistema. By then, I had heard several colleagues’ reports about the miracle that was happening in this developing country. But nothing prepared me for the powerful impact of music and music-making I experienced.

In a post rife with reader comments, Norman Lebrecht thinks the top European conductors are shunning American orchestras because of the current wave of strikes, or because they don’t like rules, or… something: Stumbling into the new season, Minnesota has become the third orchestra to lock out its musicians, after Atlanta and Indianapolis. In San […]

Leonard Slatkin has been guilty of cluelessness in public again (a previous example can be found here). He’s actually quite reminiscent of a certain candidate for President currently out on the hustings; he goes along saying quite sensible stuff and then runs completely off the rails and reveals his true beliefs: …Relations between the musicians […]

And not a lot of truth from employers in the Land of the North Star either, it seems: Musicians for the Minnesota Orchestra say management is threatening to lock them out at midnight Sunday unless there is a contract agreement by then. Orchestra musicians say they will vote on a management contract proposal on Saturday.

The London School of Economics is no slouch when it comes to understanding the real world in all its fiscal glory (or calamity). Several of its researchers have been working with three of the top music schools in London – the Royal Academy, the Royal College, and the Guildhall in producing an economic impact report on the three schools.

One of the uglier memes being spread by the proponents of the Great Attempted Orchestral Downsizing of 2012 is that cutting the pay of musicians won’t damage the quality of the orchestra because everyone is replaceable. A recent post by Chicago lawyer Kevin Moen summarizes it perfectly: Perhaps most disturbing, however, is the response from […]

If you have an interest or concerns about musician’s health issues, you will want to check out this Special Report from Musical America. It covers topics ranging from injury prevention, (with Polyphonic.org frequent contributor, Janet Horvath, prominently represented), to health care plans for performing musicians. Here’s a sampling of “chapters.” Musician, Protect Thyself: A Few […]