FEATURE
Best Martin Luther King Songs: 10 Moving Tributes
U Discover Music: Martin Chilton
From sorrowful mourning to polemical rage, these songs deal with the death of the civil-rights icon in moving, revelatory ways.
RESEARCH AND OPINION
Venezuela’s Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra at 50: is it time for brickbats or bouquets?
The Guardian: Marshall Marcus
As the feted musicians arrive in London for two concerts, we look at El Sistema, the education system that spawned the world-conquering orchestra, and why some are calling for its boycott.
The musical universe of David Lynch
NPR: Hazel Cills
He found global fame as a film-maker, but Lynch’s passion for music was life-long and resulted in work every bit as surreal as his movies. From “Twin Peaks” to his films to his own recording career, the director understood how much sound mattered — not only to the audience, but to the characters in his stories.
Why the National Dance Project Is Ending in Its Current Form, and What That Means for the Field
Dance Magazine: Lauren Wingenroth
In September, the New England Foundation for the Arts announced that one of its core programs, the National Dance Project, would be ending, at least in its current form, as the Mellon Foundation concludes the funding arc that’s supported the program for the past several decades.
Glebe: Gaudí review – a bold British jazz fusion debut
The Guardian: Neil Spencer
Guitarist Kieran Gunter and pianist Chris Bland and co embrace prog-rock, synth and velvety vocals on this Pat Metheny-inspired set.
How Martha Graham’s Southern California roots led to the creation of modern dance
Orange County Register: Pete Larson
Dancer and choreographer Martha Graham held her first-ever performance on April 18, 1926 in New York City, and as her groundbreaking work reshaped the world of dance in the decades that followed, Graham and her dance company became known as a cherished part of that city’s art scene.
Music therapy helped Joni Mitchell recover from a stroke – could it ward off depression and dementia too?
The Guardian: David Shariatmadari
When his friend, the legendary songwriter, had a catastrophic stroke, neuroscientist Daniel Levitin put together a programme of music therapy. Now he’s recommending it for a whole range of conditions.
Jennifer Hamady: The World-Class Vocalist, Teacher, Coach, Counselor, Psychologist, and Author
Podcast: Anthony Plog on Music
As an author, she has penned three insightful books: The Art of Singing: Discovering and Developing Your True Voice, The Art of Singing Onstage and in the Studio, and Learning to Sing. She is also a regular contributor to Psychology Today, where she shares her expertise on the psychological and emotional aspects of singing.
NATIONAL
Over 100,000 Arnold Schoenberg scores destroyed by LA fires in ‘profound cultural blow’
ClassicFM: Siena Linton
Larry Schoenberg ran Belmont Music Publishers and kept an archive of his father’s music and memorabilia in an outbuilding behind his Pacific Palisades home. Both buildings have fallen victim to the largest of several wildfires that have wreaked devastating destruction to the Los Angeles area in recent weeks.
President Trump’s Inauguration to Include Gavin DeGraw and More, Drawing Fan Backlash
MSN: Chris Gardner
Carrie Underwood, confirmed earlier this week to sing “America the Beautiful” in a move that surprised some fans, will have plenty of company from the country music world when she arrives in Washington D.C. Billy Ray Cyrus, Jason Aldean, Lee Greenwood, Parker McCollum and Rascal Flatts are booked to hit the stage, either at one of three official inaugural balls or the Make America Great Again Victory Rally.
Imagining the ‘next big thing’ in arts and culture in downtown Chicago
Chicago Sun Times: Stefano Esposito
A group of civic, business and community leaders — Team Culture — say they want to bring the arts to the city in new and unexpected ways.
Two new operas focus on the Black female experience
NPR: Olivia Hampton
Two short operas that got their premieres at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. feature Black female protagonists.
In San Antonio, an Orchestra Was Reborn. Can It Endure?
New York Times: Javier C. Hernandez and Miranda Rodriguez
The San Antonio Philharmonic was formed after the demise of the city’s 83-year-old orchestra in 2022. But rebuilding has not been easy.
John Adams and Vikingur Olafsson Join Forces for ”After the Fall’
New York Times: Joshua Barone
After the pianist, Vikingur Olafsson, asked for a concerto over beers, the composer, John Adams, wrote “After the Fall,” which will now travel the world.
NY’s BargeMusic Loses Its Barge
Night After Night: Steve Smith
Bargemusic, one of New York City’s most beloved musical venues, sails into the sunset—plus recommended live new-music events Jan. 14–21.
INTERNATIONAL
Tunisian Street Dancers Vie For Paris Spotlight
Barron’s: AFP
This year’s Juste Debout is hosted in eight cities including London, New York, Beijing and Tokyo, as well as the Tunisian capital.
Handwritten manuscript of a Beethoven string quartet movement returns to Bonn, 200 years after composition
The Strad
Beethoven-Haus Bonn has acquired the autograph manuscript of the fourth movement from Beethoven’s String Quartet op.130 ’Alla Danza tedesca’, which was confiscated by Nazis from the Petschek family during the Second World War
Finnish conductor Hannu Lintu appointed Singapore Symphony Orchestra music director from 2026
The Straits Times: Shawn Foo
Finnish conductor Hannu Lintu will take over from Austrian conductor Hans Graf as the Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s (SSO) music director from July 2026, the orchestra announced on Jan 15
ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND MUSIC BUSINESS
Music streams hit nearly 5 trillion in 2024. Women pop performers lead the charge in the US
AP: Maria Sherman
Contemporary music is fueling the growth. The overwhelming majority of U.S. plays – 79.5% — were from songs released in 2010 or later. Songs released between 2020 and 2024 accounted for nearly half of all streams.
Drake Sues His Label, Calling Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ Defamatory
New York Times: Joe Coscarelli
In a federal lawsuit on Wednesday, Drake accused Universal Music Group of putting his life and reputation at risk by releasing and promoting the popular diss track.
The TikTok Ban — End Of An Internet Era
The Atlantic: Kaitlyn TIffany
Following the Supreme Court’s ruling to uphold the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act—the law that requires the app to be divested from its Chinese owner or banned from the United States—TikTok went dark on Sunday.
Here’s the list of music piracy sites being watched by the US government, and what they do
Music Business Worldwide
Since 2011, the Office of the US Trade Representative has been issuing an annual “Review of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy,” also known as the Notorious Markets List.
OFF THE BEATEN PATH
At This Ballet Company, the Priority Is Dancers’ Mental Health
New York Times: Sophie Bress
Azara Ballet in Florida is a place where performers can just be themselves.
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