FEATURE
How do the arts contribute to vibrant, healthy communities? A Data-Driven Study
SMU DataArts
ArtsFund’s latest Livability Impact Study of the Arts explores the significant role that arts and culture play in fostering civic engagement, economic opportunity, and social cohesion across Washington State. The research, conducted in partnership with SMU DataArts, reveals that communities with robust cultural resources—such as nonprofit arts organizations and state arts funding—experience measurable benefits in livability and well-being.
RESEARCH AND OPINION
Put Your Phone Down and Dance!
NY Times: Margaret Fuhrer
Social platforms — many of which had grown into huge, powerful corporations — no longer feel like creative playgrounds to some. As a result, Wonderbound, a contemporary ballet company in Denver, recently made a choice to quit social media.
‘You know it when you feel it’: A new documentary explores the roots of funk
NPR: Eric Deggans
What exactly is the funk? We Want the Funk! is a loving and detailed new documentary from PBS’ Independent Lens series, now available on PBS’ app and YouTube.
The Met’s “Big Bet” on Contemporary Opera Looks Like a Loser
City Journal: Paul du Quenoy
Just how well has this programming done? Sales for the recently completed 2023–2024 season are up slightly: 72 percent capacity versus 66 percent for 2022–2023. However, adjusted for steeply discounted tickets—as little as $25, including taxes and fees—the 2023–2024 season’s box office revenues reach only about 64 percent of their full-price potential. It’s hard to say that the “big bet” is paying off.
Hania Rani’s Music Is Tranquil. Please Don’t Call It ‘Soothing.’
NY Times: Thomas Rogers
Hania Rani, 34, has become a shooting star in a genre of pop-inflected minimalist music often referred to as neoclassical, or alt-classical… “It’s not being composed to help people relax,” she said in a recent interview. “The music might be slow — not so loud, not upbeat — but it’s actually intense.”
Catching Up With Robert Garland on Directing Dance Theatre of Harlem
Pointe: Nadine Matthews
Dance Theatre of Harlem is intimately intertwined with Robert Garland’s career. He joined the company in 1985 after graduating from Juilliard, eventually becoming a principal dancer in 1991. Later, he directed the Dance Theatre of Harlem School and became the company’s first resident choreographer. In 2022, he was appointed DTH’s artistic director, succeeding ballet pioneer Virginia Johnson in July 2023.
Pierre Boulez Was a Titan of 20th-Century Music. What About Now?
New York Times: Joshua Barone
The legacy of this composer and conductor may not be in his rarely performed works, but in how we think about music itself.
NATIONAL
Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Phil tune up for their ‘dream’ gig at Coachella
L.A. Times: August Brown
For Dudamel, 44, who arrived in L.A. 17 years ago to lead the Phil, playing Coachella was “a dream, ever since I started here” he said in an interview backstage at the Bowl.
National Recording Registry adds Tracy Chapman, Hamilton and the Minecraft game soundtrack
NPR: Neda Ulaby
Created in 2000 by the Library of Congress to help bring attention to its preservation efforts, the registry now contains 675 titles. Other additions this year include albums by popular artists such as Elton John, Tracy Chapman, Mary J. Blige and Amy Winehouse, as well as a historic 1960 World Series broadcast.
S.F. crypto mogul saves Fillmore Jazz Festival 2025
San Francisco Chronicle: Zara Irshad
Avenue Greenlight, which has funded more than 300 free community events in the city over the past few years, is giving the Fillmore Merchants Association a grant for an undisclosed amount of money to preserve the tradition. The program was launched by Chris Larsen, co-founder of crypto company Ripple, in 2021 to aid San Francisco’s merchants associations following the COVID-19 pandemic.
A Local Musician Says Ric Grenell Sent Her a Series of “Absolutely Insane” Emails
Washingtonian: Lydia Wei
On Wednesday, Virginia musician Yasmin Williams shared a series of emails she received from Richard Grenell, the Kennedy Center’s interim president, on Instagram. According to her post, Williams had initially emailed Grenell in hopes of finding out whether it made a difference to President Trump that some artists had canceled shows at the arts center, and whether any changes were coming to its hiring practices, bookings, or staffing.
Dismissed Players Take Aim at New York Philharmonic Misconduct Inquiry
New York Times: Javier C. Hernández
Matthew Muckey and Liang Wang, who were fired by the orchestra last fall, filed amended complaints saying an investigation by the Philharmonic was biased against them.
Tony Winner William Finn Has Died at 73
Playbill: Margaret Hall
The composer/lyricist was responsible for some of the most popular cult musicals of all time, including Falsettos, A New Brain, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
INTERNATIONAL
The Bright Side: Ballet company preserves traditional dance forms in Central African Republic
France 24
They aim to preserve the heritage of the CAR, a mosaic of ethnic groups that is scarred by decades of conflict and instability and is among the world’s poorest countries.
Russians Circumvent Sanctions With Fake Ukrainian Ballet Tours
Broadway World: Joshua Wright
A ballet company falsely promoting itself as Ukrainian performed in multiple Swedish cities while channeling proceeds to Russian-linked entities.
John Nelson, Conductor Who Got France to Cherish Berlioz, Dies at 83
NY Times: Adam Nossiter
He revived interest in a “problem child” in the pantheon of high romantic composers, bringing Berlioz overdue recognition as one of France’s greatest composers.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND MUSIC BUSINESS
He Comes From Music Royalty. Can He Save Atlantic Records?
Wall Street Journal: Anne Steele
The 31-year-old music scion Elliot Grainge has been tasked with shepherding a 77-year-old music label into the modern era.
TikTok and the Retreat from Technological Globalization
New York Times: Kyle Chayka
Global technology companies are becoming table stakes in the struggle to establish whatever new world order is emerging.
Did the TikTok Deal Just Go Down in Flames? — Trump’s Tariffs Are to Blame, But President Says Deal is ‘Still on the Table’
Digital Music News: Ashley King
President Trump still says a potential deal to spin off TikTok’s US assets is “still on the table,” just days after it was put on hold and the deadline extended yet again. But China’s displeasure with the recently imposed trade tariffs may have killed any chance for a deal. Trump remains undeterred on the subject.
‘We must make life fair for creators, or we will lose the next Paul McCartney.’
Music Business Worldwide:
Every day composers, painters, scriptwriters, directors, photographers and songwriters see their talent wasted because their work is not properly valued, because of negligible royalties, buyouts imposed on them by platforms, or because of poor data systems.
Spotify Raises Prices in Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands — While Axing the ‘Mini’ Plan Worldwide
Digital Music News: Dylan Smith
Is Spotify kicking off another major pricing recalibration? Possibly, as the service has nixed its “Mini” plan and rolled out across-the-board Benelux price increases.
OFF THE BEATEN PATH
The composer still making music four years after his death – thanks to an artificial brain
The Guardian: Rosamund Brennan
In Australia, a team of artists and scientists have resurrected the US composer Alvin Lucier. It raises a storm of questions about AI and authorship – and it’s also incredibly beautiful.
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