FEATURE Detroit Opera Steps Into Trump’s Cross Hairs With ‘Central Park Five’ The New York Times: Robin Pogrebin The Pulitzer Prize-winning opera features Donald J. Trump, whose 1989 full-page newspaper ad sought to demonize the young men wrongly accused of rape. RESEARCH AND OPINION A Pianist and a Law Professor Meet at the Bar …… Read more »
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SOUNDTRACK OF THE WEEK #22 – Kirby’s Dream Land (Music by Jun Ishikawa)
One of the more classic games to be featured on SOTW, Kirby’s Dream Land needs little introduction, and was released today 33 years ago! The music is bubbly, fun, and often light-hearted to accompany Kirby’s journey through Dream Land. Since games from this time were not cataloged on the internet liked games are today, there… Read more »
Weekly Digest: Orchestra equality has stalled, Kennedy Center will shape American arts, Philadelphia Orch’s new leader, Pope Francis’ playlist, and more
FEATURE Marin Alsop says fight for orchestra equality has stalled The Times: David Sanderson The world’s leading female conductor has said that there is a plateauing in the fight for equality in the orchestral pit as she prepares to bring an opera based on Billie Jean King’s epic Battle of the Sexes to Britain. RESEARCH… Read more »
Weekly Digest: Will AI be as Smart as Artists?, Trump’s American History Revolution, Augustin Hadelich is Boston Symphony’s Artist in Residence, and more
FEATURE Ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt: AI that is ‘as smart as the smartest artist’ will be here in 3 to 5 years Music Business Worldwide: Daniel Tencer It’s a prediction that, if true, could have tremendous consequences for music and other creative industries. RESEARCH AND OPINION Young classical musicians are disrupting the industry – by… Read more »
SOUNDTRACK OF THE WEEK #21 – Stonefly (Music by Natureboy Flako)
SOUNDTRACK OF THE WEEK #21 – Stonefly (Music by Natureboy Flako) The original soundtrack for Stonefly is a hidden gem that became a personal favorite of mine instantly. It’s one of those soundtracks that I discovered before ever hearing about the game beforehand, but the music made it impossible to not become interested. The amount… Read more »
Weekly Digest: The Arts contribute to a vibrant society (a study), an opinion on the Met’s programming, Dudamel and LA Phil at Coachella, the saving of Atlantic Records, and more.
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… Read more »
Weekly Digest: US Arts & Culture is 4.2% of GDP, the dance world responds to anti-DEI pressure, NEH grants evaporate, Ralph Fiennes will make his opera debut, and more.
FEATURE Arts and culture contributed a record $1.2 trillion to United States GDP in 2023 Broadway News: Michael Abourizk The annual economic analysis from the NEA’s Arts and Cultural Production Satellite Account is now available. The $1.2 trillion total accounted for 4.2% of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023. This is more than… Read more »
Weekly Digest: Opera and Sustainability, AI set to revolutionize human knowledge, Smithsonian and Kennedy Center updates, and more
FEATURE Opera Has a Sustainability Problem. One Company Wants to Fix It. NY Times: Joshua Barone The Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam has made dramatic moves to go green, from the materials it uses in productions to the food it serves. RESEARCH AND OPINION Technology has shaped human knowledge for centuries. Generative AI is set… Read more »
SOUNDTRACK OF THE WEEK #20 – Chrono Trigger (Music by Yasunori Mitsuda & Nobuo Uematsu)
Just a couple of weeks ago, March 11th marked the 30th anniversary of Chrono Trigger’s original release in 1995; those who grew up with an SNES or know lots of video game music already know that this soundtrack (and game!) is a beautiful classic. Featuring all of the nostalgic goodness of now-primitive hardware, the music… Read more »
Weekly Digest: Innovative Companies Changing the Music Industry, Madama Butterfly goes VR, the Kennedy Center Artists who Didn’t Cancel, Orchestra Updates, and more.
FEATURE How these 10 most Innovative Companies are Changing the Music Industry Fast Company: Julia Selinger As music and tech become more and more intrinsically linked, a crop of companies are focused on the role of AI in the industry. For SoundCloud, that meant using an AI-powered recommendation algorithm to boost under-the-radar artists. Music AI… Read more »