“If technology moves along a linear axis, it is complemented by a cyclical resurgence of human forgetting, folly and failure. We might not be in danger of lapsing into the Dark Ages, but we do find ourselves relearning the same life-or-death lessons each generation.”
Tag: 01.23.15
Why Did Popular Music Break Up With Jazz?
“Soldiers who had come back from World War II didn’t seem to be as interested in the more complex, challenging kind of popular song, the more jazz-based song. Sentimental ballads and, yes, novelty numbers, suddenly was much more appealing.”
The Ulster Orchestra Wins A Temporary Reprieve – But Can It Be Saved?
“The current situation, of a fragile status quo, and an orchestra having to run ever harder and harder to stand still, is too precarious to sustain in the medium and longer term.”
The Vocal (Cord) Life Coach Behind Some Of The Biggest Belters
“Vetro has lived through the rise of Auto-Tune, and he says it’s never had an impact on his business. He asserts that proper technique and vocal maintenance are still crucial for working artists, and that many singers and producers who record in fancy studios still push to get the most genuine vocal performances possible.”
Our Hidden Museum Masterpieces (And Why You Can’t See Them)
“Having 5% of your national collection on show is something people find difficult to understand,” says British curator Jasper Sharp, who was the commissioner of the Austrian pavilion at the 2013 Venice Bienniale. Many art institutions are thus coming up with ways to show their stuff, so to speak.
50 Years Ago: Did This Sci Fi Writer Predict Today’s Approach To Studying Humanities?
“The general trend to introduce mathematical thinking into various sciences (including disciplines that did not previously use any math tools, such as biology, psychology, and medicine), is slowly extending to the humanities. For now, we have had some rare efforts in language studies (theoretical linguistics) and literary theory (the application of information theory to the study of literary texts, especially poetry).”
Dreamworks Animation Studio Has Fallen On Hard Times. Can It Be Saved?
“The underperformance of films like Turbo, Mr Peabody & Sherman, Penguins of Madagascar and Rise of the Guardians has wiped almost 40% from the studio’s share value, leading to 500 layoffs, a change of management and a heavily reduced release slate.”
Facebook’s Battle Against Nudity In Art
“Social media giant Facebook has been taken to court by a French user whose account was closed down after he posted an image of Courbet’s racy painting L’Origine du Monde (1866). According to Le Figaro, the world-famous oil-on-canvas was part of a promo for an art history video about the artwork, broadcasted by the highbrow TV channel Arte.”
Let’s Understand Why People Engage (Or Don’t) With The Arts
Those who self-identify as lower or working class are more likely to attend events in order to “support the community” or “explore their cultural heritage;” upper classes often attend the arts “as a marker of their good taste, cultural capital and social identity.”