One of the main issues for performers is that they can’t escape the recordings – both audio and video – of the original performers. “The most satisfying thing is when you finally get it, and you can do it, it feels wonderful.” – The New York Times
Tag: 02.01.19
Hollywood Goes Full Out On Pop Star Glamor
Well, as long as moviemakers can secure the rights to music, of course. And usually they can: “Artists have realised that backing biopics and celebratory movies is a way of reaffirming their cultural relevance and opening new revenue streams as traditional incomes from record sales are on the wane.” – The Guardian (UK)
A Choreographer Pushing Community Against A World That ‘Is So Screwed Up’
Vicky Shick creates and edits at the same time, her dancers say, so they have to pay careful attention during rehearsals. “Shick’s works have become more exacting as they reveal the complexity of who she is: a 67-year-old choreographer who was born in Hungary and had dreams of becoming a ballerina, but instead carved out a career in postmodern dance. … With precision and strangeness, her dances celebrate the very thing she finds herself racked with: vulnerability.” – The New York Times
It’s A Little Late, But The Recording Industry Finally Steps Up
Last year’s awful pullquote about women in the recording industry needing to “step up” has turned into this year’s inclusion initiative. But it took a while, and the music industry is far, very far, from gender equity. – Los Angeles Times
Will Spotify Become A One-Stop Music And Podcast Service?
The music streaming giant wants to change its image and expand into other markets – including the (currently) hot podcast market. “Spotify’s 200 million users are already used to consuming audio from the service — and, crucially, while the music business is controlled by three big companies who have real leverage when it comes to licensing their stuff, podcasting is in its early days, and no one has a chokehold on podcast content.” – Recode
Will Instagram Kill A Musician’s Famous Mystery?
Maybe the pressure of being mysterious was getting to superstar Frank Ocean, or maybe … well, who knows, with Ocean? But “with Ocean’s mask slipping, it is worth wondering how audience perceptions towards him might shift. From the off, Ocean felt like a pre-social-media artist, with a privacy that forced listeners to focus on the intricacies of his music rather than the life of the man behind it, adding to his enigma and giving rise to one of music’s most dedicated fanbases.” – The Guardian (UK)
A Trailblazing Director Continues Her Quest To Lead (And Pull Others Up With Her)
Leigh Silverman, one of few women (still!) directing on Broadway, assembled an all-woman creative team this year. At a panel, this happened: “Making history ‘was an accident,’ the moderator ventured. Said Silverman, with a hint of incredulity in her voice, ‘It wasn’t an accident, because I meant to do it. The accident is the patriarchy, not the design team.'” – American Theatre
Susan Hiller, Artist Of Neglected Memories, Has Died At 78
The British artist’s “video, audio and photographic installations ingeniously explored extinct languages, alien abductions, girls with psychic powers and the Holocaust.” – The New York Times
If You’ve Got Writers’ Block, Try Designing Your Characters’ Living Spaces
One novelist, who calls herself a Planner (as opposed to a Pantser), says, “What characters do when I let them loose on the page is often unexpected, but I never regret having nailed down what they see out their window as they lie down to sleep.” – LitHub
The Academy Decides To Include All Five Nominated Songs In The Oscars After All
Yeah, that backlash was pretty fierce. – Los Angeles Times