Rupal Patel and Tim Bunnell have been “developing algorithms that build voices for those unable to speak – without computer assistance. The voices aren’t just natural-sounding; they’re also unique. … [The premise is] that technology now allows us to think about the voice ‘just like we think about fonts for written text’.”
Tag: 03.25.14
Meet Saudi Arabia’s King of YouTube
“Alaa Wardi’s wiggling eyebrows and bushy hair are as recognizable as the madcap backdrops to his YouTube videos” – which have gathered more than 36 million views. He does a cappella covers of popular songs; the most recent is “a silly version of Pharrell Williams’s ‘Happy’ embellished with puppets, body percussion, and running commentary in the style of the minions from Despicable Me – only in Arabic.” (includes videos)
Hurricane Sandy Visits Yet Another Indignity on Tenants of Manhattan Artists’ Complex
Up to 13 feet of water inundated the basements and ground floor of Westbeth, destroying both the art created and stored by many of the residents and the large studios where they created it. Now the (non-profit) landlord, to cover huge repair expenses, wants to rent those spaces to a commercial tenant.
Misty Copeland on Skin Color and Changing Body Types in Ballet
“We’re characters on a stage and portraying a role, so I don’t feel like there is any ideal image that you should have to have, as with actors and actresses. … In terms of body types in ballet, I think the field is becoming more open than it used to be because of the types of movement and choreography we’re doing that are calling us to be more athletic. We have to have muscles in order to support that, so I think that dancers are healthier looking now.”
Top Posts From AJBlogs 03.25.14
Bringing People Together to Improve the Place They Love
AJBlog: Field Notes | Published 2014-03-26
What does it mean to be a ‘strategic’ arts manager?
AJBlog: For What it’s Worth | Published 2014-03-26
The Many Faces of Spring
AJBlog: Dancebeat | Published 2014-03-25
Dubai Ruler Orders Four New Museums
AJBlog: Real Clear Arts | Published 2014-03-25
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San Diego Opera Chief Gives Reasons For Abrupt Shutdown
General director Ian Campbell: “We are not bankrupt, owe no money, and have no creditors we believe we cannot pay if people honor pledges they made … It is not an expense issue. It is a problem on the revenue side. Drops in both sales and contributions over several years now mean that we doubt we will be able to complete the next season.”
‘Noah’ Movie Banned in Indonesia
“Indonesia has banned the release of the Hollywood blockbuster Noah, saying the biblical epic contradicts the teachings of the Koran and may mislead people. ‘We don’t want a film that could provoke reactions and controversies,’ said [a member of the] Film Censorship Board.”
Atlanta Proposes Requiring Licensing For “Public” Art On Private Property
The legislation put forth by 12 councilmembers aims to put in place “a permitting process providing for clear guidelines in distinguishing commercial speech from public art, describing required public input, and reviewing the effect on traffic safety,” because displays of public art “can become excessive.”
Your Subconscious Is Better At Detecting Lies Than You Are
“These results provide strong evidence for the idea that although humans cannot consciously discriminate liars from truth-tellers, they do have a sense, on some less-conscious level, of when someone is lying.”
On The Process Of Choreography: “Sometimes It’s Just An Accident”
“The greatest things that happen in choreography are by accident. Sometimes it’s a dancer’s physical reaction to the last step that informs my brain and leads to the next one. Or how a group of dancers happens to stand together, or if they fall out of a lift, or accidentally try a different grip that creates a window of opportunity and gives direction to what should happen next.