“We concluded that by utilizing technology wisely we could catapult access to the scores of our composers to a whole new realm. What resulted is SchirmerOnDemand, and I believe that as it evolves, the breath of fresh air through those open doors will stimulate music publishing and, most importantly, the world of recent and new music.”
Tag: 04.01.09
Will Books Go The Way Of Newspapers?
“If books become a digitized commodity, the money won’t be there to produce high-quality ones (and authors all become de facto volunteers). So then we’ll have pseudo-books instead–a cordoned-off collection of curated blog posts masquerading as timely books, distributed online to hand-held reading devices along the lines of Kindle or a netbook.”
American Dance Festival Offers Reduced 2009 Season
“Rumor confirmed: the 2009 season will be one week shorter than usual, covering five and a half weeks from June 18-July 25. The festival has also cut the number of marquee main-stage presentations this year from 13 to 10, a reduction of almost 25 percent.”
Cleveland’s Beck Center Launches Emergency Fund Drive
“Lakewood’s Beck Center for the Arts declared a financial emergency Tuesday, saying it might go out of business if it can’t raise $150,000 by the end of this month.” The Beck houses a theater company, the gallery of the Cleveland Artists Foundation, and a busy, highly-regarded arts school; the center’s annual budget is $2.3 million.
Mr. Handel’s Infirmities Explain’d?
George Frideric Handel was well-known among his circle in London for suffering bouts of palsy, severe melancholy, gout, “Paraletick Disorder,” impaired vision and/or extreme ill temper. (Not to mention his notorious girth.) Was he simply a stressed-out, overfed, high-strung genius? One historian is suggesting another factor: lead poisoning.
UBS Bows Out Of ‘Art Banking’
“UBS AG, the Swiss bank hit hard by the financial crisis, said Wednesday it has closed its ‘art banking’ department, which helps rich clients buy and build collections. The department was created in 1998 and provided customers with research on prices and artists, and consulted them on estimates, transport, storage, restoration and inheritance of art works.”
British Museum To Make Major Expansion
“The Museum is heaving most days with visitors from all over the world and there is scarcely an Etruscan corner left where quiet contemplation can be guaranteed. The building is two-thirds of the way towards funding its £135 million cost.”
Ronstadt: El Sistema, Dudamel Are Models For Music Ed.
“In a remarkable testimony by Linda Ronstadt to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment & Related Agencies Tuesday, the pop singer made an impassioned plea for government support of the arts. And Gustavo Dudamel, the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s soon-to-be music director, was her poster boy.”
Disney Notices It’s Expensive To Take Kids To The Theatre
“Disney Theatrical Productions announced a new ticket-discounting strategy on Wednesday to boost sales for its three Broadway shows, offering a $15 companion ticket to any theatergoer who buys a regularly priced ticket this spring. The promotion will apply to ‘The Little Mermaid,’ which has lost considerable ground compared with a year ago, as well as ‘Mary Poppins’ and ‘The Lion King.'”
Miami’s Arsht Center Asks County For ‘Maintenance Funds’
The requested $543,000 is meant “to repair wear and tear on the facility, replace technologically outdated equipment such as lighting boards, and bring the buildings up to standards for fire safety and accessibility. Miami-Dade [County] already subsidizes the center with about $7.5 million each year to pay for utilities, insurance, security and other occupancy costs.”