He wrote on Facebook that when his shows across Europe were cancelled on 7 May, it was in the belief that fans would receive a refund. While this was the case in the other countries the singer had been scheduled to visit, a decree passed by the Italian government offered only vouchers for scrapped music events. – The Guardian
Tag: 06.09.20
Vienna Philharmonic Back In Concert Hall For First Time Since Pandemic
“[The orchestra’s] 2,854-seat Musikverein, considered by many the world’s most beautiful concert hall, was filled with only 100 people Friday for the first of three days of programs with Daniel Barenboim.” The AP’s Ronald Blum reports on the safety measures the Philharmoniker are taking and how they expect performances and audience sizes to ramp up over the next few months. – Yahoo! (AP)
Are Young Dancers Specializing Too Soon?
In sports medicine, a growing body of research suggests that specializing in one form of training increases the risk of injury and burnout in young athletes. Not all sports medicine research is analogous to dance, but some dance-medicine practitioners, and dancers, say it might be best for students to mix it up. – Dance Magazine
2021: A Traffic Jam Of Postponed Biennales
Following a wave of postponements due to the public-heath situation, it seems that 2021 may give 2017 a run for its money. There are at least 20 major biennials—more biennials than months—so far scheduled for next year, many of which were originally due to take place in 2020. – Artnet
Why We Push Harder When The Finish Line Is Close
Whatever it is you’re striving to achieve, science shows you’re likely to push harder the closer you feel to the finish line. When researchers first speculated about this tendency, they called it the goal gradient hypothesis. And it turns out to have interesting implications not only for predicting when we’ll push ourselves the hardest, but also for marketers hoping to convince us to buy our next cup of coffee or take our next airline flight (at least, once we start flying again). – Scientific American
Study: 90 Percent Of America’s Music Venues Could Be Gone Permanently
According to a new survey, 90 percent of independent venue owners, promoters and bookers say that they will have to close permanently within the next few months, if they can’t get an infusion of targeted government funding. – NPR
Jazz Saxophonist Don Weller Dead At 79
“A world-class saxophonist with a big sound, a big presence and a capricious improviser’s imagination, [he] sometimes seemed more at home playing pub gigs in his Croydon birthplace than chasing the high-profile career implied by his collaborations with a raft of stars. … Despite a late start, a self-effacing nature, few recordings, and a guileless indifference to just about any form of PR, he left an indelible impression.” – The Guardian
How Indie Movie Theatres Are Innovating
“We will always have storytellers that want to tell stories and cinema has become an essential part of the way modern society does that,” said Tori Baker, the president and CEO of the nonprofit Salt Lake Film Society, which operates two art house theaters in Salt Lake City. “Sustainability — such as how many people at once, concession costs, what those concessions are — might shift. But what art houses have that the big chains don’t is the ability to innovate that experience.” – Huffington Post
Dancing In The Streets For George Floyd And Racial Justice
The Electric Slide in Harlem and the Cupid Shuffle in Newark; the bomba in Puerto Rico and voguing in Chicago; Ojibwe and Nuhua dances in Minneapolis and haka in New Zealand — those are just a few examples of dancing at recent protests that have been making the rounds on social media. “Some came to the streets with the purpose of dancing. Others were moved to dance more spontaneously, and surprised to find themselves seen by millions online.” Reporter Siobhan Burke talked to several participants “about what it has meant to them to dance in protest.” – The New York Times
Poets Threaten Boycott Of Poetry Foundation Over Response To Antiracism Protests
“More than 1,800 people have signed on to an open letter criticizing the Poetry Foundation’s response to the protests sweeping the United States, pledging not to work with the organization until it meets demands that range from replacing its president and board chairman to redirecting funds to antiracism efforts. The Chicago-based foundation is one of the nation’s wealthiest literary organizations, with an endowment that exceeds $250 million.” – The New York Times