Last week, Mark Shenton wrote in passing “There are plenty of budding actors, writers, directors and even critics (though no jobs for the latter), …” To which journalist Matt Trueman responded, “Mark, saying no jobs for young critics does a disservice to young critics making a living from their writing.” Well, disservice or no, here’s Shenton’s response.
Tag: 09.11.14
Would Scottish Independence Mean The Death Of The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra? (These Musicians Fear As Much)
“In a letter published today, composers, conductors and a former director of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra express their ‘grave concerns’ over the future of the orchestra in the event of a Yes vote and the establishment of a Scottish Broadcasting Service (SBS).”
‘Longmire’ Canceled Because Its Big Audience Was Just Too Old
“A&E said it pulled the plug on ‘Longmire’ because it appeals primarily to older viewers—the median age of the show’s viewers is 60 versus 48 for the network as a whole.”
New Playwrights Will Never Defeat Romeo & Juliet – But Can They At Least Get A Hearing?
“I get it. Dead people work for cheaper than those of us who breathe air. And they’ve got more name recognition and audience draw. Plus, they won’t show up to rehearsal with script changes or input. There’s no need to spend money ‘developing’ their plays. Their work is finite. Frozen forever in perfection.”
Duke Ellington’s Grandson Sues Over Recording Company Royalties
“In the lawsuit, Paul Ellington says EMI should stop deducting 50 percent commissions to foreign subpublishers that its parent company now owns before splitting the rest with Ellington’s heirs.”
Why Do Jazz Fans Have No Sense Of Humor?
“Jazz already has an unfair reputation for being unapproachable, difficult, and humorless: See Keith Jarrett cursing out festival attendees for snapping photos, or Gary Peacock shooing Elvis Costello offstage in disgust. But if jazz has a humor problem, it’s mostly afflicting fans and critics, not practitioners.”
Judge Declines To Award Indigenous Art Prize Because “Work Wasn’t Good Enough”
“It’s so insulting to the artists there, where you’ve got an old non-Indigenous lady saying these Indigenous art works are not worthy of being awarded any prize.”
Stonehenge – There’s Lots More Of It Underground, Say Scientists
“An astonishing complex of ancient monuments, buildings, and barrows has lain hidden and unsuspected beneath the Stonehenge area for thousands of years. Scientists discovered the site using sophisticated techniques to see underground.”
Bucket Lists: “The YOLO-ization Of Cultural Experience”
Rebecca Mead: “As popularly conceived, however, the bucket list … partakes of a commodification of cultural experience, in which every expedition made, and every artwork encountered, is reduced to an item on a checklist to be got through, rather than being worthy of repeated or extended engagement.”
San Francisco Opera Signs Contract With Orchestra – And No Acrimony!
“With a minimum of strife or public posturing, members of the San Francisco Opera Orchestra have ratified a new contract with the company that provides the musicians with annual raises of 3 percent a year for the next four years … [and] changes to the musicians’ health coverage that are expected to save the company $300,000 to $400,000 annually.”