As a rule, television is not known for its role in nurturing healthy, active children. So when a long-running PBS children’s show announced that it intended to do just that, a bit of skepticism was understandable. “Though TV has long been the whipping boy for society’s ills, skyrocketing childhood obesity rates have spurred many children’s shows to include – with varying degrees of success – healthy-living messages in their programs.”
Tag: 09.23.06
The Conductor As All-Purpose Ambassador
For most orchestras, finding staff conductors who can both conduct at a high level and successfully engage a wide range of audiences, from children to the elderly, is a nearly impossible task. But the San Antonio Symphony thinks it has found one. “[David] Cho has made fans for his engaging, often boyish, interplay with audiences. He donned a red clown nose for a show last year, and often jokes with the crowd about his work and the music. It’s like VH1’s ‘Pop-Up Video’ for classical music. And Cho’s work with community and children’s groups has brought in new audiences.”
Is Syracuse Headed For A Strike?
Sunday night, the musicians of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra will vote on a contract offer mere hours before their first scheduled rehearsal of the season, and no one seems to know what the outcome will be. “The current negotiations echo a last-minute crisis in 1998. That year, the musicians began a strike on the first day of rehearsal – four days before the first scheduled concert.”
Interpersonal Skills Are Overrated, Anyway
There are plenty of superstar conductors in the classical music world, but you won’t see orchestra musicians bowing at the altar of too many of them. That makes the success of Valery Gergiev all the more remarkable. “Many say he is a tough, even merciless, taskmaster.” But somehow, at the end of the day, the musicians Gergiev leads look past his terse style and praise his artistry.
How To Work The Downloading System
Out of the mess that is the music industry’s battle against online piracy have emerged two basic legitimate business models for downloading music: the per-song or per-album charge, and the rent-a-music-library-by-the-month system. So which is better, and how do you get the best value for your music dollar? The answer may be surprising. “With a few well-placed strategies, you can leverage the subscription model to make your days and nights more musical — at home, at the office, or on the road.”