This is in France, where a little town overlooking Lake Geneva installed a statue of the Blessed Virgin in a public park in 2011, and a court has now ordered the figure’s removal. (Maybe this is a job for the Satanic Temple?)
Tag: 12.04.16
How Do You Make A Movie Musical Like ‘La-La Land’?
The director says you have to ease people into it. “I thought of it like the frog boiling slowly in water. Maybe people wouldn’t realize they’ve been suckered into a musical until it was too late.”
How ‘Crash’ Got Made Against The Odds And Won The Best Picture Oscar Against Even Bigger Odds: An Oral History
These folks don’t think they beat Brokeback Mountain because of Academy voters’ homophobia (or at least skittishness). But they made the movie, so they would say that, wouldn’t they? Even so, they have quite a story to tell.
Ralph Ellison’s ‘Invisible Man’ Is About More Than We Thought, As A High School Teacher Learns
Clint Smith: “My classroom was filled with almost exclusively black and brown students, many of them undocumented immigrants. While Ellison wrote of invisibility as a black man caught in the discord of early-twentieth-century racism, this particular group of students read the idea of invisibility not as a metaphor but as a necessity, a way of insuring one’s protection.”
How Do Musicians’ Brains Process Music? Some Insights…
“When musicians play instruments, their brains are processing a huge amount and variety of information in parallel. Musical styles and strengths vary dramatically: Some musicians are better at sight reading music, while others are better at playing by ear. Does this mean that their brains are processing information differently?”
Another Big City Newspaper Arts Critic Takes A Buyout
It’s Mark Stryker, longtime arts writer for the Detroit Free Press. “Some of you will be surprised – maybe shocked – to learn that after 21 years as an arts reporter and critic at the Detroit Free Press, I am leaving the paper. Frankly, I’m kind of shocked to have just typed those words myself. I’m taking advantage of the voluntarily severance package that was offered to all newsroom employees. My last day is (gulp) Dec. 16.”
The Dominican Priest Who Busted Thieves Holding A Caravaggio For Ransom
“After weeks went by and no money changed hands, [Father] Zerafa got a parcel in the post containing a slice of the Caravaggio canvas. They intended to slice off strips until they were paid or the painting was destroyed.”
My Very First Classical Concert Was In My Own Living Room (And It Was Amazing)
Tamara Best: “I barely listen to classical music, so how did a live string quartet end up in my apartment on a Saturday night?” (The answer: Groupmuse.)
There’s A Settlement In The Fort Worth Symphony Strike
The musicians’ three-month work stoppage will be over if they ratify the proposed new contract on Wednesday. So what’s in the new deal? Well …
Detroit Symphony Debuts Its Adult Community Orchestra
“Student training ensembles are de rigueur among American orchestras, but the Detroit Community Orchestra extends the idea to adults. Several other major orchestras have started musical training programs for avocational musicians, but the DSO model of an ongoing chamber orchestra appears unique. The musicians rehearse weekly at the Max, conducted by two former high school music directors who work in the DSO’s community and learning department. DSO musicians also work on occasion with the new ensemble as coaches.”