“The researchers speculate that musicians learn to think in terms of spatial relationships “because notes are coded in terms of their spatial positions.” This makes intuitive sense. A musician, like an athlete, instinctively learns to navigate through space: one reads notes on a staff, while another masters the parameters of a tennis court or football field.”
Tag: 12.05.11
UK Parliament Launches ‘Arts Index’ To Measure Sector’s Health
“A new Arts Index has been launched at the House of Commons, a kind of annual health check for the state of the sector and there are lots of interesting facts and statistics to ponder.”
New York City Opera Seeks Mediator For Union Negotiations
“New York City Opera announced on Monday that it was seeking the help of a federal mediator in a deadlock with the unions representing its chorus and orchestra.”
Unknown Portrait Of Jane Austen Surfaces
“Jane Austen scholar Dr Paula Byrne claims to have discovered a lost portrait of the author which, far from depicting a grumpy spinster, shows a writer at the height of her powers and a woman comfortable in her own skin.”
Turner Prize 2011 To Sculptor Martin Boyce
“With his quietly atmospheric, lyrically autumnal sculptural installation recalling a melancholy urban park with its metallic trees and scattered paper leaves, Martin Boyce has been announced as the winner of the £25,000 Turner prize.”
Twitter Is Good For Literacy, Says Margaret Atwood
“A lot of people on Twitter are dedicated readers. Twitter is like all of the other short forms that preceded it. It’s like the telegram. It’s like the smoke signal. … There is a guy out there who is writing 140-character short stories – I just followed him today … It’s sort of like haikus [and] prose,” Atwood said.
Surprise: Does Reality TV Help Improve Girls’ Self Esteem?
Seventy-five percent of surveyed girls said the programs have inspired conversations with their parents and friends. Some girls even said they take inspiration from the shows, with 68 percent agreeing with the statement that the shows “make me think I can achieve anything in life,” while 62 percent said the shows have “raised their awareness of social issues and causes.”
X-Rays Detect Rembrandt Under Painting
“Faint and monochrome, the underlying portrait features strong similarities with two significant self-portraits dating to 1630, when Rembrandt would have been 24 years old.”
Writer’s Block? It’s What Defines You
“Writing can’t be planned for or predicted, and when it happens, when the surge begins, it brings a satisfaction like nothing else. There are finer sensualities, sure, and basic emotions that give joy or connection when released, but as far as giving me a sustained sense that this is who I am, this is what I do, a full-fathom immersion in writing is the ultimate verification.”
No One Pays Attention To Literary Research (So Why Do It?)
“However much they certify their authors as professionals and win them jobs and tenure, essays and books of high scholarly merit in literary studies suffer the same inattention all the time. Why?”