As you might have inferred from a previous post, I’m currently reading My Name Is Red by Orhan Pamuk, the 2006 Nobel Laureate in Literature. Among the many themes Pamuk deals with in the novel is the question of what constitutes “style.” The dictionary defines style as “the combination of distinctive features of literary or […]
Hot off the presses is the second edition of Take A Friend To The Orchestra, a collection of essays by bloggers, critics, musicians, administrators, and patrons, the fruits of Drew McManus’ yearly internet initiative of the same name over at Adaptistration. I’m thrilled to be included in the book. Order yours today!
“The late moon now emerged. Under the eaves of the building it was still dark, but the sky was beautifully illuminated. An attendant was sent to fetch zithers from the Bureau of Books and Instruments. When there were brought Tô no Chûjô chose the six-stringed zither, which he, like Genji, played with outstanding skill. Prince […]
A reader writes the following about this post from the SLN archives:
“You [say] that ‘it’s pretty easy to tell if a performer “owns” the piece or is using the music as a crutch.’ As a musician (a saxophonist, actually), I’m very much interested in attaining a higher level of mastery of my instrument as well […]
TAFTO month is now in full swing over at Adaptistration by Drew McManus. Click here for my contribution.
After reading Alex’s latest article in The New Yorker I emailed him this quote from Jacques Attali’s Noise, wondering why a preeminent culture vulture would neglect such a reference:
The phonograph, then, is part of a radically new social and cultural space demolishing the earlier economic constructions of representation. With the introduction of the record, the […]
“‘Bravo!’ Settembrini cried. ‘Bravo, lieutenant. You have described very nicely an indubitably moral element in the nature of music: to wit, that by its peculiar and lively means of measurement, it lends an awareness, both intellectual and precious, to the flow of time. Music awakens time, awakens us to our finest enjoyment of time. Music […]
Here’s a funny story about a fellow who “invented” a new state-of-the-art synthesizer back in 2000. He faked all the magazine ads with some marvelous Photoshop work and managed to get the European synth community on its head over a product that never existed. (Courtesy of Mark Pachucki.)
Thanks to ACD for re-adding Sounds Like Now […]
There was a great topic on NPR’s Talk of the Nation today, which every college music teacher should download, listen to, and share with their students. The show was titled, Playing Jazz, and Making a Living, but could be applied to any artistic discipline–especially classical music. It dealt with the business side of music making […]
A few days ago Scott Spiegelberg had an interesting post on the use of Inderal, or beta-blockers, by musicians. For those not familiar with the drug, Inderal blocks the action of adrenaline and other substances, effecively muting the sympathetic nervous system, which produces fear or anxiety. Some musicians use the drug to overcome stage fright […]