WEEKLY DIGEST | 09/30/2019
News, Research, & Opinion

Teaching Music for the 21st Century
21CM: Joseph Gramley
“When you can identify mentors, teachers and collaborators that align with your goals, worldview and skillsets, the paths will appear right in front of you: open and ringing true.”

Vogue Dancers Subvert a Baroque Spectacle at the Paris Opera
The New York Times: Madison Mainwaring
Rameau’s “Les Indes Galantes” was designed to show the triumph of Enlightenment order over the exotic “other.” Can hip-hop dance make it feel less toxic?

The Record Industry Gave Everything Away to Spotify. Could It Change Its Mind?
Rolling Stone: Tim Ingham
What would happen if the major music services operated more like Netflix – offering not every artist you can think of, but bidding among themselves for the biggest ones?

Toward New Musics: What The Future Holds For Sound Creativity
NPR: Tod Machover and Charles Holbrow
The key to harnessing the power of streaming to create something really new might be to turn the medium's ubiquity and fluidity into an advantage.

A New Flood of English-Spanish Pop is Here. Is it Opportunism or Progress?
NY Times: Jon Caramanica
Collaborations have flourished in the wake of “Despacito,” some sounding natural, some sounding forced.

Peter Gelb, step down! Why the Met Opera’s general manager is unfit to lead
Boston Globe: Zoë Madonna
It seems that Peter Gelb, the general manager of New York City’s world-famous Metropolitan Opera, doesn’t think we know what “corroboration” means.

Review: A Splendid ‘Porgy and Bess’ Opens the Met Opera Season
The New York Times: Anthony Tommasini
As the title characters, Eric Owens and Angel Blue give one of the finest performances of their careers.

On the Arts: Yeah, classical music tickets are too expensive
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Jeremy Reynolds
Consider that time and money at an event you might enjoy is time and money away from an event you know you’d enjoy.

Myron Bloom, Revered French Horn Player, Is Dead at 93
NY Times: Michael Cooper
Myron Bloom – Jacobs School Professor of Horn – one of the most distinguished French horn players of his generation and a force in molding the sound of the Cleveland Orchestra during its golden age under the demanding conductor George Szell, died on Thursday in Bloomington, Ind. He was 93.

He was supposed to be finishing Juilliard. Now this young trombonist is helping to remake the NSO.
Washington Post: Anne Midgette
Keving Carlson said “I’m taking a leave of absence [from Juilliard],” he says, “in case things don’t work out.”

John Coltrane Took a Detour in 1964. Now It’s a New Album.
The New Yorkt Times: Giovanni Russonello
“Blue World,” culled from the sessions the saxophonist led for a film soundtrack, is a moment of looking back before he pushed even further ahead.

Churches are preaching the Gospel of Lizzo now
Salon: Ashlie D. Stevens
“Church with a twerk” hits Sunday morning as pastors take Lizzo’s message from the pop charts to the pews.

Cleveland Orchestra’s Economic Impact Report Details Large Financial Footprint
The Plain Dealer: Zachary Lewis
$172 million was added to the regional economy during the 2017-18 centennial season.

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra And Musicians End Contentious Contract Dispute
NPR News: Tom Huizenga
The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is back.

Plácido Domingo Out At Metropolitan Opera Following Sexual Misconduct Allegations
NPR News: Asastasia Tsioulcas
This past Tuesday, Peter Gelb sent an email saying "Dear Members of the Company, Plácido Domingo has agreed to withdraw from all future performances at the Met, with immediate effect. We are grateful to him for recognizing that he needed to step down."

Milwaukee Symphony Concertmaster Frank Almond To Step Down After 25 Years
The Violin Channel
The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra has announced the upcoming retirement of long-serving Concertmaster, Frank Almond.

Remembering The 'Fast And Furious' Music Of Christopher Rouse
NPR News: Tom Huizenga
In the end, he has left a body of uncompromisingly expressive works, primarily for orchestra — one of which earned him a Pulitzer Prize in 1993 — and the respect of his many students, colleagues and fans.

Jennifer Lopez, Shakira Booked For The Super Bowl's 2020 Halftime Show
NPR: Stephen Thompson
Those of us who've dreamed of a Super Bowl halftime show with Lizzo since at least 2017 will just have to wait a while longer. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports Thursday that Super Bowl LIV's halftime show will feature Jennifer Lopez and Shakira — an appropriate pairing for a host city, Miami, known for its rich history with and connection to Latin music.

Rick Steves' Travel Videos Set To Classical Music By The Houston Symphony
Broadway World
Best-selling travel author and PBS star Rick Steves joins the Houston Symphony and former Houston Symphony Principal POPS conductor Michael Krajewski in an immersive concert experience, Rick Steves' Europe: A Symphonic Journey

Overlooked No More: Robert Johnson, Bluesman Whose Life Was a Riddle
The New York Times: Reggie Ugwu
Johnson gained little notice in his life, but his songs — quoted by the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton and Led Zeppelin — helped ignite rock ‘n’ roll.

Musicians’ Union backs remain position in Brexit debate at Labour Party Conference
The Strad
The Musicians’ Union will vote for a motion that asks the Labour Party to campaign for remain.

Greta Thunberg's mother, Malena Ernman, is an opera rock star
CBC: Robert Rowat
Before Greta Thunberg was making headlines as a teen environmental activist, her mother, Malena Ernman, was their family's biggest celebrity.

10 Years After Haiti's Earthquake, 'This Music School Will Never Stop'
NPR News: Melissa Block
The US tour is meant to showcase Haiti's rich musical heritage — and to raise awareness of the country's rebuilding efforts.

She’s Rising From the Depths of Soviet Music History
NY Times: Gabrielle Cornish
Interest is building in Galina Ustvolskaya, the reclusive Russian composer born 100 years ago whose nickname was “the lady with the hammer.”

Zanzibar's one and only music academy on the brink of closure
Global Voices
Dhow Countries Music Academy promotes Swahili culture through music.

'I have a tremor... but the music makes it stop' - Disabled-led Irish orchestra ready for its first performance
News Irish News: Mícheál Ó Scannail
Ireland's only disabled-led orchestra is preparing for its inaugural performance, which will showcase adaptive instruments, virtual reality music and revolutionary 'conductology'.

Holograms Tours are the Future of the Live Concert Experience...Should We Be Concerned?
Okay Player: Nicolas Tyrell
Will this be the case for classical music?

One-Third of All Young People Use Stream Ripping to Steal Music, Global Study Shows
Variety: Chris Willman
Despite widespread acceptance of piracy, legit streaming continues to grow, with the biggest increase among older demos, IFPI's survey shows.

Fenway Park's Organist Will Now Take Your Request
WGBH: Judith Kogan
Traditions die hard at Fenway Park. Two generations ago, every major league ballpark had an organ. Now considered outdated, many have been replaced by DJ's and recorded music. But at Fenway, the organ — used in conjunction with social media — keeps music up-to-the-minute. And fans get a say in what’s heard.

Watch Billie Eilish’s Gravity-Defying ‘Bad Guy’ Performance on ‘SNL’
Rolling Stone: Ilana Kaplan
Appearing in a box made to look like Grand Central station in New York, the singer first delivered a gravity-defying performance of her hit “Bad Guy.” While she initially sauntered across the floor, she soon began walking on the walls and then on the ceiling in her signature oversized T-shirt.