Bruce Ridge, North Carolina Symphony Bassist and Chairman of the International Conference of Symphony (ICSOM), testified before the House Committee on Education and Labor in Washington D.C. on a hearing about the economic and employment impact of the arts and music industry on March 26, 2009. In a positive sign of our tax dollars at work, the committee has made available a video of Ridge’s address…
The Future
The (New) Realities of Orchestral Life
Recently, Cincinnati based pianist and blogger, Joshua Nemith, posted an excellent pair of articles that provide detailed advice on how musicians who are not employed in a salaried position can survive and thrive in what he defines as “the new economy.” Along with very practical recommendations, Joshua touches on a subject not discussed here in some time: the lack of adequate preparation at the college level for those entering the orchestra business…
Ross And Ma Are Tops. Maazel, Not So Much
This week’s poll asking readers to vote for whether Yo-Yo Ma, Lorin Maazel, or Alex Ross best represents classical music to the general public based on their respective Colbert Report appearances generated a great deal of interest. The results (as of the evening of 10/30/08) were intriguing…
I Have Two Words For You: Body Double
Anthony Tommasini’s article in the 9/17/08 edition of the New York Times on the increase of nudity in opera productions got me thinking. Nudity in opera is nothing new, especially in Europe, so why Americans are making such a big deal about it is just another testament to contemporary American cultural values and why are so many singers leaping onto the nudity bandwagon…
Speaking Of Conductors
A few conductor related topics today. First, Sticks and Drones co-author Ron Spigelman posted an interesting response to my blog from earlier this week entitled You Say Tomato which examines the use of over-the-top adjectives in describing orchestra conductors. He has some fascinating points that are both analytical and thoughtful. Next up is more discussion on the UK based reality television program “Maestro.” UK culture blogger Charlotte Higgins posted some thoughts …