It’s nowhere near the 21st day of March yet Die Älte Mensch has been making his presence felt in my life in the most interesting of ways. When that happens my mind immediately moves to the topic of Arts Education.
Quick Takes: What’s My Job?
Every once in a while I want to post about things that I believe in, that drive me, ideas that pop up. Not necessarily related to anything that is going on specifically, but just to get the voices in my head on paper! For the first quick take:
What’s my Job?…….
Mad Mad Men…. putting the Con in Contra
For our Mad Men tribute I came across a real head scratcher. It is hard to believe that the New York Times prints such dreck sometimes, but that they did when an article was posted with the hypothetical argument to turn the video game Guitar Hero into Orchestra Hero. This is an ASS in clASSical instant classic…..
It’s Worse Than We Thought….
I have noticed lately, with some horror, what now passes for “Arts journalism.” Arts journalism, especially Classical Music journalism, seems to have taken a dive. The expression “dumbing down” comes to mind. Or perhaps that’s just self-preservation on their part.
Three Lasting Impressions…..
Last week was inspiring, surprising and also very sobering, as events in Los Angeles, Springfield and Fort Worth gave me a perspective from the global, local and highly personal aspects of what I do and who I relate to. A celebration of renewal, the linking to an icon (well sort of) and the passing of someone treasured……
“Of Course, You Know, This means GWAR!”
Facebook is a very dangerous place. You can find yourself deep in all sorts of either totally ludicrous exchanges or heavy philosophical discussions. Sometimes those “friends” of yours can pose a real challenge as did one of mine recently. Here’s my response:
And Now for Something Completely Different….
So two weeks ago was the 40th anniversary of Monty Python’s Flying Circus first broadcast hence the title, but I have also been thinking about the way orchestras typically go about searching for a Music Director and if this process needs to be done in a very different and more forward thinking way. I believe it does, but it will involve the challenge of getting current MD’s to buy in (me included) whilst setting our egos aside. Charleston who is about to go through this is a perfect example …….
Concert Companion….Bring a Friend to the CSO!
I’m a big fan of technology, I’m always bummed out when something I have is super seeded by a new model. I still have that old crusty 1st generation ipod touch (18 months old!). I was intrigued like many when the Concert Companion first came out, a device to enhance the understanding of the concert experience with real time program notes, video and other features. After the initial buzz, it kind of died down, and I haven’t heard much about it since and it seems that some are using Twitter for live notes. Well the creator of CoCo (it’s nickname) is now in charge of an Orchestra, one that needs a serious recharge, but I’m pretty sure a CoCo or an internet connection is not the answer…..