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Posts about Music
On October 1st
covering Music, Music Ensembles
It’s always been on my list of things I absolutely believe even though I could not prove. Playing music helps the different parts of the brain work together. Furthermore, there’s obviously something very powerful and complex about playing and singing music together with others in real time.
I’m glad that some researchers are doing the hard work of looking into this.
Now, if you’re a musician, you’re probably asking “if playing music helps integrate brain functioning, why are my fellow musicians the way they are?”. Some things are still unknown.
On September 24th
covering Bands, Music, Music Ensembles
I’ve noticed there are a lot of ways to destroy a band. I thought it would be helpful to compile a list of different ways to make a band fail, so people who are seeking failure can destroy their bands more efficiently. This is a first pass at an authoritative reference. Please add your own as a comment. Read more »
On September 24th
covering Business, Music, Music Ensembles
It was bound to happen. I’ve been noticing the similarities between bands and startups as self-led creative teams. This item describes a band taking funding from an Angel Investor in return for 30% of future revenue.
This is a way of replacing one role of the record label, which was a source of funding during the formative days. It could go either way.
My question is whether the angel investors are competent to predict the success of a band — or whether they are dabbling in this as a high-risk hobby investment, the way some people invest in Broadway plays. Read more »
On September 23rd
covering Music
Music critic and historian Alex Ross has just been announced as a 2008 MacArthur fellow. His book and blog The Rest Is Noise makes the most sense of the 20th century so far. I recommend it to everyone. Good for him.
Furthermore, saxophonist Miguel Zenón is also named as a fellow fellow. Another win for the good guys.
On May 29th
covering Leadership, Music, Music Ensembles
Even though orchestras are bigger and more complex organisms than chamber groups or bands, the same questions of ownership apply. Orchestras have formal boards of directors and union contracts, which are supposed to represent the interests of the larger community and the musicians, respectively. This can bring the issues to light in ways that in rock bands tens to be vague.
These questions are all over the place in the debacle taking place in Columbus, Ohio. The Columbus symphony is within a couple of days of closing down altogether. Drew McManus has been covering these sad developments in his blog, which is always instructive and entertaining. I recommend reading all of the posts with “Columbus” in the title for a case study of how music groups can be torn apart. Here is a letter from the orchestra musicians in Cleveland and Cincinnati to the board and management of the Columbus Symphony. It’s a good read. notice how much of the letter makes the point that the whole community hs a stake inthe orchestra.
