Soundtracks: November 2000
The only “borrowed music” this month comes in the form of “arrangements,” and, unfortunately for our ‘theme’ this month, the source music was all borrowed properly! Guy Klucevsek’s adaptations of two Burt Bacharach tunes, “The Blob” and “One Less Bell to Answer,” on his CD Free Range Accordion, are both entertaining and strikingly original. If… Read more »
Intellectual Property Rights and the Dissemination of Dot.Org Music in a Dot.Com World
Frank J. Oteri Photo by Melissa Richard No issue has been more divisive to people in the music community than the current debate over the free dissemination of music over the Internet and that dissemination’s inherent violation of the copyright laws governing intellectual property. We’ve decided to jump into the fray ourselves this month. Intellectual… Read more »
Is the free dissemination of music on the Web helpful or harmful to the economics of new music?
Mark A. Fischer “…dissemination of music on the Internet is not just good, it’s wonderful…” Richard Danielpour “…I do not believe that a composer’s work should automatically be public property…” Jeff Harrington “How can we be worried about the economic impact of this or that technology when we don’t even have people’s ears?” Amy Knoles… Read more »
Intellectual Property: Whose Song is it Anyway?
Heidi Waleson Photo by Melissa Richard Intellectual property has been a locus of debate for centuries. The difficulties of establishing standards for its ownership and exploitation stem from the fact that such property is not tangible, but rather the expression of the human mind and spirit. What is more, most creations of this kind can… Read more »
New Music and Politics
Artists in the United States are caught between the rock of vanishing public funding and the hard place of mass-market economics.
What Do the Presidential Candidates Think About Music? George W. Bush 2
George W. Bush This one is REAL “America has one national creed, but many accents. We are now one of the largest Spanish-speaking nations in the world. We’re a major source of Latin music, journalism and culture.” From George Bush’s August 25, 2000 speech entitled “Century of the Americas,” Miami, FL
CMA Announces Recipients of First-Ever Jazz Grants
Don Braden photo by Joseph E. Rybczyk Chamber Music America has announced the first recipients funded through New Works: Creation and Presentation, a new grant program supporting composer/performer-led ensembles in the creation of music in the jazz idiom. The grantees were selected from a pool of eighty applicants by an independent panel of jazz composers,… Read more »
What Do the Presidential Candidates Think About Music? George W. Bush 1
George W. Bush “America has always played home to the greatest minds in all professions. Not just in the sciences or in sports or in business, but also in writing, and in music. Our children must be taught take pride in America not only as the home of Tommy Lasorda and Dinesh D’Souza, but also… Read more »
Philadelphia Orchestra To Decide Centennial Competition Winner With Audience Vote
A Colombian-born American currently working in Amsterdam, an Indiana native teaching in New York, and a Chinese-born American college senior are the finalists in The Philadelphia Orchestra‘s Centennial Composition Competition. Chosen from among 330 applications are Sinfonia by Kevin Beavers of West Virginia, Totem by Keith Fitch of Indiana and New York City, and Three… Read more »
What Do the Presidential Candidates Think About Music? Patrick J. Buchanan 2
Patrick J. Buchanan We made this one up! “There’s the American music that the elitists at the universities want you to believe is American music, and then there’s the real stuff, the music of the American people, the ‘Battle Hymn of the Republic’ and ‘God Bless America.’ And there are new songs, there’s a new… Read more »
Bang On A Can Collaborates With Australian Chamber Orchestra At 2000 Olympic Festival
Bang On A Can photo by Peter Serling And the gold medal goes to… the Bang On A Can All-Stars and the Australian Chamber Orchestra for bringing new American music to the Sydney Olympic Festival on September 12th and 13th. The two ensembles collaborated on three works that will receive Australian premieres on the 12th:… Read more »
What Do the Presidential Candidates Think About Music? Patrick J. Buchanan 1
Patrick J. Buchanan This is the real quote! “Everyday we see new evidence of the corruption of our popular culture: Filthy art financed with tax dollars. Television steeped in raw sex and romanticized violence. Movies that mock religious faith. Music that extols social chaos.” From Patrick J. Buchanan, “PJB On the Issues: Culture,” Tuesday, March… Read more »
Ravinia Festival Names New President And CEO
Welz Kauffman photo by Dan Rast The Ravinia Festival has named Welz Kauffman its new president and CEO, succeeding Zarin Mehta, who leaves at the end of the current season after ten years to become executive director of the New York Philharmonic. Kauffman starts in his new post Oct. 1. Kauffman served as General Manager… Read more »
What Do the Presidential Candidates Think About Music? Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader “With hundreds of radio stations owned by a single company, it comes as no surprise that the programming reflects the economic desires of that company, not the greater interests of its listeners. Instead of challenging programming, we get mind-numbing mock analyses of non-stories crafted solely for entertainment value. Thanks to the 1996 Telecommunications… Read more »
South Carolina Arts Commission Announces Artist Fellowships And $1.8 Million In Grants For New Fiscal Year
Mark Kilstofte photo by Joanna E. Morrissey The Board of Commissioners of the South Carolina Arts Commission (SCAC) has awarded Artist Fellowships to four resident, professional artists. Each fellow receives $7,500 in recognition of superior artistic merit. The out-of-state review panels also selected alternates, who do not receive awards, but are considered notable in the… Read more »
What Do the Presidential Candidates Think About Music? Al Gore
Al Gore “National Public Radio has been indispensable to its local listeners across the country. Each station across America tailors its programming to meet local needs. For example, when school funding for classical music training was cut, it was KUER in Salt Lake City that produced a series introducing elementary school students to classical music.”… Read more »
Amadeus Press Releases First Biography Of Morton Gould
Peter Goodman photo by Stephen M. Goodman Amadeus Press has announced the release of Peter W. Goodmans new book, Morton Gould: American Salute. This is the first complete biography of the multi-talented composer. In an interview, Goodman confessed that at the time he started working on this biography, he wasnt all that fond of Goulds… Read more »
What Do the Presidential Candidates Think About Music? George W. Bush
George W. Bush “America has always played home to the greatest minds in all professions. Not just in the sciences or in sports or in business, but also in writing, and in music. Our children must be taught take pride in America not only as the home of Tommy Lasorda and Dinesh D’Souza, but also… Read more »
Paula Cooper Gallery Launches New Record Label "Dog w/a Bone"
The Paula Cooper Gallery is pleased to announce the creation of its record label “dog w/o bone.” The label will be launched on October 3, 2000, with the simultaneous release of three recordings by the S.E.M. Ensemble: Music by Marcel Duchamp; For Philip Guston by Morton Feldman; and Many Many Women by Petr Kotik. The… Read more »
What Do the Presidential Candidates Think About Music? Patrick J. Buchanan
Patrick J. Buchanan “Everyday we see new evidence of the corruption of our popular culture: Filthy art financed with tax dollars. Television steeped in raw sex and romanticized violence. Movies that mock religious faith. Music that extols social chaos.” Real or fake? “There’s the American music that the elitists at the universities want you to… Read more »
Smoke and Mirrors: Mr. Smith Returns to Washington
Photo of Ken Smith in front of “Smoke Free” (1999) {cigarette butts and wood, 45″x67″} by John Salvest (courtesy Rudolph Projects) Photo by Melissa Richard A former political journalist turned music critic offers up a HyperHistory uncovering “smoke and mirrors” politics in the American classical music business. My name is Ken. I’m a recovering addict.… Read more »
Soundtracks: October 2000
Unlike the impending Presidential election, there are tons of musical choices in SoundTracks this month ranging from new recordings of acknowledged American musical masterpieces to rediscoveries of overlooked musical treasures to works from newly-emerging composers never before on CD. In the orchestral music department, there is a new recording of Charles Ives’ Symphony No. 2,… Read more »
Who Represents the Unsilent Minority?
There needs to be a greater musical awareness among the people who hold our elected offices. But there also needs to be a greater political awareness on the part of people who make and shape music in this country.
What Do the Presidential Candidates Think About Music?
A Statement of Purpose Over a month ago, Frank and I set about contacting five Presidential candidates to ask them for thoughts on American music. No one responded. Al Gore’s campaign was the only one to dignify us with a response. Other responses ranged from clueless silence (Nader’s campaign; then again, they don’t even provide… Read more »
