Douglas McLennan
Doug is the editor of ArtsJournal
Mindful Music Programs And Mental Health
In the U.S., teachers are turning to music to aid students of various ages with increased levels of depression and behavioral issues. - Pittsburgh...
The Art Of Persuasion (As Opposed To Coercion)
At the heart of such suspicion is the assumption that persuasion is to be understood as an act done by someone to someone. One party is active, the...
How Cate Blanchett Trained To Play A Conductor For “Tar”
“Tár” is a tantalizing example: an elite acting talent taking on a rarefied slice of the classical music world. The preparations Ms. Blanchett and...
Conductors And The Cult Of Personality: “Tar” Nails It
“TAR” is uncomfortably spot on. It’s more about abuse of power than music, though the classical trappings are a convincing gilding. - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
New Study: Playing Video Games May Help Young Brains
The gamers did better than non-gamers in tests where they had to control impulsive behavior or memorize information, according to the National Institute of...
Biden Goes After “Junk” Ticketing Fees
Some examples of these "unfair hidden fees" given by Biden were bounced check charges, bank overdraft fees, credit card late fees, resort charges at hotels, processing...
Gilbert and George Face Social Media Ridicule Over Museum Complaints
"These two white British men are getting themselves their own museum because lack folks and women have taken over the white man's art institutions."...
How Sundance De-platformed A Documentary. Does It Say Anything About Our Current Culture?
In January, Sundance Film Festival screened it, and some employees of the Sundance Institute, which operates alongside the festival, soon resigned in protest. Even...
Tip Of The Iceberg: Spotify’s Latest Tool For Defining Your Music Taste
Icebergify collects data from your top 50 artists in your short-term, medium-term, and long-term listening trends, according to Icebergify. So the artists on your chart...
Bored By Music? TV? Movies? It’s Not Because There’s Nothing Good. You Need A...
Today’s boredom is not hungry, a response to deprivation; it is a loss of cultural appetite, in response to the surfeit of claims on...
Is “Quiet Quitting” A Problem In The Arts?
The global report determined that ‘only 21% of employees were engaged at work, and most didn’t find their work meaningful following the pandemic’. In...
Dancing Times To Sell Its Historic Trove Of Pictures
The collection consists of approximately 35,000 images, the majority dating from the early years of the 20th century through to the early years of the...
Why Critics And Audiences Often Disagree
So what’s the actual reason for the gap between audiences and critics? Simply put, it’s that audiences tend to be easier to please because...
Bard Announces New Maya Lin Performing Arts Building
The swirling effect is meant to gently integrate the building into the surrounding meadow while creating a structure that complements — but never competes...
Parent Complaints About “Pornographic Books” In Utah School Libraries Pour In After New Law
Utah parents have filed hundreds of requests to remove specific titles from K-12 libraries since a new law took effect in May banning “pornographic or...
Spotify Reports Big Subscriber Gains, Profits; Stock Price Falls
Spotify reported 456 million monthly active users, up 20% from a year earlier and above the company’s guidance. Paying subscribers, Spotify’s most lucrative type...
Osvaldo Golijov: After A Decade Fallow, He Returns With New Music
"It’s not like I didn’t attempt; I couldn’t finish a thought. I would begin something and then stop halfway because I’d think it was...
Lessons From The James Corden Affair: Likeability Is Oh So Fragile
Likability has always been important in talk-show hosts, but balanced by other virtues like creativity, funniness, political or even journalistic insight, the ability to...
The New Geffen Hall: More Intimate, Friendlier
The presentation demonstrated a greater use of theatrical lighting, improved amplified sound, and video technology in what had been a temple to un-enhanced instruments. David...
Philadelphia Museum Of Art Workers’ Tense Return To Work After Strike
While some union members described cold and awkward interactions with management, others had more positive anecdotes in which middle managers were excited at their...
Feeling Trapped By The Nonbinary Gender Brand
We got stuck with this particular version of nonbinary identity—singularly focused on pronouns, clumsy corporate integration, and iconoclastic affect—because nonbinary identity has become a...
Meet Italy’s New Minister Of Culture: He Wants To Shake Things Up
Citing 19th Century patriotic poetry and Mussolini-era writers and philosophers, the freshly appointed culture minister of Italy’s new right-wing government has promised a new era...
How “Strictly Come Dancing” Is Changing How People See Dance
With this year being hailed as the most diverse series ever, Strictly is attempting to better reflect the diversity that exists across the British population...
A Linguist Weighs In: Just How Do You Say/Spell Ukraine’s Capital?
‘Kiow’ and ‘Kiou’ seemed to be the most common terms in the 18th century, while ‘Kief’ was the most popular word at the turn of...
A Jobs Crisis In The Arts? Here’s What The Numbers Say
In the arts, entertainment, and recreation industry grouping, the job vacancy rate was 6.8% in March 2022, double the rate before the pandemic (3.4%...