Stories

What If Instead Of Humanity Inventing Art, Art Invented Humanity?

Today, many would argue that the ordinary ‘truth of accountants’ is more fundamental than ecstatic truth, which relies heavily on perception, interpretation and subjective feeling. Yet this misses the reality that art discloses. - Aeon

Musicians Should Take Care Of Their Bodies The Way Athletes Do

Violinist Laura Frautschi: “Athletes learn these lessons early... My own kids incorporated these practices from a young age, as they learnt to play soccer and other sports. Somehow this approach is not the norm for musicians. Most of us only learn when we become injured and seek help.” - The Strad

An Odd New Literary Genre: Biographies Of Characters From Books

I’ve counted seven since the start of 2023, meaning one character biography—previously a nearly unheard-of form—every six months. - LA Review of Books

What’s Happening In Kids’ Brains When They’re Picking Out Music On The Piano

We found that when you’re improvising, you have a different set of activities in your brain compared to when you’re playing. In other words, improvisation is a form of generative creativity. You’re suddenly on the spot, within a certain context, trying to create music. - The Conversation

Mind Games: The Orchestra Playing Mahler One By Memory (And Other Feats Of Logic)

The Aurora Orchestra is performing from memory Mahler’s First Symphony. "If I’d then been told that in the first half of the concert we’d be presenting a new play about Mahler, featuring choreography involving the entire orchestra alongside two actors and a complicated sound design, I’d have laughed." - The Guardian

A Steep Drop In The Number Of Languages In The World, Study Finds

“Globally, people currently use roughly 7,500 languages, with English, Mandarin Chinese, Hindi, Spanish, Arabic and French the most common, counting native and nonnative speakers. That is a lot of languages. But it is a far cry from the peak number historically.” - Reuters (Yahoo!)

Bernard Arnault Responds To A Scathing Le Monde Investigation Of His Art Enterprises

A scathing, six-part investigation by Le Monde delves into the scope of his power, wealth, and alleged rivalries within the Arnault clan, described as “the last royal family of France.” The report devotes a chapter to Arnault’s engagement with the arts, titled: “Bernard Arnault, the generous patron, in love with the arts and tax exemptions.” - ARTnews

How Alan Cumming Is Transforming A Small Scottish Theatre

His vision was to turn Pitlochry Festival Theatre into both an artistic retreat and a producing powerhouse. It was to invite exciting creatives to Perthshire and create and premiere a show, then for that show to be sent on to London, New York and elsewhere. - The Stage

Oops: Book Returned To Public Library 150 Years Late

The book “Antiquities of Athens,” published in 1858, was returned to the library in the seaside town of Kiama last week by a man who had found it during recent home renovations inside a tea crate bricked into a sealed fireplace, Kiama Library manager Michelle Hudson said. - AP News

It’s Not Just Homer. Gertrude Stein Is Having A Moment, Too.

“Something’s in the air: My Year in Paris with Gertrude Stein, published last month by FSG, is just one in a recent cluster of genre-spanning books that interpret, adapt, and play with Stein’s legacy, as well as that of her longtime partner Alice B. Toklas.” - Publishers Weekly

Are We Headed To Culture Collapse?

Given worsening inequality, political polarisation, falling fertility, resource shortages and global conflicts, Wilson argues that we are hurtling towards the same end as ancient Rome, the Mayan civilisation and every other sophisticated society before us. - The Guardian

A New Company For Dancers Over 40

Musicians and fine artists can play and paint until they die, and actors can age onstage. But the body is the instrument of dance. There is no other violin to polish, no other paintbrush or color except that. The maintenance of the body is essential to the capacity of performance.” - Pointe Magazine

Big Music Companies Ask That AI-Music Not Be Allowed On The Music Charts

The companies are calling on the chart companies to introduce new rules that would only allow AI-generated songs to be included if the use of AI is properly authorized and lawful, if the track was substantially human made and if it doesn’t raise concerns of streaming fraud or chart manipulation. - The Hollywood Reporter

UK Equity Ratifies New Contract For London’s West End, Avoiding Strike

“Running from April 2026 to April 2029, the agreement will see minimum rates rise by at least 13.5 per cent over three years. It also improves holiday entitlement and family leave, supports better work-life balance, strengthens equality and inclusion provisions, and recognises additional responsibilities.” - WhatsOnStage (UK)

The ARTnews List Of America’s 30 Best Art Museums

“For this list, we focused primarily on the breadth and distinction of each institution’s permanent collection. Additional considerations included the strength of its temporary exhibition program and the grandeur of its architecture.” - ARTnews

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