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MUSIC

Study: Listening To Familiar Music Boosts Brain Function

"We have new brain-based evidence that autobiographically salient music -; that is, music that holds special meaning for a person, like the song they danced to at their wedding -; stimulates neural connectivity in ways that help maintain higher levels of functioning." - News Medical

Diagnosis: What Would It Take To Make Victoria BC A Music Center?

Research was completed by an organization that specializes in analyzing local music scenes — Sound Diplomacy — which has come up with strategies for major music cities such as London, England and New Orleans. - CBC

The Vinyl Crisis Is Getting Worse

There's massive stress on the resurgent medium, and for Adele's new album, producers ordered half a million LP discs. (Who could have predicted this in, say, 1990?) - FADER

A Fresh New Generation Extends UK’s Jazz Revival

These players developed their talents in small venues across the UK capital in the 2010s, from Total Refreshment Centre in Dalston, east London, to Mau Mau in west London’s Ladbroke Grove. - The Guardian

For Windsor Musicians Who Work In Detroit, The U.S. Border Reopening Is A Massive Relief

Musicians missing their bands and gigs are finally getting the chance to get back in touch. "There's been many tearful reunions," one says. - CBC

For Some Music Lovers, It’s Still Better To Enjoy Concerts From The Comfort Of Home

"Even before the digital age you could access the World of Music through recordings, via the radio or the local music shop or even the Columbia House Record Club." And now? Livestreaming! - Oregon ArtsWatch

What To Do When You’re A Violin Soloist, And A String Snaps

For one thing, give the conductor a look. For another thing, hope the concertmaster is alert. Watch Thursday's cascading violin exchanges and fixes on video from Seattle's Benaroya Hall. - Seattle Times

Filipino Youth Are Using Music To Pressure The Country’s Regime

One singer: "We have the power to uplift someone. ... It’s something I hope fellow musicians realize, appreciate and that they don’t forget, even if we’re in a very challenging time. The worst thing that can happen is for you to stop." - Los Angeles Times

The Opera World Pays Tribute To RBG

And not just her love for opera, but her love for operatic style. "She did so much for our art form by speaking about it publicly and encouraging people to attend — we should all be incredibly grateful." - The New York Times

Why So Many People Die In Concert Crowd Surges

The teens and adults who were killed in a crowd surge Friday night weren't the first, and probably won't be the last. "The music industry hasn’t learned anything. ... These disasters highlight the problems that people face in places of public assembly." - Washington Post

How ABBA Became Such Beloved Gay Icons

The group's songs weren't actually popular in gay clubs at the time - but then came the 1980s, when disco was supposedly "dead," and a DJ with tape, a razor, and an accidental remix (not to mention an exclusive, gay-owned subscription remix service). - Los Angeles Times

What Happens When You Try To Hack Opera With Gamers, Techies And Artists?

“Western opera was invented because people from different disciplines came together to reimagine theatre. They leveraged the best of all the art forms and the best of modern technology.” - Ludwig Van

How A Small Labor Dispute At Strathmore Hall Led To Baltimore Symphony Withdrawal

The escalation of events — from a contract with about a dozen employees to an ugly public battle between two of Maryland’s flagship arts institutions — has alarmed civic, arts and union leaders. - Washington Post

The Bionic Gloves That Let João Carlos Martins Play Piano Again

His international career was hobbled over and over again by a breathtaking series of mishaps, comebacks, and more mishaps that ultimately left him unable to play at all. Then an industrial designer saw Martins on TV and had an idea … - GQ

Jazz Trumpeter Irvin Mayfield Sentenced To Prison For Stealing From Post-Katrina Charity

Mayfield, who became a symbol of the survival of New Orleans, and his business partner, pianist Ronald Markham, were given 18-month sentences for diverting $1.3 million to themselves from the New Orleans Public Library Foundation. - NPR

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