Archives for October 2008

"Rave review." That's right, by me!Overlooked among the media coverage on Doctor Atomic is the support provided for those who want to learn more. When it comes to opera, I have long admired John Adams for creating works that have direct relevance to my life and times. Don't get me wrong, I admire John for his music and his increasingly important role as a musical ambassador. In … [Read more...] about Doctor Atomic: Education/Outreach Gets Rave Review

Over the past year or two we've seen the emergence of significant studies to determine the levels of access to arts education by students in a given state or in some instances a city. Later today, the New York City Department of Education will release its second Annual Arts in the Schools Report. This year, they're not inviting press to the release. More on that report later … [Read more...] about The State of Arts Education in Colorado

Early on in my tenure at CAE, I had lunch with an extremely talented principal of a charter school with a heavy focus on the arts. There was so much to admire, not the least of which was the principal's commitment to excellence, innovation, and high standards. Among the charter school movement, it is central to what I find most appealing: starting from scratch, with bold ideas … [Read more...] about Are Charter Schools in the Same Boat as your Non-Profit Organization?

I have had the good fortune to be associated with Chamber Music America's New Music Institutes, which are a series of institutes across New York State providing professional development for students, professional artists, and managers in connection with the creation, performance, and promotion of new chamber music. Last week at SUNY Potsdam, I was deeply struck by one of the … [Read more...] about People You Should Know: Stefon Harris

I always thought he was underestimated as an actor. It wasn't just  as measured by the number of Academy Awards, but rather by the opinions of all my friends that he wasn't on par with Marlon Brando, Robert DeNiro, Gregory Peck, Lawrence Olivier, etc. I argued then and will argue now.I know it sounds terribly corny, but when I heard of the death of Paul Newman I felt that I had … [Read more...] about Goodbye Paul Newman