A.O. Scott neatly points out that the cultural elite, those naked emperors trying to control everyone, are not actually art gallery curators and orchestra CEOs, but rather the marketing arms of corporations. Considering the products they’re pushing, that would make me nervous if I didn’t so much enjoy the shove back at them. Freedom!
Elsewhere in judgment, taste, and classical music, there has been much debate of late regarding the utility of top ten list unattached to David Letterman’s sound stage, but over in Orange County they are really distilling the game back down to its essence. It’s not about the list, people, it’s about the process. And how much fun you can have in the comments.
Speaking of creative inspiration and lines in the sand, the divider between copyright infringement and cultural appropriation in your brain may lean mostly on where you happen to be standing at the time. So mind your toes everyone.
Whenever I review music, I worry about the disconnect between the creative side and the critical side of this symbiotic relationship. Perhaps if I animated my comments on a given work, we’d be standing on a more level playing field? It would also encourage me to spell check. Twice.
[via]