August 2008
Keep it open
One of the reasons I blog the way I do is to aid in the dissemination of independent and enterprising websites dealing with music and the arts. These creative outlets flourish on the open internet, an environment which is for a variety of reasons anathema to the major media conglomerates. In response to their and others' efforts to curtail the web's nonexclusive nature Future of Music Coalition created Rock the Net, a campaign that aims to preserve net neutrality so that content created by artists like Kronos Quartet can be offered and accessed freely on the web.
Pure Pierre
Back to The Guardian for a slideshow of the influential conductor and composer Pierre Boulez accompanied by links to several articles about his work.
Emulating Abbado
I am a long-time fan of Claudio Abbado's intelligent and sensitive interpretations of the orchestral repertoire. During my own conducting studies I also learned about Abbado's rehearsal technique and was deeply impressed by what seemed to be his absolute respect for music and musicians alike.
Tom Service of The Guardian offers a glimpse of Abbado in rehearsal. A model for all conductors to emulate?
Back to work
Many thanks to all for the kind wishes on our wedding - it was an unforgettable experience!
Now it's back to work, not only for me but also for scores of orchestral musicians gearing up for a new symphony season. If you happen to be one of those musicians check out Polyphonic.org for industry news, forums, interviews and more.
