Summer Arrives

Whew! I just finished submitting my final grades for the chamber music course I taught this past year at UC-CCM. So...now it looks like I can commit to a little more content for this blog over the coming months, outside of vacation time of course!

For starters, let me mention (and link to) a couple of recent topics/events that are important to me in the music blogosphere:

In the good news category, Jason Heath has published his book on the ups and downs of the freelance gigging classical artist, "Road Warrior Without An Expense Account." Anyone interested in what it means to be a non-"superstar" classical artist today should take a look at it - Jason has real industry experience and insight that delves beneath the surface of the issues. Read about the book in Jason's announcement post. The book is available for download or in print form here.

In the aesthetically intriguing category, check out Greg Sandow's ruminations on art vs. commerce, and how the lines are continually blurring as we progress in the 21st century. This topic is always as confusing as it is liberating, but Greg presents some interesting examples throughout his excellent essay. He begins by mentioning an anecdote about Sting's viability as a real "artist", whose recent Police tour has certainly convinced me yet again that artistry emanates well beyond the seams of our often narrow categories.

Now the bad news: I would be remiss if I did not at least acknowledge the awful situation regarding the Columbus Symphony, which has ceased operations for the time being due to serious financial problems. As a fellow orchestra member in the state of Ohio, my heart goes out to the musicians who are suffering through this predicament. I can't pretend to possess insider information or thorough knowledge on this (things have just been too busy lately), but interested readers can look to informed commentary on the situation by Janelle Gelfand and Drew McManus. (The previous links will bring you to a category page that offers a list of each author's posts/articles on the Columbus Symphony, many of which have further links to other commentators and articles.)