Random Acts of Culture Hit the Streets
On a weekend in November, a group of 650 singers who had been disbursed among crowds of shoppers burst out in a performance of Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” at a downtown Philadelphia shopping center. Needless to say, the shoppers were amazed at the unexpected concert. Jaws dropped and fingers pointed at this example of a Knight Foundation Random Act of Culture. The foundation sponsored it in conjunction with the Opera Company of Philadelphia.
During the next three years, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation plans 1,000 similar performances in eight cities across the country. Together with local classical music organizations, the foundation will sponsor outbreaks of culture in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Akron, Ohio; Charlotte, North Carolina; Detroit, Michigan; Macon, Georgia; San Jose, California; Miami, Florida, and St. Paul, Minnesota. All of these cities have been home to newspapers owned by the Knight brothers.
You can watch a video of the goings-on at www.randomactsofculture.org.www.knightfoundation.org/news/press_room/knight_press_releases/detail.dot?id=373401 www.ohio.com/entertainment/heldenfels/106560358.html
Fewer Classical Celebs Create a Problem for Opera Companies
The pictures of Renata Tebaldi and Maria Callas were familiar to the general public because they appeared on the covers of popular magazines. Later, the visage of Luciano Pavarotti was a familiar sight. But today’s top singers are rarely seen on television news or in publications that appeal to a general readership. Record companies no longer provide the publicity engines that once sold opera singers to the masses, so even the most talented performers are less well known than they once were, according to the Huffington Post. The level of musicianship is as high as ever, but the names of classical artists are not household words. Thus, opera companies have to rely less on big names and more on their own ingenuity to sell tickets. It’s comforting to note that a recent London research project found that most of today’s ticket buyers want to see a particular opera and that loyalties to individual artists are negligible considerations at the point of purchase. Opera-goers are more apt to rely on the reputation of presenter for providing good singers and interesting productions.
Clifft Notes Offers Music Theory iPhone App
Although it is not likely to appeal to singers in grad school, there are some positive reviews of the iPhone app called Music Theory Pro. Brainchild of music professor Dr. Joel Clifft, the app combines aspects of theory with ear training in an easy-to-use format. After you download the software, you can choose from Note Names, Key Signatures, Intervals, Chords, and Ear Training. This app can be a game in which you answer the questions and receive a score. If you press the Help button at the lower right of the screen, you can learn more about the subject, after which you may retry the game. The Ear Training section, designed for advanced music students, is the most challenging. You can adapt each section, however, so that it concentrates on one particular aspect of the subject.
www.sfcv.org/article/clifft-notesportable-music-theory-for-the-iphoneage
www.appsafari.com/music/13659/music-theory-pro
