No images? Click here April 17, 2023 In Denmark, a classical music festival hosted auditions for dogs to perform in Mozart's Hunting Symphony this September. The dogs auditioned as orchestra members played, barking along to the music. Watch the tail-wagging spectacle unfold here. +++ In today's email:
CLASSICAL CHARTS ![]() THE BIG IDEA How the Global Music Vault Plans to Preserve Music HeritageInside a mountain in Norway’s high Arctic, the world’s music will be stored in something called the Global Music Vault, preserving it for future generations. It implies a rather apocalyptic view of the future — one presumably without societies that will value or be able to celebrate musical heritage. The Vault is to be constructed in the same mountain as the Global Seed Vault, also known as the Dooms Day Vault, in Svalbard, Norway. It will be part of the Arctic World Archive. The idea is to be able to preserve capsules of recorded music for over 1,000 years. The structures use old, decommissioned coal mines, which are already designed to be as indestructible as possible. The idea, while well-meaning, also raises some questions. How did this all come about?Luke Jenkinson, Managing Director of the Oslo-based Global Music Vault, is an American IT entrepreneur. The Vault is his brainchild. After working at the National Museum of Norway on a digitization project, and becoming aware of the fairly dismal way that the music industry itself (doesn’t) protect its archives, he came up with the idea. How to create an eco-friendly, yet highly efficient, way of storing music for the very long term? Why the Arctic?Since a zero emissions policy is the target, the music capsule and film storage can take place over a long period of time while using very little electricity. Likewise, the storage materials themselves have been chosen for longevity and environmental impact. How can they store music in the cold?The Vault stores the music in innovative and durable silicone storage capsules. Jenkinson knew that existing tech — CDs and vinyl LPs at the time — wouldn’t last, and he didn’t want to rely on servers and networks. Jenkinson’s company, Elire, partnered with Microsoft to develop the eco-friendly solution: a small silica glass platter that can store master-quality digital music files using laser optics. The music is etched into the surface of the resilient and virtually impervious material, which resists damage due to extreme temperatures, water, abrasion, and even electromagnetic pulses. Each square can hold about 150GB of data, although Elire is continuing to develop the technology with a view to expanding that to a terabyte or two. Possible future funding through subsidies and the UN is being explored. How do they plan on gathering the music? Who decides?Jenkinson’s idea is to simply call for music from anyone, anywhere. “At the moment, those people that sit in libraries and archive roles, they’re the ones that decide, you know, what’s important and what’s not — and that’s normally in the moment or after what’s happened,” he says. “The music industry has a chance to remove those barriers of figuring out what should we archive, when, essentially, you can archive everything,” Jenkinson told The Independent. The idea is to gather the music capsules, and then deposit them to the Vault in batches. In 2021, the Global Music Vault sent out a call for contributions, coordinating their efforts with the International Music Council (IMC) to ensure representation from all regions and countries. The International Music Council (IMC) was founded in 1949 by UNESCO. Based in Paris, it represents the world’s largest network of music-related organizations. Its goal is to promote access to music, with direct connections to more than 1,000 organizations in about 150 countries. Through the IMC, designated Music Rights Champions will help curate the collection. They include:
THE LATEST ![]() John Riddle as Raoul (left), Ben Crawford as The Phantom and Emilie Kouatchou as Christine at Broadway's 34th-anniversary performance of The Phantom of the Opera. The last performance of the long-running hit musical was on Sunday, April 16. Concluding its remarkable 35-year run and almost 14,000 shows, "Phantom of the Opera" bids farewell to Broadway this Sunday. The renowned Phantom mask and solitary rose posters will vanish from Times Square, leaving the Majestic Theater unoccupied for the first time since the production's 1988 debut. | CNN Coronation: details on 12 new commissions revealed. Inaugural symphonies, organ compositions, and the first Welsh-language rendition during a UK Coronation: discover everything about the 12 exceptional commissions for Charles's crowning ceremony.| Classical-music.com The BBC has reconsidered its planned reductions to BBC English orchestras in response to pressure from musicians, the public, and political figures. Initially announced in March, the cuts would have led to a 20% decrease in positions within the BBC Symphony, Concert, and Philharmonic orchestras. | The Guardian INDUSTRY UMG urges Spotify & Apple Music to limit AI use of copyrighted songs, protecting IP in AI music ecosystem. Universal Music Targets AI Access to Copyrighted MusicSignalling concerns about intellectual property in the fast-emerging AI music ecosystem, Universal Music Group (UMG) is taking a dramatic step to preserve its music by encouraging streaming giants like Spotify and Apple Music to restrict AI businesses from utilizing copyrighted songs to train their platforms. In a message reported by the Financial Times, UMG asserts that AI services have been accessing copyrighted music without obtaining the necessary consent from the copyright holders. “We will not hesitate to take steps to protect our rights and those of our artists,” UMG threatened in the email last week. The exact steps were not revealed, but could include blocking IP access from AI services, effectively preventing them from accessing data from which it can model. The plot thickensAs AI music platforms gain popularity, concerns about potential copyright infringement have increased. UMG’s request, in addition to the Recording Industry Association of America’s (RIAA) previous warning against AI companies, signals the music industry’s growing backlash against such technology. Moreover, legal battles in the visual arts space may provide insight into how the music industry could proceed against AI platforms. Why it mattersThis issue has broader implications for the relationship between AI and creative industries. As AI continues to permeate various sectors, questions about intellectual property rights, ethical use of copyrighted content, and the need for revised regulations will likely become more pressing. The outcome of current legal battles and industry responses could shape the future of AI technology and its role in the creative process, potentially impacting artists, platforms, and users alike. VIOLIN Visa Fiasco: The €100K Ukrainian Orchestra DebacleIn a perplexing twist of international red tape, the Khmelnytsky Orchestra found themselves caught in a bureaucratic snafu that left them without UK visas and over €100,000 in losses. What happened?The day before the Khmelnytskyi Orchestra, a Ukrainian-based group, was to start their UK tour, they were notified that five key members were denied UK visas. The bureaucratic blunder left them stranded in Paris, causing the promoter, Star Entertainment, to face over €100,000 in losses. Despite having performed all over Europe, the orchestra missed several UK concerts featuring music from Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and The Hobbit. The heart of the matterThis visa debacle exposes the UK government’s hypocrisy, as their website previously highlighted the UK and Ukraine’s cultural collaboration. In an interview with the Guardian, Jaka Bizilj, managing director of Star Entertainment in the Guardian, accused the British government of “arbitrary discrimination against Ukrainian artists.” The orchestra’s ordeal cost not only money, but also damaged its reputation. In what appears to be a matter of red tape… …The Khmelnytskyi Orchestra’s visa crisis underscores many musicians’ challenges when navigating international borders. The incident also raises questions about the sincerity of the UK’s support for Ukrainian cultural exchange and highlights the need for transparent, efficient visa processes. The UK government responded by acknowledging the importance of artists being able to travel freely but did not say whether improvements would be made to prevent future visa mishaps. For now, the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine will perform in London in October, marking their first UK tour in over 20 years. This upcoming performance will serve as a reminder of the power of music to transcend political and cultural barriers. AROUND THE WEB
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changing the game forever. CARTOON OF THE WEEK ![]() Credit: Euge Chan (Don’t Shoot the Pianist) LAST WEEK’S PHOTO CAPTION WINNER ![]() "Glenn Gould's perfect day at the beach: a cold beer, a wool cap, and seagull counterpoint " 🏖️🐦🎶🍺 — Chi Hsiao How did you like today's email? |