Daily Archives: March 18, 2014

Dudamel, Gergiev: Should they leave politics to the experts?

Posted: March 18, 2014 at 9:40 pm

Though I typically love Washington Post music critic Anne Midgettes reasoning and writing, her March 14 column on whether classical musicians should take political stands forcefully argued and written is deeply disturbing from the first sentence.

Midgette thoughtfully examines the public roles of musicians, asking if they have a duty to speak up for human rights, particularly when the countries that nurtured them are in significant turmoil. For Los Angeles Philharmonic music director Gustavo Dudamel, its the uprising against the current regime in Venezuela. With conductor Valery Gergiev, its Russia.

Her piece begins as follows:

Theres a myth, in the popular imagination, that classical music is higher, better and more exalted than much of the rest of life.

Myth?

Having lived and worked in Washington, D.C., I know that those who champion the fine arts there are always under the shadow of the anti-elitism police we all know we they are and thus tend to head them off at the pass, so to speak, with self-deprecating lip service.

If the value of classical music is a myth, why do we fund it with ticket sales, foundation grants and, most of all, with our hearts despite its flagrant lack of practicality? Broadway shows can barely muster much semblance of a pit orchestra. But Mahler symphonies, say, are played by a group of 100 or more. Surely, there must be some justification for that. And there is. It is higher, better and more exalted than much of the rest of life. If thats not true, then many intelligent people have been utter fools for a very long time.

The argument over whether classical music makes us better human beings is the way of madness.Even the greatest people, whether involved with music or not, have feet of clay. Its our nature. And who is anybody to chart another human beings self-improvement at the hands of any artform?

As for the musicians themselves, Midgette tends to discuss them collectively, even though they occupy hugely different places on the chess board.

Those who create art are most notable for their inner lives, which intersect with their outer selves but exist in a distinctly different place. One has to hunt far and deeply to find expression of Wagners bigotry in his music, mainly in the finale of Die Meistersinger (when Hans Sachs warns against outside influences polluting their art) and the implications of ethnic cleansing under the surface of Parsifal. I believe that Wagners bigotry wouldnt be nearly the issue that it is now had his music not been co-opted by Nazi Germany. And thats not his fault though he was rather foolish to throw his anti-Semitic opinions about in public to begin with. A composers primary responsibility is to his or her inner (and inevitably private) self.

Excerpt from:
Dudamel, Gergiev: Should they leave politics to the experts?

Posted in Post Human | Comments Off on Dudamel, Gergiev: Should they leave politics to the experts?

Media Executive Program faculty, Gerd Leonhard, Futurist – Video

Posted: at 9:40 pm


Media Executive Program faculty, Gerd Leonhard, Futurist
Gerd Leonhard, Futurist and faculty at CBS Executive #39;s "Leading Media Entertainment Companies" program: "Acquire skills and foresights to create winning me...

By: CBSExecutive1

Visit link:
Media Executive Program faculty, Gerd Leonhard, Futurist - Video

Posted in Futurist | Comments Off on Media Executive Program faculty, Gerd Leonhard, Futurist – Video

Ian Morrison Healthcare Futurist – Video

Posted: at 9:40 pm


Ian Morrison Healthcare Futurist
Ian Morrison is an internationally known author, consultant, and futurist specializing in long-term forecasting and planning with particular emphasis on heal...

By: SpeakersDotCom

Read more:
Ian Morrison Healthcare Futurist - Video

Posted in Futurist | Comments Off on Ian Morrison Healthcare Futurist – Video

Futurist Gerd Leonhard: The Future of Media,Advertising and Communications – Video

Posted: at 9:40 pm


Futurist Gerd Leonhard: The Future of Media,Advertising and Communications
Advertising at Google Tech Talk London: Futurist Gerd Leonhard- The Future of Media Advertising and Communications.

By: Business

Read more from the original source:
Futurist Gerd Leonhard: The Future of Media,Advertising and Communications - Video

Posted in Futurist | Comments Off on Futurist Gerd Leonhard: The Future of Media,Advertising and Communications – Video

hired to help New Smyrna Beach plan

Posted: at 9:40 pm

Published: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 at 4:57 p.m. Last Modified: Tuesday, March 18, 2014 at 6:36 p.m.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH Protecting the Indian River Lagoon, preserving land for public use, redeveloping U.S. 1 and managing growth on State Road 44 should be top priorities for city officials.

Thats according to surveys filled out by residents and visitors, feedback that will be used as part of a wide-ranging effort to craft a plan that charts the citys course for the next 25 years.

I know were over 500 in terms of surveys received, which is just awesome, City Manager Pam Brangaccio said Monday.

City officials are also seeking the publics help to steer the planning process during a day-long community forum from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Brannon Center, 105 S. Riverside Drive.

Rebecca Ryan, a nationally renowned futurist from Madison, Wis., will be the keynote speaker and lead the forum, in part talking about how national and international trends can impact the citys planning. The city is paying Ryan about $11,375, plus travel expenses, an amount approved by the City Commission in December as part of the total funding for Saturdays visioning event.

Those who attend will break into groups to discuss what steps need to be taken to address each of the citys biggest concerns, Brangaccio said. Several provocateurs, or experts on each topic, will help lead the discussions. They are: Mike Abels, a University of Central Florida instructor and former DeLand city manager, who will speak about neighborhood preservation; Ken Parker, retired Port Orange city manager, who will discuss State Road 44 development; Clay Henderson, an environmental attorney, will talk about the Indian River Lagoon; New Smyrna Beach Vice Mayor Jason McGuirk, who owns the Dairy Queen on North Dixie Freeway, will talk about redevelopment of the blighted corridor: Doug Weaver, former director of Volusia Countys Land Acquisition and Management Department, will discuss preservation and management of parks and open space, and Denise Mott, Team Volusias director of business development, will talk about economic development and job creation, said Holly Smith, the citys public information officer.

Registration begins at 8 a.m. For more information contact the citys Planning Department at 386-424-2132.

Read more from the original source:
hired to help New Smyrna Beach plan

Posted in Futurist | Comments Off on hired to help New Smyrna Beach plan

In the age of wearable technology, don't forget who wears the trousers

Posted: at 9:40 pm

Computers are getting bigger and smaller at the same time, but Intel futurist Steve Brown says what's most important about wearable technology is the person doing the wearing.

CuteCircuit's latest fashion line reminds us that wearable technology doesn't have to sacrifice beauty.

From smartwatches to smart shoes, in the age of wearable technology computers are getting bigger and getting smaller at the same time -- but according to Intel future-gazer Steve Brown, the most important thing about a wearable device is the person doing the wearing.

"Anything can become a computer," says futurist Steve Brown speaking at the Wearable Technology Show in London. Gazing into his crystal ball, he sees three things happening in technology: "Computing is becoming smaller, computing is becoming bigger, and computing is becoming more natural."

How can computers get smaller and bigger at the same time? "Computers becoming smaller is the key thing," says Brown. As chips and computers shrink, "computers are getting closer to merging with us... computers are getting closer and closer to our brains."

At the same time, computers are getting bigger -- somewhere. Huge data centres that can crunch huge numbers can connect to Google Glass, Samsung Gear or any device we carry or wear, and "the experience you get is that you have one of these giant computers on your wrist, on your eyes, on your feet," says Brown.

Finally, our interaction with computers is becoming more natural. "For the first years of computing we have talked to computers in the way they need us to. But we're now in the era of touch, and we invented a whole new language to communicate with devices. We need to do that again for wearable devices."

Be your best self

But the success of wearables depends on more than just the technology. "The things that you wear say something about you," says Brown, highlighting the cultural meanings of spectacles or watches. "There are some things that wearables signify that are unintentional... What do you think when you see someone wearing a Bluetooth headset?"

Brown's advice to those developing wearable kit is to always think about the person doing the wearing. "Be bold," he advises. "Don't let engineers lead you. A device has to fit in with what is important to people... how do people use it? How does it help people be their best selves? They must help people be the best parent they can be, the best employee they can be, the best friend they can be.

Here is the original post:
In the age of wearable technology, don't forget who wears the trousers

Posted in Futurist | Comments Off on In the age of wearable technology, don't forget who wears the trousers