Jon Silpayamanant - โจนาทาน ศิลปยามานันท์ Aesthetics, Cross-Cultural criticism, Culture, Diversity, pedagogy, World Dance, World Music

There are covers and then, there are Covers

I do a lot of covers. In a sense, I spend most of my musical life doing covers. Playing a Beethoven Symphony? Cover. Playing a 14th century Turkish Mevlevi song? Cover. Playing a piece I wrote? Cover. Wait...what? "But you're playing an original tune, not a cover," you might say. Well, as I've been saying … Continue reading There are covers and then, there are Covers

Jon Silpayamanant - โจนาทาน ศิลปยามานันท์ Aesthetics, American Classical Music History, Arts Education, Arts Funding, Audiences, Business, Economics, Education

Musical Thoughts, Reflections, Questions, and other Ephemera…

As most of you know, I've not been blogging nearly as much as in the past--I go through periods like this. This doesn't mean I haven't been writing/thinking/analyzing things. I was just looking at all the recent drafts I've been working on and decided rather than trying to finish one I'll just post some of … Continue reading Musical Thoughts, Reflections, Questions, and other Ephemera…

Jon Silpayamanant - โจนาทาน ศิลปยามานันท์ Aesthetics, American Classical Music History, Classical Music Crisis Crisis, Cross-Cultural criticism, Culture, Diversity, Fragmentation, History, Non-Western Cello, Orchestra Reform, Orchestras, Post-Colonialism

The Other Orchestras (part 1): Ethnic Orchestras

There's such a problem with Eurocentric terminology when discussing analogues to a Western institution found in other cultures. That's no different than with orchestras. I've used the phrase "Ethnic Orchestras" in reference to large ensembles modeled after the European-styled Orchestra (e.g. Traditional Chinese Orchestras), but at the same time, some of these large ensembles are … Continue reading The Other Orchestras (part 1): Ethnic Orchestras

Jon Silpayamanant - โจนาทาน ศิลปยามานันท์ Aesthetics, American Classical Music History, Arts Education, Classical Music Crisis Crisis, Cross-Cultural criticism, Culture, Diversity

Classical Music is alive because it’s constantly evolving

In a recent piece by Bill Zuckerman, which is ostensibly a defense of the state of Classical Music not being so dire as some Crisis folks are saying, we get the explanation that many of the types of values taught are the focus of music school instruction.  While I don't necessarily disagree with that, I … Continue reading Classical Music is alive because it’s constantly evolving

Jon Silpayamanant - โจนาทาน ศิลปยามานันท์ Aesthetics, Arts Education, Audiences, Pop

Who is Paul McCartney, part II

who tf is paul mccartney???!??! this is why i love kanye for shining light on unknown artists — :/ (@CurvedDaily) January 2, 2015 I thought this was as humorous as the first round two years ago (sorry--no Dothraki love song info in today's post). This blurb from the Boston Globe probably says it best--especially about … Continue reading Who is Paul McCartney, part II

Jon Silpayamanant - โจนาทาน ศิลปยามานันท์ Aesthetics, American Classical Music History, Art, Business, Classical Music Crisis Crisis, Cross-Cultural criticism, Culture, Economics, Fragmentation

On Faux Musical Quality, Popularity, and Relevance

A few weeks ago I read a clickbait piece on mic.com, "How The Music Industry Is Brainwashing You to Like Bad Pop Songs." It linked to a study showing how the emotion centers of the brain light up in fMRIs when familiar tunes were played to the test subjects. This isn't a particularly surprising result.  … Continue reading On Faux Musical Quality, Popularity, and Relevance

Jon Silpayamanant - โจนาทาน ศิลปยามานันท์ Aesthetics, Arts Funding, Audiences, Classical Music Crisis Crisis

“Last time I checked there isn’t an orchestra in the US that can fill an auditorium like major pop names.”

The quote in the title of this post is from a Chip Michael's piece from a few years ago. It's also something that is symptomatic about what's wrong with comparisons between different kinds of musical genres. In the end, yes, what we're talking about is live music played by live musicians for a live audience, … Continue reading “Last time I checked there isn’t an orchestra in the US that can fill an auditorium like major pop names.”

Jon Silpayamanant - โจนาทาน ศิลปยามานันท์ Aesthetics, Business, Classical Music Crisis Crisis, Cross-Cultural criticism, Culture, Diversity, Economics

Walking with Dinosaurs

In a recent Telegraph piece by Hannah Furness we're told that Peter Sellars has called for the end of Mass art forms In a speech about the importance of art, Sellars argued the changing world had left consumers wanting a different experience from simple, traditional mass market. Saying opera had an “irrational beauty” which is … Continue reading Walking with Dinosaurs

Jon Silpayamanant - โจนาทาน ศิลปยามานันท์ Aesthetics, American Classical Music History, Audiences, Classical Music Crisis Crisis, Culture, Diversity, Economics, Film

Young Audiences (part 1): Hollywood, Classical Music, and the costs of Social Justice

In my previous post I talked about the minuscule returns that live audience ticket revenue gives for the total operating budget of movies. I'm going to divide this post into two parts as the first has gotten rather lengthy. In this post I've summarized some of the things I brought up in the previous one, … Continue reading Young Audiences (part 1): Hollywood, Classical Music, and the costs of Social Justice

Jon Silpayamanant - โจนาทาน ศิลปยามานันท์ Aesthetics, Classical Music Crisis Crisis, Diversity, Economics, Education, Japanese Noise, Post-Pop

“[W]hy not do pieces more accessible, more traditional and more ‘musical’?”

It's been a number of years I posted (warning: explicit language) Joe Roemer's (of Macronympha) to my harshnoise blog.  It had been circulating around emails, listserves, and the net in online forums (when those were the primary online social networks after listserves) and I wanted it to be posted in a more "public" space. (you … Continue reading “[W]hy not do pieces more accessible, more traditional and more ‘musical’?”

Jon Silpayamanant - โจนาทาน ศิลปยามานันท์ Aesthetics, Arts Education, Business, Classical Music Crisis Crisis, Culture, Economics, Education, Music, Post-Pop, Psychology

Jim Carrey, Steve Martin, Classical Music, and why you might not want to follow your passion…

I'm sure most of you have seen the recent Jim Carrey commencement speech (or at least the shortened clickbait version).  If not, here's the short one: Archived Video link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajMpfPYlHi4 While it is inspirational and uplifting if we put aside some of the issues of privilege in Carrey's situation which I've been having discussions about … Continue reading Jim Carrey, Steve Martin, Classical Music, and why you might not want to follow your passion…

Jon Silpayamanant - โจนาทาน ศิลปยามานันท์ Aesthetics, American Classical Music History, Audiences, Business, Classical Music Crisis Crisis, Economics, Local Culture, Post-Pop, Psychology, Rock

Covers vs. Originals: Why classical musicians might not want to think like rock bands

In the previous post in this series I mentioned that I would be exploring narrow ideas of “Success” in discussions from some Classical Music Crisis folks. I brought up the phenomenon known as Survivorship Bias and how our models for success can be skewed by survivors while missing possibly more relevant data that can be … Continue reading Covers vs. Originals: Why classical musicians might not want to think like rock bands

Jon Silpayamanant - โจนาทาน ศิลปยามานันท์ Aesthetics, American Classical Music History, Arts Education, Audiences, Cello, Classical Music Crisis Crisis, Economics, Local Culture, Orchestra Reform, Post-Pop, Psychology, Rock

Survivorship Bias: Why classical musicians might not want to think like rock bands

This is going to be the first in a series of posts exploring narrow ideas of "Success" in discussions from some Classical Music Crisis folks. Survivorship bias also flash-freezes your brain into a state of ignorance from which you believe success is more common than it truly is and therefore you leap to the conclusion … Continue reading Survivorship Bias: Why classical musicians might not want to think like rock bands

Jon Silpayamanant - โจนาทาน ศิลปยามานันท์ Aesthetics, American Classical Music History, Art, Arts Education, Audiences, Classical Music Crisis Crisis, Cross-Cultural criticism, Diversity, Orchestra Reform, Pop, Post-Colonialism, Post-Pop

Myth of the Monolithic Pop Culture

One of the many ideas that Crisis folks rely on is what we could call a Monolithic Pop Culture trope. The whole idea of Classical Music culture being rooted in the past (and therefore needing to "catch up" to contemporary culture) relies on this myth that culture has "evolved" (nevermind the problematic aspects of a … Continue reading Myth of the Monolithic Pop Culture

Jon Silpayamanant - โจนาทาน ศิลปยามานันท์ Aesthetics, American Classical Music History, Orchestra Reform, Orchestras

Fragmentation and Specialization: Video Game Music Orchestras

As any field grows in size and complexity, fragmentation and specialization inevitably happens. When orchestras first evolved there wasn't any need to make a differentiation between an early music orchestra or a new music orchestra. Early Music ensembles (or Historically Informed Performance ensembles as we now often call them) couldn't exist since the repertoire was … Continue reading Fragmentation and Specialization: Video Game Music Orchestras

Jon Silpayamanant - โจนาทาน ศิลปยามานันท์ Aesthetics, Art, Dance, Experimental Cellos and Cellists, klingon music, Music, Operas

Opera: “I’m not dead!”

With all the talk about San Diego Opera, the Met Opera, and a bit further back, the closure of New York City Opera we might be quick to say that Opera is a dying art form in the US. Indeed, a recent NAI report shows that Opera attendance is steadily declining from a recent high … Continue reading Opera: “I’m not dead!”

Jon Silpayamanant - โจนาทาน ศิลปยามานันท์ Aesthetics, Arts Education, Chello Shed, Local Culture, Local Louisville Linkblogging, Louisville, Performing, Presentations, Projects, Reflections, Research, Resources

Why New Music Louisville: The Evolution of NuMuLu (part 1.5) – New Solo Cello Repertoire and Extended Techniques

As I was looking for scores for my students who performed at the ISSMA Solo and Ensemble Contest this past Saturday, I came across a number of my collection of sheet music for new solo cello works. I've not looked through them until lately as I've started up my two lastest new music projects (The … Continue reading Why New Music Louisville: The Evolution of NuMuLu (part 1.5) – New Solo Cello Repertoire and Extended Techniques

Jon Silpayamanant - โจนาทาน ศิลปยามานันท์ Aesthetics, American Classical Music History, Arts Education, Education, Music, Psychology

What is Classical Music?

  One thing that I'm struck by in nearly every conversation about the state of Classical Music, whether online or in real life, is how differently folks define what it is.  Usually that definition is implicit and easily understood in the statements made, and other times it seems like some clarification is needed. A recent … Continue reading What is Classical Music?