A Concept Without Words
If a society has words that translate to “black” and “white,” but has no words for any other colors, do the people who speak that language understand the concept of color? There were studies that originally concluded that language determines thought; if there are no words for a concept in a certain languages, its [...]
An Explanation for Young Apathy
It has been said that my generation is largely apathetic when it comes to issues that confront today’s world. This apathy is related to the generational cynicism—the idea that no matter how hard we could try, even in large numbers, to change those things about the world with which we are unhappy, “we” activists [...]
Portability of Music Cheapens Its Meaning
Norman Lebrecht is not a fan of the Sony Walkman and its descendents.
25 years of Walkman usage has destroyed any sense of a piece of music having a place in the world, in time, in our personal lives. Music, made portable, is removed from any frame of reference. It becomes a utility, undeserving of more [...]
The Future of (Art) Music
At ArtsJournal, several prominent New York music critics have come together for a conversation and examination of the future of music. What they are talking about is “art” or “western art” music, although I hesitate to include the term “western” since in New York, there are more influences than only the “western” (western European [...]