by Michael Janairo

On exhibit: Muse at Home at Skidmore

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By Amy Griffin

Think about the items you choose to decorate your home. Are they simply there to beautify your walls or do you have a deeper connection to them? For the 27 contributors to “The Muse at Home” at Skidmore’s Schick Gallery, it’s deeply personal. The artworks they choose to surround themselves with are like old friends, sometimes created by friends.

Rebecca Shepard, curatorial assistant to the director of the Schick Gallery, says that within the idea of a show about collecting, she felt the focus should be on exploring more fully how people feel about the art they own.

“It’s really more about what people get from living with the work in their home,” says Shepard. A call was sent out to everyone involved in visual art at Skidmore. Faculty and staff from the Tang Teaching Museum, the studio art and art history departments and the visual resources area of the library responded. Fifteen of the 27 contributors are working artists themselves. Continue reading →

by Michael Janairo

Why you know someone in a band: The Capital Region is dense (but not popular) with music

To control for the effects of population, this map (above) shows the distribution of musical acts per 10,000 people. Note how dark it is in and around Albany. From http://www.theatlanticcities.com/arts-and-lifestyle/2012/11/americas-most-popular-music-scenes/3588/

Richard Florida, who coined the term creative class — about how the development of cities can be dependent upon the rise of a class of professionals involved in creative industries — recently published a study in the Atlantic Online about the most popular music scenes in the U.S. (A hat tip to my colleague Leigh Hornbeck to pointing me to this map on the Idiotsbeingidiots blog.)

Florida’s post offers four maps:

  • Raw Number of Musical Acts (LA is on top, followed by NYC and Chicago)
  • Density of Musical Acts per 10,000 (This is the map above, with LA on top, followed by Napa, Calif., and Las Vegas — the Albany metro area comes in ninth)
  • Music Popularity Index (in millions) This comes from MySpace data in 2007 (!) and has LA, NYC and Atlanta in the top 3
  • Popularity Index per Capita (Nashville tops this list, followed by LA and Atlanta)

The article states that the data come from MySpace in 2007, so it can be out of date. Florida writes:

In early 2007, at the peak of the site’s popularity (it had more visitors than Google at the time), my team at the Martin Prosperity Institute (MPI) and I organized and collated information on the more than three million artists that were listed. We cleaned the data, organizing it by location, popularity (as reflected by fans, plays, and page views), and key musical genres. Overall, we were able to code almost two million acts to metro areas.

It is stunning that Albany area is so highly ranked in the density of musical acts with 154 for 10,000 people.

Now this doesn’t mean the city of Albany, but the metropolitan statistical area, which includes the four counties of the Capital Region (Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga Springs and Schenectady) and more than 800,000 people. But if the math is correct, and you take that 154 per 10,000 and apply it to a population of 800,000, that means in 2007 there were 12,320 musical acts in the Capital Region.

To me this study, and Albany’s rank in it, means a few things:

  • It confirms what I’ve long suspected and what other data, like a  recent Preview survey, has said: going to see music is one of the top entertainment activities in the region.
  • Many of the people who go to see musical acts are also involved in their own musical act.
  • New technologies have made it easier than ever for people to create, record and distribute music, and this region is a vibrant place for that creation.
  • Despite all of this vibrancy, the music doesn’t have much of a reach, in that it doesn’t rate highly on the popularity index. That could mean that not enough people are hearing the music being created in this area, because the new tools for recording and distribution aren’t enough to make it big in the music world, if Albany has to compete with Nashville and LA, for example. Then again, it could also mean that the music isn’t all that good.
  • It also means that, with so many musical acts, that you, dear reader, likely know at least one person who plays music in a band, if not several,

What’s your take on this data?

by Michael Janairo

Photos: Carrie Underwood over the years

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Carrie Underwood returns to the Capital Region on Tuesday, Dec. 4. It is hard to believe that it has been more than seven years since she became part of the pop culture firmament with her winning turn on the fourth season of American Idol. To celebrate her return, which will feature her American Music Award best Country album: “Blown Away,” check out these photos to relive the past seven years of her rise from AI contestant to superstar. You can read the review of her 2010 concert at Times Union Center here.

At a glance
Carrie Underwood

  • When: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4
  • Where: Times Union Center, 51 S. Pearl St., Albany
  • Tickets: $40.50-$60.50
  • Info: 800-745-3000; http://timesunion.com
by Michael Janairo

Boston Symphony Orchestra announces 2013 Tanglewood season

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2013 Tanglewood Season

By Joseph Dalton

The Academy Award-winning film version of “West Side Story” will be screened with live orchestral accompaniment in The Shed at Tanglewood as part of the 2013 summer season, just announced by the Boston Symphony Orchestra. In an unusual feat of technology, the original vocal soundtrack — both singing and dialogue — will play as David Newman conducts.

Other highlights of the season, which runs July 5 through September 1, are concert performances of two recent full-length operas, John Harbison’s “The Great Gatsby” and George Benjamin’s “Written on Skin.” Major concert works will include the Verdi Requiem, Mahler’s First, Third and Fourth symphonies and the third act of Wagner’s “Die Walkure.” Yo-Yo Ma’s best-selling recording “The Goat Rodeo Sessions” will be reprised with bassist Edgar Meyer and madolinist Chris Thile, who recently received a MacArthur “genius” award. Also, Mark Morris will stage a double bill of Purcell’ “Dido and Aeneas” and Britten’s “Curlew River” with members of his dance company and musicians of the Tanglewood Music Center.

Because the BSO continues to perform without a music director after the departure of James Levine there will be a large roster of guest conductors. Among them, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos leads four concerts, while Charles Dutoit, Christoph Eschenbach, and Christoph von Dohnányi will conduct two to three performances each. Returning soloists include violinist Joshua Bell, and pianists Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Emanuel Ax, and Peter Serkin. Appearing in recital at Ozawa Hall will be baritone Bryn Terfel, and pianist Garrick Ohlsson, among others.

Other annual events include a live broadcast of “A Prairie Home Companion” (June 29), Tanglewood On Parade (August 6), and John Williams conducting film night (August 24).

A variety of discount ticket programs continue, including half price lawn seats for those under 17. In a new promotion, adults under age 40 can purchase tickets for just $20 to all BSO and Boston Pops concerts in The Shed. Tickets go on sale January 27 and are available by calling 888-266-1200 or by visiting http://www.tanglewood.org

Continue reading →

by Michael Janairo

Review: 60 Minutes on New York City Ballet

Meh.

I often enjoy 60 Minutes for its hard-hitting and enlightening news segments, and I was especially looking forward this segment on New York City Ballet, which has had its summer home at Saratoga Performing Arts Center since it was founded, but will only be in residence for one week in 2013.

Lesley Stahl provided a good overview of NYCB for a general audience, but the segment lacked specifics. Yes, the dancers are as fit as athletes. Yes, Balanchine is one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. Yes, the audience for ballet is graying. Yes, NYCB has financial troubles, though we don’t get any financial details.

What we learn is that ballet master Peter Martins — a former NYCB dancer under Balanchine who didn’t really like to perform — is trying to continue the legacy of Balanchine and to build new audiences by such critically panned shows such as Paul McCartney’s “Ocean Kingdom” and by highlighting the male dancers, such as Robert Fairchild.

Though Stahl does ask the good, hard question of Martins about his reaction to the critically drubbing his choreography has gotten, especially with “Ocean Kingdom,” she let’s Martins get away with saying, basically, that the critics don’t know what they’re talking about and that he had sold-out houses for the McCartney-related shows. What the critically response means, though, is that once the thrill of having a Beatle do ballet fades away, City Ballet is left with a dance that may not last in its repertoire. In other words, that it doesn’t have a future.

That’s something that the piece doesn’t delve into enough: the future. How successful has Martins been in highlighting male dancers? The piece doesn’t say, though perhaps the 60 Minutes segment’s few minutes spent with Fairchild could create some more excitement for NYCB.

by Michael Janairo

Fiction writing group seeks new members

A 20-year-old writing workshop based in Albany is currently seeking new, dependable members with a passion for writing and critiquing and an ability to commit to twice-monthly, 90-minute meetings on Wednesday nights.

We’re an eclectic group of writers with day jobs, currently writing and reviewing novels, short stories and, occasionally, plays and screenplays. No poetry, please. We’re looking to expand our ranks with like-minded individuals who are as interested in talking about the written word as they are in putting it down on paper.

If interested, please tell us a bit about yourself and send a sample of writing to alwechs@juno.com.

by Michael Janairo

Good things to do in the week ahead

Comedy

He lost to a dog act on “America’s Got Talent,” but comic Tom Cotter got plenty of exposure from his stint on the nationally televised talent show. Cotter, who was a finalist on last season’s “AGT,” didn’t waste any time basking in his success. He’s back on the road playing comedy clubs and a few colleges over the next few weeks, including a stop in the Capital Region. Cotter, who has appeared on Comedy Central, “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and CBS’ “The Late, Late Show,” won the Boston Comedy Festival’s grand prize and was voted Best Stand-Up at the Las Vegas Comedy Festival. He’ll do two shows when he plays Albany’s Comedy Works this week. 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Thursday. $30-$54.95. The Comedy Works Comedy Club, 500 Northern Boulevard, Albany. 275-6897; http://www.thecomedyworks.com

Just call it comedy for the ladies. It’s “Pumps and Punchlines,” a touring comedy show featuring four women comics cracking wise about guys, gossip, family, friends, fashion, and of course, sex. The funny females are Christina Pazsizky (Tru TV’s “World’s Dumbest,”  “Chelsea Lately”), Jill-Michele (“Mad TV,” Comedy Central, TBS), Mary Lynn Rajskub (“How To Be A Gentleman”), Arden Myrin (“Mad TV,” “Chelsea Lately,” “RuPaul’s Drag Race”) and Marina Franklin (“The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” Comedy Central). 8 p.m. Saturday. $20-$35. Proctors, 432 State St., Schenectady. 346-6204; http://www.proctors.org

Continue reading →

by Michael Janairo

60 Minutes preview: New York City Ballet

60 Minutes goes behind the curtain to show how Ballet Master in Chief Peter Martins works hard to build a new future for the New York City Ballet on the legacy of its founder, George Balanchine. Lesley Stahl reports on Sunday, Nov. 25 at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT.

by Michael Janairo

Photos: Art at Albany International Airport

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Thanksgiving is one of the busiest times of the year at the Albany International Airport. As you travel through, don’t forget to take a look at some of the artwork on the walls as part of the Albany International Airport’s Art & Culture Program. In addition to a dedicated gallery space on the third floor, art works by artists from throughout the region on display throughout the building. These photos show a few of them.