Time well wasted #22

By now everyone should have received our season brochure for the 2014/15 season and it certainly looks like you've liked what you've found in it. Of course, we've heard a few complaints - it would be scary if everyone was 100% satisfied. But given the number of requests for season tickets we assume that you still like us. Handling all these requests is exhausting so we're relieved that the end of the week is near. Just do like us: sit back, relax and enjoy our recommended reads!

* Daniel Barenboim and Universal launched Peral Music, a digital-only label dedicated to Barenboim’s art as conductor, piano soloist, chamber musician and accompanist. Its goal is to reach "the younger generation who are completely at home in the digital world." It is also meant as a label for the thinking ear. "The education of the ear is important not only for the development of each individual, but for the functioning of society," according to Barenboim, as it could help form "human beings more apt to listen to and understand several points of view at once, more able to judge their own place in society and in history, and more likely to apprehend the similarities between all people rather than difference between them."

* It's one thing to organize city trips including a night at the opera (or at the Philharmonie). It's quite another challenge to develop a new form of tourism around music heritage. But according to UK Music's IMAGINE report, the UK could earn an extra £4 billion every year in music heritage tourism. The example to follow is Liverpool, of course. According to the report, The Beatles and their music heritage generate £70 million to the city’s local economy each year. Hull is on the right path with its museum dedicated to night clubbing while Sheffield should do more to capitalise on Jarvis Cocker and the Arctic Monkeys. A new perspective for Luxembourg too?

* Speaking of tourism: Colorado has become very creative since it loosened its law about marijuana. First there was the Marijuana Ski Bus, a shuttle that takes you from your hotel to the slopes in which you can smoke - the weed is included in the price of the ride. Now classicfm.com reports that "the Colorado Symphony Orchestra will be appearing at a new series of concerts entitled 'Classically Cannabis: The High Note Series', where attendees are encouraged to bring their own marijuana." That's what I call taking music education to another level. A shame though that you don't find a word about the music they'll play on the orchestra's website.

* International Jazz Day was two days ago and on this occasion China Moses (whom you'll hear at the Philharmonie with her mother Dee Dee Bridgewater next season) asked fellow musicians when they fell in love with jazz. You'll see some familiar faces.

That's it for this week! Have a fun weekend!

-- Julie