New England Conservatory’s Pratt Early Music Program aims to teach historical performance practice to “modern” instrumentalists and to populate symphony orchestras in the future. As collegiate early-music education is facing budget cuts across the country, the Pratt Program shows a way forward — with dedicated funding.
Training the Compleat Musician Read More »
People who care about the future of historical performance often don’t understand how to reach and retain young people. This essay is a call to action for the field of historical performance to support educational work.
Outreach is Not Education Read More »
From the Publications Director: On the research side, A.I.’s skill in gathering and summarizing information opens boundless possibilities. But the interpretation of facts is an art all its own, not to be casually handed over to a bot. It’s crazy to have to say this, but here we are: Writing is as much an art as playing the viola da gamba or the crumhorn.
Toward an EMA Policy for A.I. Read More »
Is historical performance practice facing a ‘correction’ — a downscaling that reflects a more accurate valuation of its current worth — or, instead, are we heading toward a paradigm shift, where a familiar old model proves to be inadequate and is overturned by a new, workable, and perhaps revolutionary replacement?
Moments of Clarity and a Wake-up Call Read More »
There was once a dismissive, even hostile, attitude toward period instruments and scholarship-based approaches to technique and interpretation. Most of those complaints now seem like dated artifacts of the late 20th c., or were a reaction (let’s be honest) to unrefined instruments and wobbly playing. But that’s now all behind us, right?
Is Historical Performance Still Controversial? Read More »
