The Brave New World of
Music Blogs
By now, most classical-music patrons have heard about the online phenomenon known as “blogging.” But for those still catching up, here’s a primer: A blog is essentially an online journal. The word blog is the shortened version of web log. Blogging has become a way for audience members, performers, administrators and donors to share their unique experiences of the classical-music world as it applies to them, both locally and globally.
Even if you’re not interested in writing a blog about your concert experiences, several blogs are required stops for the web-savvy music lover. I look at dozens of music blogs every day as I prepare to write my entry for the day. Here are some of my favorite blogs, why I like them and why I think you might like them, too:
The Rest is Noise (therestisnoise.com) – Written by Alex Ross, classical critic for the New Yorker, who started it as he was preparing and researching his wildly popular book of the same name, this blog has the must-know information about 20th and 21st century music, written with passion and keen insight.
Alban Gerhardt’s Cello Blog (albangerhardt.com/blog) – Alban is a favorite returning soloist here in Portland, and he writes candidly about his art and personal life as he travels around the globe. The life of a top soloist is difficult but rewarding, and reading this blog gives one insight into that rarified world.
ArtsJournal Daily Arts News - Music (artsjournal.com/music) – aAgreat daily roundup of music news from around the world, with short summaries and links to the original articles from some of the great periodicals and newspapers of the world.
David Stabler’s Classical Music Blog (blog.oregonlive.com/classicalmusic) – David often writes as the classical music critic for the Oregonian, but often there isn’t enough space for his reviews to run in the print edition. You can find his reviews, background and opinions at his blog, updated quickly and often.
Think Denk (jeremydenk.net/blog) – Jeremy Denk is one of the rising stars of the keyboard world, featured as an orchestral soloist, recitalist and chamber music partner around the world. He also has a keen gift for writing about music, especially the keyboard works of Beethoven and J.S. Bach. Always entertaining, often humorous and occasionally edging into the sublime.
The Gathering Note (gatheringnote.com) – A collaborative blog featuring music writers from Seattle and Portland, this blog covers the Northwest music scene with emphasis on the smaller organizations and ensembles that don’t always get the mainstream press coverage.
Northwest Reverb (northwestreverb.blogspot.com) – Written by local arts journalist James Bash, Northwest Reverb covers many Portland chamber music and orchestral concerts with reviews written in plain English and from a musician’s perspective.
So get online and take a look at some of these blogs, because informed audiences are sophisticated audiences, and sophisticated audiences are healthy audiences. And if the audiences are healthy, the orchestra remains healthy and grows and prospers!
Charles Noble
