From the Houston Symphony's Wesbite:

The Houston Symphony will host its first ever “Tweetcert” on Thursday, June 17 at Miller Outdoor Theatre. During the orchestra’s performance, a series of ‘tweets’ will be posted on the Symphony’s Twitter feed that will offer the audience an up-to-the-minute version of program notes about the music. Audience members can follow along on their smartphones while hearing the music live! Follow @HouSymphony today!

Now, I know you are all going to think I'm just a cranky older person who doesn't get technology (and you would be right about the older person who doesn't get tech - not too cranky, hopefully), but this seems like technology for technology's sake with very little, if any added value.

Our good friend Drew McManus sent me an invitation to list the four holiday songs/pieces I enjoy the most and the least, the four holiday concerts (live) I enjoyed the most and the least, and the four holiday CDs in I enjoy the most and least at his website Adaptistration. 

Anyone who has read my posts here knows that I love making lists, and I signed right on to Drew’s wonderful site and left my choices.  But why should I have all the fun?  I invite all of you to visit Adaptistration and give your 2 cents worth. Rather than actually follow Drew’s suggestions, I added my favorite holiday movies to my list and took a few swipes at various artists along the way – all in good fun (and good cheer, of course!). 

A contemporary phrase about flamboyant jewelry? An overused hip-hop reference?  Further proof that language is in a constant state of flux?  Yes, to all of the above, and also the title of composer Michael Daugherty’s most recent piece entitled Bling Bling for Full Orchestra and Break Dancers.  You can catch a short video excerpt of this work at www.thecereallist.com

Ah, technology!  It seems that the National Symphony Orchestra’s conductor, Emil de Cou, has prepared real-time program notes to Beethoven’s Sixth that will be beamed via Twitter to people sitting on the lawn of Wolf Trap on July 30. According to an NSO press release, “The messages will begin during intermission and provide facts about Beethoven’s life and work. Once the concert begins, the tweets will be sent at specific points in the score, becoming streaming program notes that mark musical signposts depicting Beethoven’s symphonic tribute to a day in the country.”
 

Since the League of American Orchestras changed how they sent out their weekly media and industry updates, I don’t get to read them as often as I used to.  Too bad because it was a nice, easy way to quickly see what was happening with other orchestras.  I had a few moments today to visit The Hub (where they keep this info nowadays) and stumbled across an article I found interesting and amusing.  It’s about branding - a topic I think about fairly regularly.