Industry News
State Senator Burt Saunders of Naples has proposed a Truth in Music Law which would impose misdemeanor charges on impostor bands. Look-alike and sound-alike impostor bands are popular in retirement communities and colleges and at fundraisers throughout Florida. A similar law has been enacted in five other states and is being considered in thirteen others.
Kravis Center benefactor Julian Cohen has passed away at age 82. He had donated $3.2 million to the Center, whose grand pavilion bears his name. Cohen was also a longtime supporter of the Boston Symphony, having donated $13 million to that organization.
The Carnival Center's preliminary operating budget for next season projects that their deficit will shrink to $1000, based on a projected $5.2 million increase in revenue. During its first few months of operation, the Center has posted a $610,000 loss.
Business for those catering to musicians has nearly doubled over the last decade to $7.5 billion. There has been a growth in music instrument ownership, primarily piano, guitar, bass, and brass, partly attributed to the rise in digital home recording.
Recording
Qflix has been introduced by Sonic Solutions to provide a system for digitally "locking" content burned onto DVDs on computers and in retail kiosks. The lock is standard on prerecorded DVDs sold today, and would provide a means of copy protection for downloaded content.
British company Omnifone has unveiled MusicStation, a subscription service where subscribers can download an unlimited number of songs from dozens of major labels to their cell phones for the equivalent of $3.88 per week.
A new IRS ruling has taken effect that may increase runaway production. The ruling states that participations and residuals must be counted as production costs when applying for federal "runaway production" tax credits. Comments on the ruling are being received through May 10, after which the IRS could convene public hearings on the ruling. The new ruling could have a significant effect on low budget productions that later become hits.
EMI has confirmed that it has been approached by Warner Music to merge the two labels. The labels had been in discussions last year, but had abandoned merger talks over concerns that they would not receive regulatory approval. EMI and Warner together control about 25 percent of global sales.
XM and Sirius Satellite Radio have agreed to merge. The merger will face regulatory hurdles, however the companies are expected to argue that they compete not just with each other, but also with digital audio sources such as iPods.
Symphonic
Florida Grand Opera maestro Stewart Robertson was nominated for a Grammy for his recording of Bennett's opera, The Mines of Sulfur, with the Glimmerglass Opera.
Florida Grand Opera has sold its Arturo di Filippi Center to the Cuban Museum for $3 million. The Opera is in negotiations to buy a building west of the Miami Airport, which will be used to consolidate operations until its new facility next to the Carnival Center can be built.
Miami Beach commissioners have approved a $15 million grant to the New World Symphony for construction of its new performance hall. The $150 million facility will be built adjacent to the Lincoln Theater on land provided by the city. The New World Symphony has raised $105 million toward construction costs, and is seeking $30 million from Miami-Dade County.
When maestro Marcello Angelini had concerns about a potential strike at Teatro Massimo's performance of Giselle this past month, he instructed the sound engineer to record the dress rehearsal. When the orchestra threatened a strike in hopes of causing the performance to be canceled, the maestro retaliated with the threat of using the recording, and the orchestra backed down.
Write reply
Comments must be approved before being published.
