A new study (http://www.chorusamerica.org/about_choralsinging.cfm) has research to support that participation in a chorus - regardless of age - yields much more than artistic benefits alone. Citing improved academic performance for students as well as higher volunteer rates, better leadership skills, greater philanthropic involvement and increased patronage of the other arts, the study's implicit conclusion is that musical skills are directly translatable into everyday, non-musical life.
These comments are wonderful.
I think multi-media and crossover works can be very powerful if done thoughtfully. They're not as effective if done for meta-reasons such as marketing. I completely agree with both of you that there are lots of assumptions made about audiences' need for sensory stimulation, and that efforts to...