Free Concert Tickets for Furloughed Federal Employees

We're back with a classic link roundup this week! The TravelBass, a couple of cats, and free tickets to the symphony for workers affected by the government shutdown, all right here.

1. Good news for upright bassists: there's a new, travel-friendly bass in town!

2. This cat loves Mahler, and honestly? Mood.

3. Speaking of cats, here's Shostakovich holding one:

4. "On Jan. 7, the police cordoned off the streets. The auditorium’s ventilation and elevators were turned off. Every light bulb in the concert hall was unscrewed to eliminate a faint buzzing sound." A large portion of the city of Cremona fell silent for five weeks, as requested by their mayor, so that engineers could record the sounds of a set of Stradivarius instruments. This New York Times article about the process is a must-read.

5. Scientists in New Zealand are recruiting saxophonists in the hopes that a little serenade might help this endangered bird feel more comfortable... mating.

6. This retirement home for former opera singers was established by Giuseppe Verdi himself, and it's still in operation today.

7. Is your job being affected by the government shutdown? Orchestras around the country are trying to make it a little easier by offering free tickets to federal employees at certain concerts. So far we've seen the Boston Symphony, the Buffalo Philharmonic, the Akron Symphony, the Florida Orchestra, and the Spokane Symphony joining in, with more likely on the way, so check with your local orchestra too!