Anyone can play "Rondo alla turca" on a piano. But on a calculator? Now we're talking. Also in this roundup, interviews, jokes, and the strange daily habits of great composers.
1. Some of the world's most beloved composers also had some of the world's strangest habits. Zack Ferriday, a writer for VAN Magazine, spent a week testing five of these habits to see if they made him more creative and productive.
2. A fascinating interview with composer Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate explores the overlap -- and the tension -- between Chickasaw and Western classical music traditions. Here's a teaser for one of his pieces, with the San Francisco Symphony:
3. At long last, meet the man behind the wildly-popular Twitter account "Composers Doing Normal Sh*t." One of his most beloved Tweets:
Claude Debussy having a sad picnic with his daughter Chouchou.
— composers doing normal shit (@NormalComposers) August 22, 2019
Happy Birthday, Claude Debussy! pic.twitter.com/6ghz1i89VH
4. Composers as soft drinks, anyone?
I can’t explain it, but:
— Jesse Strickland (@jgstrickland7) May 4, 2021
Beethoven - Coke
Mozart - Sprite
Mahler - Mountain Dew Code Red
Schubert - Dr. Pepper
Debussy - La Croix
Brahms - Pepsi
R. Schumann - a flat generic brand Diet Coke
5. In a blazing display of talent, this YouTuber plays Mozart's Rondo alla turca... on calculators.
