He’s my ultimate source on all matters cultural. Others feel the same. That’s why Dana has been called an  “information billionaire” by Tyler

Cruising for Classical Music in LA - by Ted Gioia

submited by
Style Pass
2024-11-13 21:30:08

He’s my ultimate source on all matters cultural. Others feel the same. That’s why Dana has been called an “information billionaire” by Tyler Cowen, who adds that my brother is one of the few interview guests “who can answer all of my questions.”

Dana has been answering my questions since our childhood days. Even when I was a student at Stanford, I learned more from Dana (who started his MBA there the same year I entered as a freshman) than from my professors.

That’s why I often tell stories about my interesting brother here. And occasionally I share his writings too—with particular pleasure, because Dana is the most talented author in the Gioia family.

I have been fascinated with modern classical music since my teenage years. When my classmates were buying albums by Jimi Hendrix, Cream, and the Byrds, I borrowed their records so I could spend my money on Stravinsky, Hindemith, Poulenc, and Britten. I bought the few contemporary American operas that were available, such as Barber’s Vanessa, Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti, or Copland’s The Tender Land. I was lucky to have a high school friend who shared my passion for music and literature. Jim Laffan played trumpet. I played clarinet. He played piano brilliantly; I played piano. We explored music together. I had a vague dream of being a composer.

Fifty years ago, it was difficult to hear contemporary classical music, especially opera. Today the internet has created a cultural economy of unmanageable abundance. Nearly everything is one click away—available anywhere you can get a digital signal. A listener is no longer dependent on record companies or commercial media. Technology has allowed musicians to record and share their own performances. There is more music available on my cellphone than there was at the Stanford Music Library during my undergraduate years.

Leave a Comment