Archive March 2006
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March 22, 2006
New Radio
1934 Radio
(Photo: Renske Vrolijk)We've bought a new radio. It is a very cool vintage 1934 model (see picture) and I am very proud of it.
We had high hopes for a real old one, but these are hard to get, so we settled with a replica.
When I told my manager (he is the manager for NCRV's radio-department ) at the office, he told me he owns a 1928 original Philips radio, one of the first radio receivers ever produced.
On the other hand, wouldn't it be cool to have an Internet-radio, working with a wifi connection, but with the looks of the early 1920s and 1930s models.
Posted by Renske at 15:09 UTC | permanent link | Comments (0)
March 21, 2006
Unification
Amazing!
Today, representatives of both Dutch composers organizations (Geneco and Componisten 96) together with a representative of the Dutch Jazz organization BIM spoke to our State Secretary for Education, Culture and Science Medy van der Laan. (See also my entry turmoil.
Reason for this invitation by Van der Laan is that last week all three organizations issued an concept for a unification of all three organizations, thus ending a 10 year schism.
Whatever the outcome of today's talks, this is already something achieved.
Posted by Renske at 20:23 UTC | permanent link | Comments (0)
March 07, 2006
Burglary
Record companies don't really care for the music, they care about the money.
Dutch internetprovider Planet, a subdivision of Telco KPN, has the number one payed download music service in Holland. Today they anounced that with the use of digital rights management all sold songs will be deactivated as from April 3, 2006.
KPN states they have to revoke the songs, forced by the record companies. At the same time the record companies raise the prices with to 1,49 euro per song, due to rising costs. But they are unable to specify what costs.
This is a very bad development. When you sell a song you have SOLD it. Period.
It should not be able to change the policy afterward and revoke music that is already legally on my computer. It is as if the record industry would enter my house and take my cd and record collection telling my they sold it too cheap to me and changed the delivery license afterward.
This behavior is not just indecent. If someone comes into my house without my permission and take someone with him, he or she would be arrested for burglary.
Whatever the licence agreement the companies make you agree before you download, this is injustice.
Posted by Renske at 19:28 UTC | permanent link | Comments (0)
March 03, 2006
Having diner
Dessert
(Photo: Renske Vrolijk)Last Wednesday Jan Wolff gave me the best birthday present possible. Not that he knew, but nevertheless. He invited all Dutch composers to have diner in the Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ.
I think about 80 composers showed up, which isn't too bad at all since the bad weather conditions that hit Holland this Wednesday. It was a nice meet and greet with people I didn't see in years.
Furthermore, it is a very well timed gesture where some composer groups, who have been in a state of Cold War since the Dutch composers union split up over a money-fight in 1996, were united under one roof again.
Thank you, Jan Wolff, for this great evening.
Posted by Renske at 19:52 UTC | permanent link | Comments (0)