Another election season means, as always, another round of politicians being told to stop using artists’ music without permission. Most recently, Pharrell Williams issued a cease and desist letter to President Trump after rally organizers used his song “Happy” at a campaign event in Indiana. In his letter to the president, Williams’ attorney Howard King denounced the song choice in the wake of October’s fatal shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue. “There was nothing ‘happy’ about the tragedy inflicted upon our country on Saturday and no permission was granted for your use of this song for this purpose,” King wrote. The same week, after “Don’t Stop The Music” played at another rally, Rihanna...

There’s been a lot of discussion recently around the impact of streaming music on how artists are compensated for their work, given the overwhelming rise of services like Spotify and Apple Music. In a new development, the Orrin G. Hatch–Bob Goodlatte Music Modernization Act was signed into effect Oct. 11. It stands as one of the most important pieces of legislation regarding entertainment and copyright law, but the legal jargon can be difficult to follow for those who are unfamiliar with music industry standards. The bill, which received bipartisan approval in Congress, impacts all creative rights holders and those who create music — but it affects industry giants much more than small Oberlin bands with music...

Students walking past Mudd library or the Allen Memorial Art Museum this week may have noticed enlarged markups of The New York Times front pages posted on the buildings’ facades. These works, installed this week by Brooklyn-based artist Alexandra Bell, are meant to showcase the consequences of how news is portrayed by major news and media outlets. “I first encountered Alexandra Bell’s work on Instagram over a year ago, as I was starting my position at Oberlin,” said Allen Memorial Art...

New York-based saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins attracted a sizeable audience Saturday, Oct. 13 for his performance at David H. Stull Recital Hall, kicking off Oberlin’s midterm week. Wilkins’ quartet — featuring Micah Thomas on piano, Daryl Johns on bass, and Kweku Sumbry on drums — performed a complete set of original compositions written by the saxophonist. Wilkins is currently a senior at The Juilliard School of Music, and his performances are in high demand. He’s a sideman to contemporary New York City jazz visionaries like Harish Raghavan, Gerald Clayton, Joel Ross, and David Weiss, and performs with his quartet of music school colleagues and other young innovators. Wilkins’ progressive, gospel-inspired...