Teen World of Arts

Is music simply organised sound—or something more elusive? From John Cage to Christopher Small’s idea of “musicking,” we explore why the boundary between music and noise is less objective than we might hope. Read on for more.

What happens when singing meets dialogue? Inside a Jerusalem youth choir where Israeli and Palestinian teens rehearse together, share their stories, and learn to stay in the room—especially when it’s hardest. Read on for more.

What happens when pop opens its doors to the orchestra? From ROSALÍA’s baroque-inflected “Berghain” to the symphonic experiments of Laufey and Cody Fry, classical pop is dissolving genre boundaries—and inviting new listeners in.

As geopolitical tensions once again draw global attention to Greenland, its cultural history offers a revealing counterpoint. For over four millennia, Greenlandic Inuit communities have used drum song and dance not only for ritual and social life, but also as a structured, non-violent way to resolve disputes. In a drum duel, restraint—not aggression—determined the outcome, leaving judgment to the community rather than to force.

From Venezuela’s El Sistema to the podiums of the world’s leading orchestras, Gustavo Dudamel’s career has unfolded alongside profound political change. As he prepares to take on the leadership of the New York Philharmonic, questions about art, power, and responsibility follow close behind. This article traces Dudamel’s rise while examining the uneasy space where music, state influence, and public expectation meet.

When orchestral projects took over music school, pianists were left with unexpected free time—and an unusual solution. Enter the Piano Department Film Night: documentaries, lectures, and YouTube deep dives watched on an ancient projector. From Cziffra to Glenn Gould to Juilliard practice rooms, this is a pianist’s guide to what’s worth watching.

Beethoven’s symphonies are often described as profound, moving, and universal—but history complicates that reverence. From Nazi Germany to Stalinist Russia to modern political institutions, his music has repeatedly been co-opted to serve conflicting ideologies. This article asks whether the feeling of being “moved” is as innocent as it seems, or whether its very emptiness makes it dangerously adaptable.

The myth insists that Stravinsky’s score ignited a riot in 1913—but the truth is far more layered. TWoA revisits the premiere of The Rite of Spring, tracing how Nijinsky’s “anti-ballet” choreography, shaky orchestral execution, and a restless Parisian audience collided to create one of modernism’s great origin stories. A deeper look at the night that changed music history, just not in the way we’re told.

In 1967, Ravi Shankar and Yehudi Menuhin created West Meets East, a groundbreaking collaboration that brought Indian classical music into Western mainstream consciousness. But beneath its Grammy-winning success lie deeper questions of influence, appropriation, and cultural power. TWoA explores the friendship between the two virtuosos, the shifting Western fascination with Indian music, and what true cross-cultural learning demands.