Photo: Image Press Agency/Depositphotos

Life on the road as a musician isn't easy; not even if you’re part of the most successful acts in the planet. Singer Olivia Rodrigo knows this all too well, having toured the world since she was only 19. From the long hours of rehearsal and traveling to being away from home for months at a time, it can wear down even those who have done it for decades. To protect the mental health of her band and crew, guitarist Daisy Spencer reveals, Rodrigo paid for everyone in her touring party to get therapy.

“On the Guts World Tour, Olivia and our tour manager, Marty Hom, made accessible and free therapy for all of the touring personnel,” Spencer told The StageLeft Podcast. “I have never had anything like that. And that reignited the importance of therapy to me because I had just kind of fallen off for so long, and then suddenly I had this free resource of incredible therapists, and I utilized the crap out of that.”

Spencer added that this service included both the time they are on tour with Rodrigo and the breaks between the tour legs. “Honestly, that was one of the coolest things that has ever happened on tour,” Spencer added. “Like, seriously, one of the best things you can give to people is accessible free therapy, because it can get kind of expensive.” Rodrigo, whose father is a family therapist, is keenly aware of the importance of mental health.

Mind, a UK-based mental health charity, has reported that people in the music industry are “more prone to mental health problems than the general population,” due to the financial pressures and frantic lifestyles that come with touring. The organization has also found that musicians are “up to three times more likely to suffer from depression.”

For Spencer, therapy has allowed her to process not only her current lifestyle, but also everything that has brought her to this point. “It’s been a gift for real. I feel like it is such a gift to be able to look within yourself and have someone else help you bring some stuff out of you that you might otherwise on your own not be able to get there,” the guitarist added. “That’s the gift that therapy has given to me, is that I am able to really flesh out some stuff from my childhood that needed a voice.”

Rodrigo and Spencer are currently on the final leg of the Guts World Tour. Having wrapped their first Latin American tour in the spring, Rodrigo and her band are now playing festivals around Europe. They will return to North America later in the summer to perform at Lollapalooza in Chicago and Osheaga Festival in Montreal. To learn more and get tickets, visit Olivia Rodrigo's website.

To protect the mental health of her band and crew on tour, Olivia Rodrigo paid for all of them to have free access to therapy. The perk also covered the breaks between the tour legs.

Photo: Regina Sienra / My Modern Met

“On the Guts World Tour, Olivia and our tour manager, Marty Hom, made accessible and free therapy for all of the touring personnel,” Daisy Spencer, Rodrigo's guitarist, told The StageLeft Podcast.

 

Ver esta publicación en Instagram

 

Una publicación compartida por Daisy (@daisyspencer)

“Honestly, that was one of the coolest things that has ever happened on tour. Like, seriously, one of the best things you can give to people is accessible free therapy.”

 

Ver esta publicación en Instagram

 

Una publicación compartida por Daisy (@daisyspencer)

Olivia Rodrigo: Website | Instagram
Daisy Spencer: Instagram

Sources: Olivia Rodrigo paid for her entire touring crew to have therapy; Music sector guides at Mind

Related Articles:

Olivia Rodrigo Falls Through a Hole on Stage Mid-Show and Recovers Gracefully

Lewis Capaldi Partners With Betterhelp To Donate 734,000 Hours of Free Therapy

Pink’s Daughter Willow Nails a Cover of an Olivia Rodrigo Song at Her First School Recital

Taylor Swift Gives $55M in Total as a Bonus to Everyone Working on Her ‘Eras Tour’

READ: Olivia Rodrigo’s Guitarist Reveals the Singer Paid for Everyone on Her Tour To Go Therapy

When you picture Freddie Mercury, what is he wearing? The Queen legend is perhaps most remembered in his iconic white-and-yellow military-style jacket, posing with his fist in the air on stage. In tribute to that unforgettable moment from Queen’s 1986 Magic tour, LEGO set designer Takesz recreated the scene as a buildable 3D poster. Measuring 65 centimeters (25.6 inches) tall and 40 centimeters (15.7 inches) wide, the finished piece is nearly as show-stopping as Mercury himself.

Built entirely from classic LEGO elements like bricks, tiles, and slopes, Takesz designed the model using exactly 1,986 pieces—a clever nod to the year of the legendary concert at Wembley Stadium. The figure of Mercury appears to burst from the background, thanks to a layered design that gives the model a dramatic effect. His legs, torso, and left arm are solidly anchored, while the rest, like his head, feet, and outstretched arm, are created using dynamic, flexible joints. Takesz even captured impressive details like the fabric folds in Mercury’s jacket and the signature stripes on his sneakers.

The set also includes a tiny LEGO minifigure of Mercury at his Steinway grand piano, performing Bohemian Rhapsody to 72,000 fans in 1986. As well as Mercury’s outfit, this image of the artist at his piano became a defining image of Queen’s legendary tour.

The incredible LEGO build allows Queen fans to celebrate their love of Mercury and this historic performance, brick by brick. “The model is fun to build (and yes, it also takes time), and with the tandem setting with the minifigure it can be placed around the room any way you like,” says Takesz. “It’s not only a set to amaze others, it is a set to remind us of the limitless bond of music through generations.” The LEGO designer adds, “The Wembley show turns 40 next year. Bohemian Rhapsody was released exactly 50 years ago. The timing is Magic.”

The Freddie Mercury LEGO build is currently featured on the LEGO Ideas website, where fans submit creations and vote for their favorites. With just over 2,000 votes so far, it still has a long road to reach the 10,000 needed for LEGO to officially consider it for production. If you’d love to it become a real LEGO set, head over to the LEGO Ideas site and cast your vote.

Check out the Freddie Mercury LEGO set below and find more of Takesz’s designs on the LEGO Ideas website.

In tribute to Queen’s 1986 Magic tour, LEGO set designer Takesz recreated Freddie Mercury's famous pose as a buildable 3D poster.

Takesz designed the model using exactly 1,986 pieces—a clever nod to the year of the legendary 1986 concert at Wembley Stadium.

It captures Mercury in his iconic white-and-yellow military-style jacket, posing with his fist in the air on stage.

The LEGO build is currently featured on the LEGO Ideas website, where fans submit creations and vote for their favorites.

The set also includes a tiny LEGO minifigure of Mercury at his Steinway grand piano.

LEGO Ideas: Website | Facebook

Source: Freddie Mercury

Related Articles:

Freddie Mercury’s Never-Before-Seen Personal Photos Are Sold at Sotheby’s Auction

You Can Craft Your Own Crochet Freddie Mercury Doll Thanks to This Free Online Pattern

LEGO Unveils ‘Krusty Burger’ Set, the Beloved Fast Food Restaurant From ‘The Simpsons’

LEGO Announces Keith Haring Set Celebrating the Pop Artist’s Iconic Dancing Figures

READ: 1,986-Piece 3D LEGO Poster Celebrates Freddie Mercury at Wembley

During Glastonbury 2023, Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi was forced to cut his set short due to difficulties managing symptoms of Tourette syndrome and anxiety on stage. He thought he’d never perform again, but after taking time away to focus on his mental health, Capaldi made a powerful return at Glastonbury 2025. Now, in a gesture of gratitude and support, he’s partnering with BetterHelp to donate 734,000 hours of free virtual therapy to anyone who needs it.

The 734,000 hours symbolize the 734 days Lewis Capaldi spent away from the spotlight to focus on his mental health. He’s offering 1,000 hours of free therapy for each day since he last performed. “Therapy is the reason why I am able to be a musician again,” the singer says in a video announcing his effort. “In partnership with BetterHelp and to reflect my experience of therapy and the importance I feel it has in my life and other people’s lives, we’re giving away 734,000 free hours of therapy.”

In the video interview with BetterHelp, Lewis Capaldi opens up about his experience with therapy and admits he’d neglected to look after himself in the past. Although he’s tried therapy before, it wasn’t until he found the right therapist that he really started to see an improvement in his mental health. In a reflection of how far he’s come, Capaldi shared that in the lead-up to this year’s Glastonbury he had “no anxiety or fear or impending doom.” He even did a series of “secret gigs” in Scotland to get comfortable with performing live again.

During his emotional return to the Glastonbury stage, Capaldi was met with an outpouring of love, as thousands of fans sang along to his iconic song, “Someone You Loved.”

“Therapy has been such a massive part of my last two years, and is a reason why I am able to be a musician again,” the artist admits. “I don’t think I’ll ever stop going to therapy… and giving access to online therapy to my fans who have supported me throughout my journey is so important to me. This is my way of giving back.”

Learn more about Capaldi’s partnership with BetterHelp and how you can access one month of free therapy to support your mental health.

Sources: Lewis Capaldi on Mental Health, Music and His Return to the Stage; Your Comeback Story Starts Now: Lewis Capaldi x BetterHelp

Related Articles:

Music Festival Crowd Helps Lewis Capaldi Through Tourette’s Syndrome Flare-Up

New Research Reveals That Participating in Arts and Culture Events Positively Impacts Physical and Mental Health

New Research Suggests That Doing Arts and Crafts Can Improve Your Mental Health

READ: Lewis Capaldi Partners With Betterhelp To Donate 734,000 Hours of Free Therapy

Nowadays, most film studios rely on CGI and green screens, either entirely or as a supplement, to accomplish ambitious stunts. Technology, of course, hasn’t always been advanced enough for such immersive illusions, and yet films from the early 20th century still managed to feature spectacular cinematic effects. They say a magician should never reveal their tricks, but a recent YouTube video by Lost in Time does just that. The video catalogues how Hollywood legends like Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd created dazzling acts of daring on the 1920s movie screen.

As an homage to technical ingenuity, the video juxtaposes real footage of each movie stunt with 3D animations, offering a behind-the-scenes analysis of how they were achieved. Lost in Time begins with Sherlock Jr. from 1924, in which Buster Keaton dives into a briefcase hanging from a man’s neck during a chase scene. Once the man walks away from his perch by a wooden wall, with his briefcase still clutched to his chest, Keaton has vanished, nowhere to be found. Even now, the visual trick is baffling as the solution is innovative: the man was resting his feet on a support hidden behind the wall and holding onto two handles below him, with only his head sticking out. A trap door had also been carved out of the wall, which allowed Keaton to seemingly jump through the briefcase.

In the 1923 film Safety Last!, starring Harold Lloyd, there’s a moment in which the actor scales the Bolton Building in Los Angeles and, in an attempt not to fall, swings perilously from the hand of a massive clock mounted on the building. Below him, there are cars, pedestrians, concrete, and, most alarmingly, dozens of feet of empty air. Lloyd was, in fact, hanging above L.A.’s streets, but from the safety of a rooftop. There, the film team produced a full set of a building facade and a camera tower to maintain a convincing angle. If anything were to go wrong, Lloyd would’ve landed directly onto a mattress, not far beneath him.

As for Charlie Chaplin, the video focuses on Modern Times, in which the actor’s character gets a job as a night watchman in a department store. He finds a pair of roller skates and, in an effort to impress the girl he brought with him, skates around blindfolded, not noticing the broken rail and steep ledge beside him. Here, there is no deadly drop, but instead a “matte painting,” a technique that creates the illusion of an environment that isn’t actually present at the filming location. If we were to zoom out, we would discover a glass plate in front of the camera, where the team painted the floor below.

“Even with all the technology we have today, it’s still hard to believe what these legends pulled off a century ago,” Lost in Time concludes. “They didn’t have visual effects to fall back on. Every stunt was real. Every risk was real. And maybe that’s why, 100 years later, we still hold our breath watching them.”

To watch the full video, visit the Lost in Time channel on YouTube.

A new video by Lost in Time explores how Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd created dazzling 1920s movie stunts.

Source: The Genius Tricks Behind 1920s Movie Stunts

Related Articles:

Wes Anderson Explains How He Brought Each of His Films to Life in Short Documentary

Fans of John Wick Can Now Explore the Film’s High-Stakes World in Las Vegas

Long-Lost Silent Film About Abraham Lincoln Discovered by an Intern

READ: Watch How Hollywood Legends Pulled off Their Wild Stunts in Iconic 1920s Films

Alvin Lucier (Photo: Non Event via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0))

What if death weren’t the end for human creativity, but instead the catalyst for a new kind of art? Revivification is a haunting and immersive installation created in collaboration with the late American composer Alvin Lucier that probes the liminal space between life and the afterlife. Speculative science fuses raw emotion to create a piece that invites us to question not just how far creativity can go, but whether it even should go that far.

Revivification is an immersive installation in the Art Gallery of Western Australia that, according to the gallery, has been “four years in the making.” The concept was developed by artists Nathan Thompson, Matt Gingold, and Guy Ben-Ary, in collaboration with neuroscientist Stuart Hodgetts and Lucier.

One of the most respected experimental composers of his time, Lucier’s compositions were known for drawing from principles of physics in sound. He often took a curious and playful approach to creating music; one particularly memorable example is his 1969 piece titled “I Am Sitting in a Room,” where he read a passage multiple times over while recording on the same tape. Lucier repeated the process until it became nearly impossible to pick out the words of his phrase in the cacophony.

Lucier began working with the artists and scientists on this project in 2018, three years before he died in 2021. Ever the risk-taker, the composer provided the group with his blood. White blood cells from this sample were “reprogrammed into stem cells,” then into organoid structures that are meant to resemble and mimic a developing human brain.

In Revivification, these cerebral organoids run the show, physically and metaphorically. Placed in the center of the installation space in an incubator, the organoids represent Lucier’s “in-vitro brain” that lives beyond his earthly and departed body. Electrical signals derived from this brain matter then send impulses that trigger mallets to periodically hit 20 brass plates mounted to the installation space.

The result is a haunting experience that prompts us to think deeper about the creation of art that occurs during and after our lifetimes. University of San Francisco cognitive neuroscientist Indre Viskontas has one way of framing it. “Creativity really has to have a conscious element to it,” she says in an interview with NPR. “I don’t think this particular piece of art is conscious. Those cells have no intention.”

Revivification doesn’t offer an easy answer or way out; rather, it lingers in this uncertainty, much like the reverberations of Lucier’s compositions. By animating remnants of a life once lived, the installation challenges us to confront questions of agency, authorship, and legacy. Is the music produced by Revivification a continuation of Lucier’s work, a resurrection, or something completely new and original?

Revivification is on view at the Art Gallery of Western Australia in Perth now through September 21, 2025.

The late experimental composer Alvin Lucier is still creating music three years after his death, thanks to science and brain matter derived from his white blood cells.

Photo: iLexx/Depositphotos

In the immersive installation Revivification, cerebral organoids developed in a lab send out electrical impulses to mallets, which then periodically hit brass plates lining the gallery's walls to create sound.

The installation prompts us to ask questions about agency, authorship, and legacy in creating art after life.

Sources: Artificial ‘Brain’ Aims to Allow Composer to Keep Making Music Three Years After His Death; Revivification; A Musician’s Brain Matter Is Still Making Music—Three Years After His Death

Related Articles:

Have a Song You Can’t Stop Playing? A New Theory Says Our Brainwaves Sync Up With Music

Scientists Recreate a Pink Floyd Song Using Brain Activity of Listeners in New Study

Study Shows That Viewing Real Art in Museums Stimulates Brain Much More Than Reproductions

Patient Stays Awake and Plays Guitar During Surgery While Doctors Remove a Tumor From His Brain

READ: Musical Composer’s Brain Matter Is Still Making Music Three Years After His Death

Daniel Popper, “Lumen” (Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met)

Nestled into the forests of Rothbury, Michigan, is an immersive event where music, art, and nature converge. Known as Electric Forest, the multi-day music and arts festival offers an otherworldly experience in a lush, wooded area called Sherwood Forest. Attendees camp onsite, making the event feel like its own little world for four days.

While the music often takes center stage, the art installations are a can’t-miss part of the overall experience. My Modern Met attended Electric Forest 2025 and interacted with the artwork firsthand. “Electric Forest may be known as a music festival,” shares Eugene Kim, co-founder and editor-in-chief of My Modern Met, “but the amount of high-quality art installations found in Sherwood Forest and beyond was absolutely incredible.”

Daniel Popper’s sculpture Lumen was among Kim’s favorites. The monumental artwork features a face cradled by sweeping forms that mimic tree branches or vines. By day, you could admire its handcrafted textures. At night, it was transformed. “The beautiful figure came alive at night with projection mapping by Jasper Mosher,” he says, referring to the faces, colors, and textures projected onto the surface, which changed the appearance at any given moment.

Brothers Alexander and Aric Waldman brought ethereal butterfly art to the forest with their beautiful installation titled Metamorphosis. “Vibrant with color and alive with movement, festival goers drew positive energy from Metamorphosis and were attracted to it like a moth to a flame,” Eugene recalls. “What also stood out was the positive energy and meaning that the Waldman brothers clearly displayed about their passion for Electric Forest. It’s all about the people, energy, creativity, and experience. And that love is apparent in this exquisitely crafted work of art.”

One of the most surreal experiences of Electric Forest 2025 was in the Dream Emporium, a multi-sensory experience that has been a staple of the forest since 2023. Imagined as a place for people to play and connect, every step had you questioning where the rabbit hole goes. Some found themselves stepping onto a talk show television set or into a room under the sea. “The Dream Emporium was filled with unlimited amounts of imagination and creativity,” Kim explains. “The interactive art drew people in, making them part of the art itself.”

The thoughtful vision that goes into making Electric Forest happen is a true labor of love, and we can’t wait to experience the art and music next year. “So much credit goes to Creative Director Nova Han, Forest Production Manager Brad Lyman, and the entire Electric Forest team for taking on such a massive project and executing at the highest level.”

Electric Forest is a multi-day music and arts festival that offers an otherworldly experience in a lush, wooded area called Sherwood Forest.

Alexander and Aric Waldman, “Metamorphosis” (Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met)

While the music often takes center stage, the art installations are a can’t-miss part of the overall experience. Take a peek:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by My Modern Met (@mymodernmet)

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by My Modern Met (@mymodernmet)

One of the most surreal experiences was in the Dream Emporium, a multi-sensory experience imagined as a place for people to play and connect, every step had you questioning where the rabbit hole goes.

Photo: Alive Coverage/Electric Forest

Photo: Alive Coverage/Electric Forest

Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met

Eugene Kim, Co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of My Modern Met, attended Electric Forest and captured footage inside of Dream Emporium.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by My Modern Met (@mymodernmet)

“Electric Forest may be known as a music festival,” Eugene says, “ but the amount of high-quality art installations found in Sherwood Forest and beyond was absolutely incredible.”

Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met

Photo: Alive Coverage/Electric Forest

Photo: Alive Coverage/Electric Forest

Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met

Daniel Popper, ‘Lady Vine' (Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met)

Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met

Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met

The thoughtful vision that goes into making Electric Forest happen is a true labor of love, and we can’t wait to experience the art and music next year.

Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met

Photo: Alive Coverage/Electric Forest

Photo: Alive Coverage/Electric Forest

“So much credit goes to Creative Director Nova Han, Forest Production Manager Brad Lyman, and the entire Electric Forest team for taking on such a massive project and executing at the highest level.”

Photo: Eugene Kim / My Modern Met

Electric Forest: Website | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Electric Forest.

Related Articles:

‘Electric Forest’ Brings Art, Music, and Magic to Michigan’s Enchanted Forest

Desert Air Takes Flight With Electronic Music Festival in Mojave Desert

M3F Fest Electrifies Phoenix With a Big Music Lineup That Benefits Local Charities

READ: Electric Forest 2025: Enchanting Art Installations Bring Creative Magic to the Lush Woods

Photo: Alive Coverage/Electric Forest

This past weekend, the Michigan woods were filled with art, magic, and music. The annual Electric Forest festival took over the forest in Rothbury for an immersive experience that drew thousands who came together as a Forest Family. With a background of EDM superstars, live bands, and everything in between, festivalgoers were treated to an immersive experience that brought together art, music, and culture.

My Modern Met was on the ground to partake in the experience, with Editor-in-Chief Eugene Kim blown away by what he saw. “The experience at Electric Forest surpassed any expectations I had going in,” he shares. “It was a cataclysmic combination of high-quality music, art, and culture all mixed in one. I talked to so many people who felt that Electric Forest was their home away from home. You could feel the positive vibes swirling around the forest, centered around an appreciation of creativity.”

Musical highlights include the iconic French electronic duo Justice and the indie musical trio Khruangbin. With headlining sets that bookended the weekend, the acts highlighted Electric Forest's varied musical selections. Over at the immersive Honeycomb Stage, Arc de Soleil, led by composer and producer Daniel Kadawatha, and Dombresky brought good vibes with their sets.

But Electric Forest isn't just about music; it's also an artistic showcase designed to nourish the soul. My Modern Met favorite Daniel Popper had a strong presence with one of his signature sculptures, which transformed in the evening thanks to projection mapping by Jasper Mosher. His was one of many incredible installations that captured the imaginations of festival goers, who enjoyed this open-air museum all weekend.

Special add-on experiences rounded out the event, providing an opportunity to bond with the Forest Family over food, drinks, and wellness activities. From drag brunches to sacred sound baths, there was much to explore. Highlights for us were the Food Tour, which featured exclusive bites by the festival's restaurant partners, and the annual Buena Vida tequila tasting. More than just a tasting, it's also a competition, with bartenders showing their creative skills to create the best cocktail.

After enjoying the music, art, and food, we took a moment to unwind with a much-needed forest yoga session. This was one of many thoughtfully planned wellness events that catered to the needs of all festival goers. A sober support session, a grief workshop, and an energy cleansing session were just some of the many offerings designed to honor everyone's journeys.

For Kim, this first Electric Forest experience was a memorable one. “The first forest experience is one to be treasured, but I met many others who keep going back over the years because the place is so special. The amount of hard work, thought, and love that goes into this music festival is unlike anything I've ever seen.”

This past weekend, Electric Forest brought art, magic, and music to the Michigan woods.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by My Modern Met (@mymodernmet)

Photo: Alive Coverage/Electric Forest

Photo: Alive Coverage/Electric Forest

Thousands of festival goers came together as a Forest Family for an unforgettable immersive experience.

Photo: Eugene Kim/My Modern Met

Photo: Eugene Kim/My Modern Met

Justice and Khruangbin were standout headliners who bookended the event with their sets.

Photo: Alive Coverage/Electric Forest

Photo: Alive Coverage/Electric Forest

Photo: Eugene Kim/My Modern Met

Photo: Eugene Kim/My Modern Met

Photo: Eugene Kim/My Modern Met

EDM superstars, live bands, and everything in between kept the good vibes going.

Photo: Alive Coverage/Electric Forest

Photo: Eugene Kim/My Modern Met

But Electric Forest isn't just about music; it's also an artistic showcase designed to nourish the soul.

Photo: Alive Coverage/Electric Forest

Photo: Alive Coverage/Electric Forest

Photo: Alive Coverage/Electric Forest

Special add-on experiences, such as a food tour, tequila tasting, and yoga, rounded out the event.

Photo: Eugene Kim/My Modern Met

Photo: Eugene Kim/My Modern Met

Photo: Eugene Kim/My Modern Met

“The amount of hard work, thought, and love that goes into this music festival is unlike anything I've ever seen.”

Photo: Eugene Kim/My Modern Met

Photo: Alive Coverage/Electric Forest

Electric Forest: Website | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Electric Forest.

Related Articles:

Desert Air Takes Flight With Electronic Music Festival in Mojave Desert

M3F Fest Electrifies Phoenix With a Big Music Lineup That Benefits Local Charities

‘Electric Forest’ Brings Art, Music, and Magic to Michigan’s Enchanted Forest

READ: Electric Forest 2025: Michigan Forest Transforms Into a Magical Immersive Experience

Photo: Jean_Nelson/Depositphotos

Actor and comedian Steve Carell has been able to explore many aspects of the human mind throughout his career in film and TV. From the hilarious Michael Scott, the neurotic boss from The Office, to the more dramatic role of uncle Frank in Little Miss Sunshine (2007), these characters have left Carell with plenty of life lessons. In his recent commencement speech at Northwestern University, he gave plenty of insightful advice to the 2025 graduates, but did so with a comedic touch that drove his message home.

“Remember that kindness isn't a weakness—it is a very potent strength,” he said. “It's no more difficult to be kind than it is to be mean.” The actor also addressed envy, defining it as a feeling that comes from “ignorance and lack of belief in your own gift.” It is a feeling he cheekily admits to having experienced, particularly when comparing himself to past commencement speaker Stephen Colbert. “Turn your envy into admiration and use it to fuel your ambition in a positive way,” Carell advises.

The actor received an honorary Doctor of Arts from Northwestern, deepening his ties to Chicago. The windy city saw him kickstart his comedy career, as the actor got his first taste of improvisation during a masterclass given by Northwestern students. “That inspired me to later move to Chicago and to pursue a career at The Second City,” he shared in his speech. His ties to the city and the university run even deeper, as two of his children have attended Northwestern—Annie, from the class of 2023, and Johnny, who is graduating next year.

Throughout his speech, Carell continued to reflect on the importance of listening, even in comedy, saying: “An improv scene goes nowhere unless everyone listens to one another. The best way to see and understand another human being is to listen to them. To listen is to show respect.” Following this idea, he adds, “Some say, ‘You must earn my respect.' How about this? Instead of requiring people to earn your respect, start out by respecting. Fight against the natural inclination to be cynical. Assume they are good people.”

Finally, the actor closed his speech with direct suggestions: “Don’t use ChatGPT for personal emails. That’s just sad. Hold the door for people regardless of gender, age, or political affiliation. Just dance sometimes and, lastly, you’ll never regret maintaining relationships with the people who went through such a defining experience with you. Keep in touch.”

Actor Steve Carell gave plenty of insightful advice to the 2025 graduates in his commencement speech at Northwestern University, but did so with a comedic touch that drove his message home.

 

Ver esta publicación en Instagram

 

Una publicación compartida por Steve Carell | Udeshya yadav (@stevecarellofficial)

Watch his full commencement speech below:

Steve Carell: Instagram

Sources: Steve Carell Northwestern 2025 Graduation Commencement Speech; Class of 2025 treated to laughter, dancing and wisdom at the United Center; Steve Carell will speak at Northwestern University’s 2025 commencement 

Related Articles:

Olympic Medalist Katie Ledecky Shares What’s on Her Mind While Swimming for Gold

Watch Taylor Swift Deliver an Inspiring Commencement Speech to ‘22 Graduates

Valedictorian With Non-Speaking Autism Gives Moving Commencement Speech

Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel Pays off Student Debt of LA Art College Graduates

READ: Steve Carell Tells Graduates “Kindness Isn’t a Weakness” in Speech Packed With Life Advice

Photo: © Musical Instrument Museum

Instruments are a crowning human achievement. For many thousands of years, we've engineered ways to create music and have then learned to master the instruments that enable us to do so. The oldest object identified as a musical instrument is a simple flute dating back between 50,000 and 60,000 years. If you’re fascinated by musical instruments, especially as a way to examine traditions and culture, then you’ll want to visit the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) in Phoenix, Arizona.

MIM is an institution showcasing instruments on a global scale. Founder Bob Ulrich realized that most musical museums, up until that point, featured primarily Western classical instruments. This inspired him to create a museum that would focus on everyday instruments played by people worldwide. Now, MIM has more than 7,500 instruments in its collection representing more than 200 countries and territories.

The museum has special exhibitions that spotlight extraordinary instruments. Its current exhibition, titled Stradivarius and the Golden Age of Violins and Guitars, features over 70 string instruments from European makers of the 16th to the 19th centuries, particularly the great craftsperson Antonio Stradivari. His work, along with others, highlights the exceptional craft that went into making violins, guitars, lutes, and bows. The results are timeless instruments still cherished today.

“The name Stradivarius is synonymous with the pinnacle of violin making,” says Matthew Zeller, MIM’s curator for Europe. “Other European instrument makers achieved similar levels of excellence. This exhibition will introduce guests to these influential makers and reveal many fascinating connections between violin making and guitar making, providing guests with an opportunity to relate centuries-old masterworks to modern instruments in their own lives.”

Stradivarius and the Golden Age of Violins and Guitars is now on view at MIM.

The Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) has an exhibition celebrating over 70 string instruments from European makers of the 16th to the 19th centuries.

Photo: © Musical Instrument Museum

Titled Stradivarius and the Golden Age of Violins and Guitars, the exhibition highlights the exceptional craftsmanship of Antonio Stradivari and other stringed instruments.

Photo: © Musical Instrument Museum

Photo: © Musical Instrument Museum

The results are timeless instruments still cherished today.

Photo: © Musical Instrument Museum

Photo: © Musical Instrument Museum

Musical Instrument Museum: Website | Instagram | Facebook 

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Musical Instrument Museum.

Related Articles:

Hidden Interiors of Musical Instruments Look Like Secret Rooms of Old World Architecture

Musicians Perform Incredible Cover of Toto’s ‘Africa’ Using Traditional Japanese Instruments

$11 Million Sale of Famed Stradivarius Violin Establishes Largest Scholarship Endowment for Boston Music School’s Students

READ: Musical Instrument Museum Showcases the Extraordinary Craft of 16th Century Stringed Instruments

Left: Mozart at age 14 (Photo: attributed to Giambettino Cignaroli via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain) | Right: Interior of the Sistine Chapel (Photo: Snowdog via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)

We all know that Mozart was a genius, but did you know that his musical memory helped smuggle a secret song out of the Vatican? Originally composed for Pope Urban VIII during the 1630s, Gregorio Allegri's “Miserere mei, Deus” (“Have mercy on me, Oh God”) was a closely guarded secret. It was only played in the Sistine Chapel during Tenebrae services of Holy Week, and it gained fame for the use of a particular ornamentation that was largely unknown outside the Vatican.

It's said that, to preserve this secrecy, the pope forbade the transcription of the song at the risk of excommunication. Later, rumors circulated that only three transcriptions existed, one for the Holy Roman Emperor, one for the king of Portugal, and one for Mozart's mentor, Padre Martini. A popular story states that when a young 14-year-old Mozart visited Rome in 1770, he went to the Sistine Chapel with his father for Holy Week services and listened to Allegri's song.

Thanks to a letter that his father, Leopold, wrote to his wife, we know what happened next. “You have often heard of the famous Miserere in Rome, which is so greatly prized that the performers in the chapel are forbidden on pain of excommunication to take away a single part of it, to copy it or to give it to anyone. But we have it already. Wolfgang has written it down.”

In a follow-up letter, perhaps to ease his wife's worries, Leopold clarified that “even the Pope knows” that he transcribed it and that there was no cause for concern. While this makes Mozart's transcription the first unauthorized version of the song, there is actually evidence that “Miserere” wasn't completely a secret by this time. Scholars believe there were already authorized copies of the song circulating in Europe, with Mozart possibly even hearing the piece in London several years earlier.

What we do know is that Mozart's version was eventually published in 1771 by British music historian Dr. Charles Burney and that this version does not include the ornamentation the piece was known for. The piece is still performed today, but what we currently hear is not the same as Allegri's original version, and not even the same as what was performed before 1900, according to author Graham O'Reilly. Today's version combines aspects of later transcriptions and includes the difficult “top C” note that was not in the original. Even with these changes, Allegri's “Miserere” remains a popular a cappella choral work with a fascinating past.

Listen to “Miserere mei, Deus” performed by the King's College Choir in Cambridge, England.

Source: ‘Allegri's Miserere' in the Sistine Chapel; Gregorio Allegri’s Miserere mei

Related Articles:

8 Facts About the Classical Music Composer Ludwig van Beethoven

200 Years After Chopin’s Death, New Enchanting Waltz Is Discovered

Researchers Discover Previously Unknown Music Mozart Composed as a Teenager

What Mozart’s Music Actually Sounds Like When Played on His Original Pianoforte

READ: When Mozart Was a Teen, He Pirated a Secret Song From the Sistine Chapel