Will Mason
@willmasonmusic.com
Musician and composer • assoc. professor of music, Skidmore College • “experimental yet still catchy” — New York Times • repost = 👀
willmasonmusic.com
willmasonmusic.com
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Will Mason
@willmasonmusic.com
· Jan 10
Will Mason - Hemlocks (score follower) feat. Anna Webber, Daniel Fisher-Lochhead, deVon Russell Gray
YouTube video by Will Mason
youtu.be
My latest album is out today on @newfocuslabel.bsky.social. It's called "Hemlocks, Peacocks" and features Anna Webber, Daniel Fisher-Lochhead, deVon Russell Gray, and me. I made a score follower video for the first track for those who are curious.
youtu.be/RSKcnoVlcwU?...
youtu.be/RSKcnoVlcwU?...
Reposted by Will Mason
"The most stirring contemporary defenses of liberalism, like Elizabeth Anderson’s 𝘏𝘪𝘫𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥, demonstrate a combined commitment to liberalism’s merits along with an honest understanding of where we have gone wrong. Unfortunately, many others adopt a small-c conservative defensiveness."
Liberalism or Inertia? Cass Sunstein's "Liberalism: In Defense of Freedom"
Cass Sunstein’s book adopt a small-c conservative defensiveness that belies a now requisite rejuvenating liberal imagination.
www.liberalcurrents.com
November 26, 2025 at 5:31 PM
"The most stirring contemporary defenses of liberalism, like Elizabeth Anderson’s 𝘏𝘪𝘫𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥, demonstrate a combined commitment to liberalism’s merits along with an honest understanding of where we have gone wrong. Unfortunately, many others adopt a small-c conservative defensiveness."
Reposted by Will Mason
A reminder, as Trump boasts about having "never worked so hard in my life" that he is playing golf more often now than he did in his first term and in less than five years has already played golf more often than Obama did in eight. www.pbump.net/o/an-officia...
November 26, 2025 at 2:06 PM
A reminder, as Trump boasts about having "never worked so hard in my life" that he is playing golf more often now than he did in his first term and in less than five years has already played golf more often than Obama did in eight. www.pbump.net/o/an-officia...
when I am utterly exhausted, as I am now, I tend to pull arcane vocab words out of my ass (to wit: arcane; not to wit: ass), and I just told a student their synth tone was xeric and what are they going to do go "ah ok cool yea i was also thinking it was xeric"
November 24, 2025 at 10:00 PM
when I am utterly exhausted, as I am now, I tend to pull arcane vocab words out of my ass (to wit: arcane; not to wit: ass), and I just told a student their synth tone was xeric and what are they going to do go "ah ok cool yea i was also thinking it was xeric"
Reposted by Will Mason
A @nytimes.com investigation has found that state prison guards have been credibly accused of engaging in such behavior — putting inmates in restraints and then assaulting them — far more often than was previously known.
Restrained, Beaten, Asphyxiated: New York Prison Guards’ Brutality Grows
www.nytimes.com
November 24, 2025 at 1:50 PM
A @nytimes.com investigation has found that state prison guards have been credibly accused of engaging in such behavior — putting inmates in restraints and then assaulting them — far more often than was previously known.
Reposted by Will Mason
New interview with the Messthetics on the humbling and inspiring experience of covering Sonny Sharrock's 'Ask the Ages' in full, which they'll do again on Friday in D.C., along with James Brandon Lewis: darkforcesswing.substack.com/p/like-tryin...
'Like Trying to Get to Saturn': The Messthetics on Covering Sonny Sharrock's 'Ask the Ages'
Ahead of a full-album cover show with frequent collaborator James Brandon Lewis, the genre-blending trio discusses adapting and inhabiting the 1991 avant-jazz classic
darkforcesswing.substack.com
November 24, 2025 at 3:05 PM
New interview with the Messthetics on the humbling and inspiring experience of covering Sonny Sharrock's 'Ask the Ages' in full, which they'll do again on Friday in D.C., along with James Brandon Lewis: darkforcesswing.substack.com/p/like-tryin...
Reposted by Will Mason
Episode 6 with @robinjames.bsky.social is out now for your holiday week! We cover the second edition of Resilience and Melancholy, what's happening at the top of the charts, why men left pop music for podcasts, and m o r e e e e
dandipiero.substack.com/p/6-resilien...
dandipiero.substack.com/p/6-resilien...
6 | Resilient Pop and Alt (Right) Rock with Dr. Robin James
Something's going on with men!!
dandipiero.substack.com
November 23, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Episode 6 with @robinjames.bsky.social is out now for your holiday week! We cover the second edition of Resilience and Melancholy, what's happening at the top of the charts, why men left pop music for podcasts, and m o r e e e e
dandipiero.substack.com/p/6-resilien...
dandipiero.substack.com/p/6-resilien...
A movie that takes place where you’re from
November 23, 2025 at 7:34 PM
A movie that takes place where you’re from
Psyched to dive into Billy Hart's new live album this weekend and @natechinen.bsky.social (who wrote the liner notes) has an excellent rundown:
thegig.substack.com/p/drums-unli...
thegig.substack.com/p/drums-unli...
Drums Unlimited
Glorious new albums from Billy Hart and the late Al Foster
thegig.substack.com
November 22, 2025 at 1:18 PM
Psyched to dive into Billy Hart's new live album this weekend and @natechinen.bsky.social (who wrote the liner notes) has an excellent rundown:
thegig.substack.com/p/drums-unli...
thegig.substack.com/p/drums-unli...
Reposted by Will Mason
this is your brain when your entire politics is just a set of aesthetics
November 21, 2025 at 11:04 PM
this is your brain when your entire politics is just a set of aesthetics
Reposted by Will Mason
CNN anchor Marjorie Taylor Greene is unfortunately the inevitable next chapter
November 22, 2025 at 5:21 AM
CNN anchor Marjorie Taylor Greene is unfortunately the inevitable next chapter
Reposted by Will Mason
We spent a year investigating billionaires for @washingtonpost.com.
We found: the wealthiest 100 Americans gave $1.1 billion to influence the 2024 elections — 140x more than they did in 2000. And almost all of that giving boosted Republicans.
washingtonpost.com/politics/int...
We found: the wealthiest 100 Americans gave $1.1 billion to influence the 2024 elections — 140x more than they did in 2000. And almost all of that giving boosted Republicans.
washingtonpost.com/politics/int...
November 21, 2025 at 2:56 PM
We spent a year investigating billionaires for @washingtonpost.com.
We found: the wealthiest 100 Americans gave $1.1 billion to influence the 2024 elections — 140x more than they did in 2000. And almost all of that giving boosted Republicans.
washingtonpost.com/politics/int...
We found: the wealthiest 100 Americans gave $1.1 billion to influence the 2024 elections — 140x more than they did in 2000. And almost all of that giving boosted Republicans.
washingtonpost.com/politics/int...
Reposted by Will Mason
Vinnie Sperrazza reviews Billy Hart’s book open.substack.com/pub/vinniesp...
On Oceans of Time
Billy Hart's musical autobiography is a must-read.
open.substack.com
November 21, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Vinnie Sperrazza reviews Billy Hart’s book open.substack.com/pub/vinniesp...
Reposted by Will Mason
I've always felt that the "problem" we face as instructors is grades -- if we could just eliminate grades and their surrounding incentive structure teaching would be so much more effective. But ... even if you ungrade 'til the cows come home you can't undo the decade of grade emphasis in K-12.
It strikes me that a lot of educational conversations around AI and cheating have to do with the uncomfortable coexistence of our institutions of learning as both hierarchical merit systems and spaces of knowledge acquisition/production
November 21, 2025 at 4:41 PM
I've always felt that the "problem" we face as instructors is grades -- if we could just eliminate grades and their surrounding incentive structure teaching would be so much more effective. But ... even if you ungrade 'til the cows come home you can't undo the decade of grade emphasis in K-12.
Reposted by Will Mason
Three things:
1) No longer classifying swastikas, nooses, and the Confederate flag as hate symbols is quite bad, and in line with many other actions from this admin.
2) Congrats to the cancel culture moral panickers.
3) I don't think a good political response to this is to shrug at Nazi tattoos.
1) No longer classifying swastikas, nooses, and the Confederate flag as hate symbols is quite bad, and in line with many other actions from this admin.
2) Congrats to the cancel culture moral panickers.
3) I don't think a good political response to this is to shrug at Nazi tattoos.
Exclusive: The U.S. Coast Guard will no longer classify the swastika, nooses and the Confederate flag as hate symbols.
The military service drafted a new policy that classifies them as “potentially divisive.”
The military service drafted a new policy that classifies them as “potentially divisive.”
U.S. Coast Guard will no longer classify swastikas, nooses as hate symbols
The military service, which falls under the Department of Homeland Security, has drafted a new policy that classifies such items “potentially divisive.”
www.washingtonpost.com
November 20, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Three things:
1) No longer classifying swastikas, nooses, and the Confederate flag as hate symbols is quite bad, and in line with many other actions from this admin.
2) Congrats to the cancel culture moral panickers.
3) I don't think a good political response to this is to shrug at Nazi tattoos.
1) No longer classifying swastikas, nooses, and the Confederate flag as hate symbols is quite bad, and in line with many other actions from this admin.
2) Congrats to the cancel culture moral panickers.
3) I don't think a good political response to this is to shrug at Nazi tattoos.
Just me & my 65 lb lap dog
November 19, 2025 at 12:21 AM
Just me & my 65 lb lap dog
Reposted by Will Mason
Elon Musk is set to make more than every U.S. elementary school teacher combined.
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/i...
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/i...
Elon Musk is set to make more than every U.S. elementary teacher combined
See how Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s new payment package compares with other occupations in the United States.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 18, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Elon Musk is set to make more than every U.S. elementary school teacher combined.
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/i...
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/i...
Reposted by Will Mason
The reason why socialism is no longer taboo in America is that our elites have successfully rebranded it as “any attempt by the state to function beyond semi-random violence“ while trying to combat it.
Everyone has lost their minds
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
November 18, 2025 at 2:56 PM
The reason why socialism is no longer taboo in America is that our elites have successfully rebranded it as “any attempt by the state to function beyond semi-random violence“ while trying to combat it.
Reposted by Will Mason
It was always clear that Trump et al. were not following the law. It has become clear that Columbia’s administration *wanted* to force through certain changes in our university
November 15, 2025 at 4:44 PM
It was always clear that Trump et al. were not following the law. It has become clear that Columbia’s administration *wanted* to force through certain changes in our university
Reposted by Will Mason
Former first lady Michelle Obama says the U.S. is “not ready” for a female president and has “a lot of growing up to do” to reach that point.
“There’s still, sadly, a lot of men who do not feel like they can be led by a woman. And we saw it,” Obama said.
“There’s still, sadly, a lot of men who do not feel like they can be led by a woman. And we saw it,” Obama said.
Michelle Obama says America is ‘not ready’ for a female president
“Don’t even look at me about running because you all are lying. You’re not ready for a woman. You are not. So don’t waste my time,” the former first lady said in a recent interview.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 15, 2025 at 12:30 AM
Former first lady Michelle Obama says the U.S. is “not ready” for a female president and has “a lot of growing up to do” to reach that point.
“There’s still, sadly, a lot of men who do not feel like they can be led by a woman. And we saw it,” Obama said.
“There’s still, sadly, a lot of men who do not feel like they can be led by a woman. And we saw it,” Obama said.
Reposted by Will Mason
Oh wow @reuters.com got the photo here:
November 14, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Oh wow @reuters.com got the photo here:
Reposted by Will Mason
Sharp point from @brianbeutler.bsky.social: The fact that as many as 50 Republicans are expected to vote for release of the Epstein files shows attacking Trump's corruption and depravity actually can divide GOP, so not *everything* has to be "affordability."
www.offmessage.net/p/force-a-re...
www.offmessage.net/p/force-a-re...
Force A Referendum On The Epstein Coverup
It divides Republicans much more than "affordability" or any other economic issue.
www.offmessage.net
November 14, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Sharp point from @brianbeutler.bsky.social: The fact that as many as 50 Republicans are expected to vote for release of the Epstein files shows attacking Trump's corruption and depravity actually can divide GOP, so not *everything* has to be "affordability."
www.offmessage.net/p/force-a-re...
www.offmessage.net/p/force-a-re...
Reposted by Will Mason
I think the banal answer is: he’s very rich and powerful and good at networking and this how people act around very rich and powerful people.
November 13, 2025 at 3:52 AM
I think the banal answer is: he’s very rich and powerful and good at networking and this how people act around very rich and powerful people.
Reposted by Will Mason
Here's the full Summers email, btw.
November 12, 2025 at 4:22 PM
Here's the full Summers email, btw.