Week 4 Song Reflection

Here are the links to the songs I had to critique:

Kelly Matousek's Song

Colin Mercer's Song

Mike Mytnick's Song

And here is the link to my critique, but to warn you, I'm really sick and it sounds awful. 

Song Reflection

Week 4 Response to "Brainwashed"

"Brainwashed" by Seth Godin

Acknowledging the Lizard Summary
To me, this section of the story was talking about the creative process and having faith in it. It beings with explains what a lizard brain is, "It's the part of our brain that worries about safety and dishes out anger. Being laughed at is the lizard's worst nightmare. And so it shuts down our art." He continues to explain that this resistance we feel to rejection is the only aspect standing between us and our art, and we need to demolish this barrier of fear of rejection to be able to succeed in the world today.

Make Art
This sectioned of the article was my personal favorite because, lately, I have been getting worried. I was sitting through media class after media class, and I would call my friends who attend different colleges and they would ask me what I was did today. My answer would be something along the lines of, "I watched Family Guy... in class" or "I listened to Girl Talk... in class". They would laugh on the other end and remark about how awesome my schedule is and how easy my classes are and I would listen to them laugh and I would think, "I'm not learning anything..." But creating art is a learning process; it's not a waste of time. Being creative is an important part of today, where everyone is battling new technologies and ideas. But, it becomes very easy to forget that when the person beside you is studying chemistry and you're studying sound types.

I think "Making Art" is already occurring with the projects we've been creating in class. And, along with making art, comes the "Acknowledging the Lizard". By forcing ourselves to do the media projects, we are creating, and then by publishing them online and receiving critiques, we are opening ourselves up and making rejection a possibility and accepting it. By doing both of these suggestions, a person can hope to be a better artist and possibly professional. However, in some ways, becoming a better student might not have a lot to do with art. It depends what you are studying.

Week 3 Soundscape Reflection

Links to the critiqued songs:

Mike Giles' Song

Jason Flood's Song

Chris Faust's Song

And here is my audio reflection:

Soundscape Reflection

Week 3 Cover Songs

The two songs I chose are the original version and cover of "Toxic" by:

Britney Spears

Yael Naim

           Comparing these two songs is quite easy, because they are so vastly different. Yes, all the lyrics are the same, but the different tempos and instruments and beats used creates a whole new emotion from a very “poppy” song. The affinity between the two songs is the lyrics, melody, and organization while the contrast between the two songs is the difference in quality, specifically the intensity, pitches, and speed.

            To begin with what is alike in the two songs, it’s predictable to say the lyrics, because Yael Naim is covering Britney’s song, not changing it. Also, the melody, or the main beat of the song, the part you hum, is also similar so that Britney’s song is still her work and Naim was able to tweak her version to fit her personal style. This is where the two begin to diverge. The songs are organized in the exact same way that might look something like:

Introduction / Verse 1 / Bridge / Chorus / Verse 2 / Bridge / Chorus / Solo / Chorus / Finale

Though Britney’s is three minutes and twenty-eight seconds and Yael Naim’s is four minutes and thirty-four seconds, the songs still have an identical structure. The songs are definitely not chaotic, they are both very organized.

            The intensity of Britney’s song is vastly different than Naim’s. Britney’s song is loud and intense to fit her genre of dance of music, while Naim’s version has a lot softer tones. This is done because the songs are created by different artists; Britney is known for her poppy beats written usually for teenage to young girls while Naim writes for an older, more mature crowd. Going along with intensity, the pitches vary too to create different emotions. Britney’s pitch is very high, her singing and her notes and beats and instruments and computer-generated material, while Naim remains on a lower pitch. The speed is the same as pitch and intensity in that it fits the artists’ normal genre for music: Britney and Pop, Naim and Alternative. Naim’s is slowed greatly to fit the creepy vibe her song exudes and could be called “andante”, while Britney’s song is fast and could be referred to as, “allegro”.

            I actually do like Britney’s version; I do know it is some god-awful pop song created by synthesized instruments, however, I have a fond spot for this artist that I grew up listening. However, as much as I enjoy Britney’s, Naim’s feels like the better choice because it exudes a much creeper feeling, and I love her voice. The songs are both very different and, in my opinion, both very good, but obviously for two vastly different moods. 

Songs Assignment

For the song assignment, my partner, Emily Zink, and I picked a main instrument, the bagpipes, to be included in both of our very different songs.

Emily Zink

Alexa Krivoniak

Soundscape Assignment

Soundscape

2 Response to Find Your Howl

To read the story, Finding Your Howl, here is the link: http://changethis.com/manifesto/show/51.01.YourHowl

The first story, which is more a poem, is about a wolf who has lost his howl. At least, that's what it appears to be about on the surface. The wolf's search symbolizes our own search for what we're passionate about, what sparks our imagination, what drives us, what our purpose on this earth is. At first, Mumon feels disgraced because he is a wild animal and because he has no howl. When he kills a deer in the woods, he feels guilty because of it. He does not want to kill to survive, even though he is a wolf. I think this might mean that we as people might have to do things that we do not want to in order to be who we have to be. We need to make sacrifices to reach a goal because we are humans and these are the steps we must take. A raven talks to Mumon and tells him to listen to the bones of the animal he just killed, and don't listen with your ears, but listen with your soul. And Mumon does and he is transported into the past when a tribe worshipped him and he finds his howl. My favorite line is, "Captivity is the dream and freedom was the real experience." I think Flaum's main point is that to find your own howl, or purpose, you need to listen further than your ears, you must search every part of you, even memories that are drenched in shame or embarssement or sadness. Sometimes, the memories that are soaked in the most emotion hold the key to unlocking our true selves. Maybe that is what Flaum is saying.

The poem I'm using for the audio portion is: http://hidden-release.tripod.com/perks_of_being_a_wallflower_poem.html . However, the audio is not working so I'll just write out what I was going to say. This poem is really Emo, I know, but I like it because I love that book and this poem is a pretty influential part of the story. When I read that we had to read a poem, my mind jumped to this because I recently reread the book over break and it was one of my favorites when I was younger. I always thought the book was about pain and hatred and how much being a teenager sucked, but this time I read it and I thought differently. It’s about finding out who you are, and what a great and exciting and awkward time that is. Anyway, this poem kind of follows those same lines. You read it and it’s awful and you know it’s about suicide, but it’s not just about suicide. It’s about how easy life seems at first and the more you think and experience and do, the more challenging it becomes to live. I don’t know, I sound pretty morbid in this post…

 

1B Written Response to "Ways to Get Ideas"

Here is the link to the article: 

http://changethis.com/manifesto/show/49.06.14Ways

The article 14 Ways to Get Breakthrough Ideas by Mitch Ditkoff begins with a question, “What sparks innovation,” and an answer, “People”. But the real question digs further than that; how do people create “inspired ideas”? Ditkoff continues on a rant about ideas and innovation and how to obtain both. Some believe that thought comes solely from media we consume or people we talk to or the environment we interact with, while others believe it all lies within the subconscious, all a battle between, “I think therefore I am” and “I am therefore I think”.

Ditkoff’s first point is Follow your Fascination, which is basically exactly how it sounds. As students and people, there are certain subjects and topics we are drawn to, and it is against our right to dismiss them. At first, I read this and thought how obvious that sounded; of course you should not ignore something that interests you. But Ditkoff is not just saying you should think about studying English, you should study English. You should not think about producing a movie one day, you should produce a movie one day. Which leads into the next point—Immerse yourself.  Involve yourself in whatever it is that you are interested. Obvious too, right? But I think Ditkoff’s point is more than to point out the obvious. We think about these things, and we know about them, but we never act accordingly. We never actually immerse ourselves in what we love; we don’t have the time or patience or money, or maybe it’s the fear of failure, which is Ditkoff’s next point—Tolerate Ambiguity. I loved the line, “If you are attempting to birth a breakthrough idea, get comfortable with discomfort.” These three are my favorite because they are all linked, and all seem to be preaching topics that we already know, but never act upon, and I found that to be a refreshing wake-up call.

I decided to respond to idea number one because I also explained it above. A new idea that has been fascinating me lately is the new television show on MTV called The Skins. There was something awful about it’s raw desire to be indie and cool and hip, by playing Animal Collective in the opening scene, to featuring hot mess girls with their eye liner smudged and hair rumpled. But something about the show inspired me, because I felt I could write something like that, only better. One of my favorite books is Exit Here, and it had the same kind of feeling as The Skins but without the wanna-be undertone.  And I feel like if there is anything that I could write about, it would be something like that. Something very high-school-esque but also, much more mature than high school.  Like, these kids are in high school but they are most definitely not in any public or private system in America, or Europe, or anywhere. No one is going out every night in bedazzled cloths to dance in some club while snorting coke off marble sinks in the bathroom. And, if such a place exists, why have I not heard of it and why have I never attended? Anyway, it is a fantasy writing, and I think that is exactly what I could do. If I could take my favorite movie, Brick, which I wrote about in my last blog, and apply it to Exit Here and take what I’ve learned not to do from the The Skins, I think the product would be fabulous! 

1A Who Influences You Creatively?

Creatively, I have no idea what type of person I am. I know what movies I like and music I listen to and books I read, but other than that, my creative ability seems a mystery. Half of the reason might be that I have not had an opportunity to explore my options or to experiment with what I have wanted to do. I have not been able to design a video game or create an animation. All I have really been able to do to express myself is admire others. My three personal favorite creative outlets take place in cinema, in music, and in books. My favorite movie is Brick, the director and writer for which is Rian Johnson, also the director and writer for Breaking Bad and The Brothers Bloom. My favorite artist is Modest Mouse, and has been for years. My favorite author is David Sedaris, who I meet two years ago at a book reading in Pittsburgh.

Brick is a movie I stumbled upon recently, and was completely taken aback. It is completely unique, done like an old film noir from the time of early film, this movie is fast-paced, witty, and something a lot of youth nowadays never get to experience. I loved the dialogue; I thought it was insanely creative and nothing I had ever experienced before.  The movie is the perfect example of how tension and release is not always the best dynamic, because most of the movie is edge-of-your-seat tension; there is not a dull moment, and the audience is constantly on edge, constantly paying attention. I love movies, have seen many, but am very strict on what specific movies I enjoy, what movies I will add to my favorites on Facebook, what movies I will actually admit to liking. Not because I am a snob, but because I am too critical, if there is such a thing. There’s certain things I like to see in a movie, and Brick offered it all. Here is the trailer for the movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cVzHeJ0Z3I . I think loving this movie, studying it and appreciating it, will help my own creative side.

My favorite band, Modest Mouse, has inspired me in every way possible. I have wrote countless papers on their music, their lifestyle, and their message. One of the best parts of their work, however, is not just their ability to create great music and beats and lyrics, their greatest attribute is their ability to remain aloof. You can read their words over and over, yet the meaning can change for whoever the audience is; it can fit any situation and mindset. That is the kind of work I love, the debatable kind. Modest Mouse would be a good example of text and subtext. Their music will lead you in one direction, and completely change it up halfway through the song. One of the best examples of this is one of their relatively newer songs, “Spitting Venom”. When I play this for some of my friends, they always ask about six minutes in, “Is this the same song?” Here is a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eifPUvi7kA . The song begins pretty mellow, and the audience thinks they know exactly where the rest of these eight and a half minutes are headed; they think they know the pattern, but then the bass starts and the drums and the song twists into a disturbing shout about fakes and anger and cheating and hatred. And, just as the listener is sure they know precisely what is uncoiling, Modest switches it up again into a slow serenade, singing softly, “Cheer up baby, it wasn’t always quite so bad. For every bit of venom that came out, the antidote was had.”

Last but not least is my all time favorite author, and possibly favorite person, David Sedaris. His stories are somewhat mindless, not that of great literature that you study in class, but that is not a negative thing. His writing is for days when you need to unwind. His stories, in some ways, are didactic thinking; they are what they are and there is not much thinking involved.  Here’s a youtube video from Letterman: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vo98DQnvYOM .

Though these are all very different examples, they are all the biggest media that I consume. I love each work and artist very much, and all of it has effected me and the way I think, and, later, the way I create. 

First post!

It's a Friday, and I'm starting this blog for my Media 203 class. I attend Ohio University, and I am a freshman on my second quarter. My major is Media Arts: Digital Media. I hope to someday do something creative, something uniquely creative that my family will be impressed by, that my friends will be jealous of. Not working in some run-of-the-mill office, but in a name people recognize and go home and say, "Yeah, I know someone who works at EA games...", doing something that someone consumes, something media related. I want to be involved in stranger's lives, even if it's just a label on a website I design, or a flash game that bored students play when their teachers' backs are turned. Something like that. I want my work to subtle, but the point is, I want my work to be out there, and I hope through this class and the next three years I spend here, I will learn how to do just that.