Friday, April 29, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
Response to "Brainwashed"
Article link: http://changethis.com/
"Acknowledging the lizard" is allowing that self-conscious voice inside of your head that is always telling you that you can't do something to take control of your thoughts and actions. This is the part of our brain that feels shyness, worry, and anger. By giving into these feelings we live in fear and cannot be artists. By recognizing that this "lizard brain" is a part of our being we can actively find a way to get past it and create art.
Failing is another way you can reinvent yourself. According to the article, you must be open to failing often and in public. Creating things takes time--like building factories or institutions. The same goes for art and media. In order to create something good, you have to take risks, make changes, and sometimes fail. Try, try, try again, the saying goes.
Acknowledging the lizard and failing apply to creating this blog because there is always going to be that one person that critiques your work that hates it. They are the lizard in your brain. They will try to bring you down, but if you ignore them, you'll be fine. Failing doesn't really relate to this blog because it is so subjective. I think these blog posts are a good way to speculate about media and discuss our opinions on our own creations and our classmates creations.
Garageband Song
My Song Here
Critiques:
1-- Michael Garrett: Written critique / Audio critique
2-- Michael Mulig: Written critique / Audio critique
3-- Samantha Williams: Written critique / Audio critique
Friday, April 15, 2011
Original vs. Cover Songs
Original- Link: Can't Fight This Feeling by REO Speedwagon
Cover- Link: Can't Fight This Feeling by Cory Monteith (Glee)
For this assignment I chose the song "Can't Fight This Feeling" originally by REO Speedwagon, and covered by Cory Monteith on Glee. I will compare and contrast the two songs based on lyrics and some of their musical qualities. The original lyrics of the song talk about a man who can no longer deny that he is in love with someone, but is too afraid to tell her how he feels. He compares his love to a candle in the window on a cold night and a sailing ship. The song is very metaphoric and uses, in my opinion, beautiful language. In the cover version, the same lyrics are used, but several verses are taken out. By taking out some of the lyrics, the organization of the song is altered a bit. Instead of having two verses before the chorus, there is only one. It not only changes the flow of the song, but also the length, (which is shortened.)
The first musical quality that stuck out to me the most was intensity. The original song by REO Speedwagon has a much softer intensity than the Glee version. The singer’s voice glides across each word softly, making the words sound very heart-felt. Cory Monteith’s voice is more gravelly, though he still manages to sing the words sweetly. Pitch is the next point I will discuss. Both the singer’s voice and the instruments are at a lower pitch in the cover than the original. The original also uses piano as the main instrument to keep the melody, whereas the Glee version uses an acoustic guitar, so the difference is very noticeable. The speed of the REO Speedwagon song is relatively fast. The cover song is much slower; the singer elongates the lyrics to make up for taking out several verses.
If I were to characterize the tempo of the two songs the original would be moderato and the cover would be andante. This also affects rhythm because in the cover song there are less beats than in the REO Speedwagon original. The two songs have different kinds of timbre, but both are simple. The main instrument in the Glee version is guitar, and then the drums kick in strongly to give it a more complex timbre. Similarly, the original song starts off with just a piano riff repeated over and over, then the drums kick in, but softly and more understated. As I states in the first paragraph, the organization of the two songs is mostly the same, except several verses were removed in the cover song. However, the pattern of verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus, remains the same.
I will conclude by telling you which song I like better. Although I have much respect for the original version, I like the cover better. I enjoy the sound of Cory Monteith’s voice more than the higher pitched voice of REO Speedwagon’s lead singer. The sound of a sole acoustic guitar also is a more pleasant sound to my ears than the piano, which is a bit too dramatic for this kind of love song. Even though I really like the lyrics of the song, I was pleased that Glee removed several of the verses. It made the song flow more smoothly. Overall, I enjoy listening to both versions very much because they each have unique aspects.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Emotion Soundscape
Friday, April 8, 2011
Summary of Flaum Article
Part 1:14 wolves were released from captivity into the wilderness, but they didn’t know how to howl. One wolf, Mumon, journeyed deep into the forest to find his howl. There he sees a deer and begins to hunt, but before he can attack the deer speaks to him, saying when he is hungry enough for his howl, he will hear it. Mumon eats the deer and is grateful, but ashamed. He bathes in the river and sleeps. When he awakes, a raven tells him that his mark is on the deer carcass and that his howl will come to him when he stops being ashamed of what he is. Mumon begins running and feels his old self slipping out of him. He encounters a farmer with a gun and he gets shot. All of a sudden a tribe is chanting around a fire. Mumon walks into the middle and howls, realizing that its not a tribe and a fire, but his pack and a rock. The rest of his pack begin to howl and they all feel free.
The point Flaum is trying to make is that to find your voice you may have to sacrifice everything. You might think that you can’t do it. You might think it’s too hard. You might think it’s terrifying, but the only way to it is through it.
Part 2:
“And in the end
The love you take
Is equal to
The love you make”
-The Beatles
This quote speaks to me because it is so simple, yet so relevant in everyday life. The quote is basically saying, in the most general terms, in order to get an outcome you must put in some type of effort. This can apply to love (if you want love, give love,) respect (if you want respect, give respect,) or sharing (if you want something, give something in return.) I also think its important that we remember this quote because often times people expect things without attempting to earn them. Although people don’t always get what they deserve, putting in the effort is the first step.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Critique of Mitch Ditkoff’s “14 Ways to Get Breakthrough Ideas”.
Article: http://changethis.com/
In Mitch Ditkoff's article, "14 Ways to Get Breakthrough Ideas," he states that there are two approaches people generally take when trying to come up with ideas. The first, the Western approach, involves more "thinking." The second, the Eastern approach, involves more "feeling." Business people are associated with the Western approach, while artists associate themselves more with the Eastern approach. He then goes on to provide 14 ways to help you come up with ideas.
1. Follow your fascination—allow yourself to be called to, enchanted, and delighted by something.
2. Immerse—become completely involved or absorbed in it.
3. Tolerate ambiguity—you may be confused or uncomfortable.
4. Make new connections—step outside your box of confinement.
5. Fantasize—be curious, take part in dreams and impossibilities.
6. Define the right challenge—come up with the question before the answer.
7. Listen to your subconscious—breakthroughs come after intense conscious effort.
8. Take a break—walk away from your project for a while.
9. Notice and challenge existing patterns and trends—change old ideas and reconfigure them in new ways.
10. Hang out with diverse groups of people—go beyond the usual suspects, let go of your need for comfort and agreement.
11. Brainstorm—frame the question, invite the right people, and facilitate the process.
12. Look for happy accidents—notice something new and unexpected.
13. Use creative thinking techniques—use a quote, book, or exercise to get your motor running.
14. Suspend logic—put judgment and practicality out of your mind.
Three of the suggestions caught my eye. Number six says one must “define the right challenge.” I agree with the writer in acknowledging that this is important, but I think he needs to define how to do this in a better manner. He explains that in order to get the right outcome you must first ask the right question, but he fails to discuss how to go about finding the right question to ask. If he gave examples of how to come about this reasoning his explanation would be more fulfilling. The next prompt I want to talk about is number two, which states, “immerse.” I believe this is one of the most important topics he talks about. In his description he says that breakthrough ideas have the likeliest chance of showing up when we are completely involved or absorbed in a task. This is a proven fact. I took a management class fall quarter and in it we learned about things called “flow states.” A flow state is “the sensation of being in a state of full concentration or hyper-concentration [that] is both pleasant and productive” (http://www.uwsp.edu/education/lwilson/creativ/flow1.htm). When you’re doing something and your worries melt away, you have a feeling of great control, and time seems to almost suspend itself or pass rapidly—you have just experienced a flow state. Immersion is the key to flow states and getting great new ideas. The third recommendation that I thought was interesting was number 14, which asks us to “suspend logic.” The author states that as adults we tend to search for rationality in things so we can analyze them. He suggests we return to a child-like state so we can suspend judgment, evaluation, and practicality. Although I believe this technique works, it is a hard task to do. Our minds are always actively looking for things that are out of place or wrong, so as to correct them with logic. In order set aside logic, I think our brains would have to be either thoroughly distracted or completely worn-out.
For the final part of this assignment we were asked to execute one of the 14 prompts. I chose number four which asks us to “make new connections.” In his explanation, the writer suggests: “Make three parallel lists of ten random words. The first list? Nouns. The second list? Verbs. The third list? Adjectives. Then look for intriguing new connections between them.” Below is my execution and discussion of the prompt:
Nouns: Flames, Mirror, Cloud, Bouquet, Knot, Sea, Girl, Desk, Piano, Frame
Verbs: Bloom, Collect, Flee, Polish, Reap, Unbutton, Shiver, Fix, Erase, Wake
Adjectives: Dark, Clear, Natural, Tender, Unruly, Bitter, Mysterious, Sleek, Glistening, Messy
When looking at some of these words side by side, I noticed several things. I originally paired the verbs "fix" and "polish" with the nouns "desk" and "frame" interchangeably. This is a logical connection that my brain instantly made. However, looking at the list of words again, I thought, a desk can be messy or unruly. A frame could be sleek. You could collect frames. Other connections I made were that the words "sea" and "girl" can use the same verbs and adjectives. The sea can be mysterious. So can a girl. A girl shivers. The sea, in a way, can shiver as well. The sea can be tender or unruly. A girl can be either, too. This exercise could definitely help me make new connections or see connections that I didn't originally see. This is something I could see myself using while writing a paper or a song.
My Creativity Defined
My creativity is hard to explain. I find that I enjoy my creativity the most when it is focused towards songwriting, playing instruments, and creating music. However, I don’t like to limit myself to just one creative process. I also express creativity through drawing, what I wear each day, coming up with new ideas in my professional business fraternity, figuring out the best way to study for a certain subject, and through many other ways in my daily life. In this blog post though, I’m going to focus on music. My early influences were: The Beatles, Dixie Chicks, The Eagles, Garth Brooks, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Over the Rhine, Paul Simon, and Pink Floyd. My recent influences are: Adele, Ben Harper, The Black Keys, Feist, Jack Johnson, Jay-Z, Nickel Creek, and Taylor Swift. Below I will discuss the two artists who have influenced and inspired my creativity the most.
1. The Eagles have been a huge influence on my musical creativity. I began listening to them as a young girl when my family took road trips. I was drawn to the harmonies and the differences between each of the members’ voices. I have always loved Joe Walsh’s voice the best because the way he sings is very relatable—it’s not amazing, it’s real. He tends to drag out words with a bit of a croon. My favorite album is “Desperado” because they use the theme of the “Old West” and draw comparisons between that lifestyle and the lifestyles of rock stars. Some of their songs have mysterious lyrics, and as a kid I was always trying to figure out what they meant. Though they started out as a Southern rock group, they moved towards what was considered a mix of pop and hard rock, and are now “classic rock.” The Eagles relate to our media class through Contrast/Affinity. Their harmonies are often important parts of their songs. By highlighting the differences between their voices (contrast,) they create unique sounds that ultimately fit together to make a homogeneous (affinity,) melody. The Eagles lyrics also correlate to class through Conscious/Subconscious. In many Eagles songs, there are the themes of love and life choices. In a song like “Desperado,” the lyrics take a subconscious stand. The narrator/singer is saying that this person, the subject, needs to let love in. Within the song, it is inferred that the subject wasn’t aware that his actions were preventing him from love. In another song, “Lyin’ Eyes,” the narrator/singer comments upon a young girl who married an older man for his money. It follows the story of her looking back at her choices and realizing that they got her to where she is now--an unhappy and loveless marriage. This is an example of conscious.
Links: Contrast/Affinity—Seven Bridges Road
Conscious—Lyin’ Eyes
2. Taylor Swift inspires me because of her songwriting style. Love and relationships are her main topics, and that is what I tend to focus on in my songwriting. Taylor relates to our media class because in her songs she often uses Active/Didactic language. In some songs she’ll flat out tell you what her feelings or opinions are on love/a relationship/a boy (didactic). In others, she’ll give you some hints and clues, but she’ll let you decide for yourself (active). I like both of these approaches. A didactic approach is more direct, straightforward, and “in your face.” Active tends to be more vague and open-ended, and leaves the decision on what to think “up in the air,” so to speak. I believe using an active approach allows the audience to be more involved because they have to think harder about the lyrics in order to discover their meaning.
Link: Didactic—Jump Then Fall
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