Music/Song Project

Brainwashed

In the article, Brainwashed, by Seth Godin talks about how we as artists, students, adults, go about our decision making process. The article talks much about how we are influenced and driven to make choices. One of the sections in the article is titled, Acknowledging the Lizard. The section talks about how we as artists sometimes hide i creativity and ideas when we believe that it will not be accepted or liked. It tells us that we have a little part in our brains that protect us from rejection but also dishes out our anger. It is true that when we feel our ideas are ostracized we tend to give up on it and try something else. This limits are creativity and if we fight past the "lizard" part of our conscious we can establish and carry out our creative ideas without the feeling of rejection.
"The risk the artist takes is that you might ... actually laugh at the effort. And it’s taking these risks that leads us to get rewarded."
Another section titled, Ship, talks about how we must take initiative to make out ideas public. Yes, a lot of the time we want to hold back because we are afraid to fail but that is part of the creative process. We must acquire the skills to make are decisions, carry them out, and get things done. What we have is what other people will seek out.


This article relates perfectly to this blogging activity. As we create projects in class we post them to all blogs for all the other media labs to see and hear. Theses blogs cut open out veins and put a piece of ourselves on display for others to critique and comment. A big part of this blogging is having the "lizard" brain. We must be brave and put our work on display and not be afraid to laugh at ourself or even fail. These exercised discussed in this article will help us become better media majors and stronger artists as well as students. It is all part of learning and applying the creative process.

Critiques of Soundscapes

Below are the links to three different groups soundscapes from other media 203 labs that I critiqued. The emotions include frustration, rage, and jealousy. 

http://mdia203capri.blogspot.com/2011/04/soundscape-project.html?showComment=1303245376634#c2541133289357698752

http://m2d0i3a.blogspot.com/2011/04/soundscape-emotions.html?showComment=1303243901490#c530589608581122033

http://mdia203joeybuccini.blogspot.com/2011/04/new-playlist4.html?showComment=1303244639135#c6359274467920587272

Exploration of Cover Songs

King Harvest in 1973 released, “Dancing In The Moonlight” and it was not obviously till Toploader in 1999 covered the song did I hear it. I used to listen the song on repeat on my mp3 player for hours. It was such a catchy song and had an amazingly catchy beat. It was not till my dad heard me listening to it that I knew it was a cover of an earlier version. My dad said he used to listen to a different version of “Dancing In The Moonlight” when he was younger by King Harvest. Both versions of the songs contain the same exact lyrics so there is no difference in that aspect of the song. However the melody of the music is quite different between the two.  Both songs each have uniqueness to their intros where the King Harvest version is being played softly by a piano with a maraca shaking in the background while the Toploader version is in a higher pitch played by a synthesizer. Both songs have a consistent tempo and speed that remains constant throughout the song. Both are played at the same tempo although is may seem as thought the Toploader version is moving faster. The rhythm is just more intense. There is more instrumentation in the Toplaoder version obviously because of the new developments in music by the 1990’s. In the King Harvest version the drum score is very simplistic while in the other version there is more of a complex drumming beat. Both songs are extremely engaging in the way hey are composed they are just unique in their own ways. The King Harvest version has a more classical feel whereas the other version is much more R&B contemporary. The Toploader version is definitely has a high intensity and more tonal timbre.  The King Harvest version is more laid back with more of a laid back, easy going feeling being felt. I find both songs equally entertaining but it I had to choose one over the other I would pick, “Dancing In The Moonlight” by Toploader. Being the first version of the song that I heard for me it feels like the “original” to me.  Comparing the two songs one after the other though, I found myself liking the groove of the Toploader version better. It is more of a current rendition and easier to relate to with this current generation. The drum score in most songs is the key component to my liking of a song and Toploader does a great job with theirs. I constantly find myself wanting to get up and dance and sing to the song every time I listen to it. King Harvest’s version is not bad by any means but when I listen to it I feel like relaxing. I just prefer the version that is more upbeat and a bit more engaging. 

Soundscape- Gratitude

Soundscape Project by Mulig and Hicken
These are the pictures that help enforce the mood of gratitude...

Inspiring Quote (Finding Your Howl)

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Finding Your Howl

Jonathan Flaum’s story, Finding Your Howl, tells the tale of a red wolf in search of his instinctual habits. Being is captivity for quite sometime a pack of red wolves were released into the wild to regenerate the red wolf habitat. The wolves seemed to be doing all right except for the fact that they forgot how to howl. With the ability to howl there is no way to establish a leader for the pack. Flaum’s story goes on to tell how one specific wolf, Mumon, was determined to discover his ability to howl. With help of his other instinctual habits to hunt he meets a deer that tells him his howl is within him, and that he must listen because if he wants it enough it will be there. Mumon takes the deer’s advice then proceeds to attack and eat him. Eventually Mumon is confronted with a hunter, he is shot, and from the wound he realizes he had his howl all along and that through his perseverance, trust in instinct and help from those along the way he can breakout of captivity and have freedom in the wild.

Audio Blog
One of my favorite quotes, "I’m not telling you it is going to be easy—I’m telling you it’s going to be worth it"
--Art Williams

14 Ways to Get Breakthrough Ideas

Ditkoff’s article, 14 Ways to Get Breakthrough Ideas, talks mainly about ways to be innovative and creative. He gives suggestions on how to approach ideas without bias and with a original edge. Ditkoff offers fourteen different ways for people to approach thoughts with in order for one to become an aspiring innovator.

1.     Follow Your Fascination-

Ditkoff suggests that following your fascination is nature’s way of getting your creative attention. If you become familiar with new fascinations they can to an extent inspire to generate new ideas, which in turn, can possibly become your best.

2.    Immerse-

In this section Ditkoff is telling us to stop multitasking and letting multiple activities take over your life. One must find some that’s fascinates them and immerse themselves completely in that activity. Don’t let anything else bother you become one with your project/idea and focus on it until its completed. Don’t give into distractions. Good Suggestion- with all the distractions in college life if is good to pick one activity to immerse yourself in. join a club or organization and focus your time on it. Find something you love to do to help you free your mind.

3.     Tolerate Ambiguity-

Don’t stop to develop your ideas. People may call you out or put you down but if you tolerate ambiguity nothing can keep you from failing.  You will never succeed if you give up so keep going.

4.    Make New Connections-

When creating new ideas never seize to make connections between multiple ideas. Who knows maybe some new idea will come from combining the two or three together. Good Suggestion- Making connections between ideas are a great way to come across new creative thoughts.  Making connections in everyday life can help you understand new complex ideas.

5.     Fantasize-

Ditkoff suggests that fantasy is what generates ideas. After childhood most of us stop fantasizing but we shouldn’t. Sometime by fantasizing we discover something fantastic.

6.     Define The Right Challenge-

Stay focused! Don’t let things distract and frustrate you. Make a game plan and figure out an approach to expanding upon your idea.

7.     Listen To Your Subconscious-

Ditkoff tells us not to give up on our ideas. Sometimes the mind becomes exhausted and when we take a break from our idea in our conscious mind our subconscious takes over. With time our subconscious can offer us a breakthrough, which is just what is needed to keep on developing.

8.     Take a Break-

Sometimes when we become so obsessed with an idea or project in consumes the project and it becomes annoying or difficult. Don’t forget to take a break and walk away. It’s not good to stress yourself out.

9.     Notice and Challenge Existing Patterns and Trends-

Keep your eyes open! Don’t forget that old neglected ideas and create new ones. Just because ideas did not work out for one project in the past doesn’t mean that wont be useful in the future.

10.   Hang Out With Diverse Groups of People-

You need to breakout of your comfort zone. Hang out with a new group of people, maybe the oddballs, and the jocks, the art freaks. This will help you develop new innovative ideas and outlooks on the creative process. Good Suggestion- by immersing yourself in diverse groups it is easier to form non-bias ideas. It is easy to incorporate this into everyday life especially at a college institution.

11. Brainstorm-

Think for yourself. Communicate in your mind. Some of the best ideas come from brainstorming. Whether you do it alone or with others, devoting time to thought helps clear the brain and help if focus on the topic at hand.

12. Look For Happy Accidents-

When creating your project go into it with an open mind. Let go of your expectations and assumptions. You never know maybe some great could come of a simple mistake.

13. Use Creative Thinking Techniques-

Don’t forget to always look at your ideas in a different perspective. Discover new ways to think creatively. There are many great websites that offer fantastic creative thinking suggestions.

14. Suspend Logic-

Ditkoff suggests that we stop taking things so practically and try to feel things. If we open our minds to different emotions and suspend logical thinking when can create abstract creative ideas.

Q10. Make a list of ten people (or groups of people) outside of your traditional “posse” who you can spend some time with this month. Who’s first? When?

1. Elders

2.Thespians 

3. Artists

4. Jocks

5. Runners

6. Hipsters

7. LGBT

8. Musicians

9. Geeks

10. International Students

I chose these groups because I fell it will help me become diversified with my ideas and opinions about my ideas and each group will help influence my creative process in an unique way. I would first hang out with the International students so I could develop an understanding for foreign culture. I feel that me being in college now I have the best opportunity to immerse myself into these different groups of people. 

Who influences you as a Creative Person?

I am a very hands-on creative person. I tend to be more creative behind the camera. I like to entertain and a lot of my creativeness comes from my love of acting and performing. In the past I have been producer of a local newscast talk show that was student run. I gained a love for video production from the very start of high school. I have also been in my shows and musicals throughout high school, which sparked my love for acting. Lorne Michaels (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorne_Michaels) is definitely one of the most inspiring comedians and producers in my life. I love the concept of Saturday Night Live that he created because it mixed live comedic acting with current events in pop culture. Lorne Michaels’ position as a writer for the show eventually proceed to a position as executive producer of Saturday Night Live. There is a lot of Text and Subtext found within the show. Many of the times the writers use irony, misdirection, and double entendres when writing sketches. The show is definitely packed full with double entendres, especially sexual innuendos. The skits the actors perform on Saturday Night Live are unique and vigorously entertaining. Lorne’s hard work and involvement with the show really inspires me to become an executive producer of a show in my future.

Another example of an artist that I admire is the work of The Black Eyed Peas; their amazing performing talent is very inspiring especially at this year’s super bowl. Although their singing talent, live may not be the best they are one of the most entertaining groups with a unique appearance. They never seize to amaze the audience with extravagant costumes and set designs. Their music involves a lot of Tension and Release with their songs going from smooth, softer sounding, to loud, electronic, futuristic sounding. A great example that uses tension and release is their new song “The Time (Dirty Bit)”.  The Black Eyed Peas inspire me to create entertaining scenes and camera shots with my cinematography and also use creative audio techniques when selecting music and sounds. They also inspire me to be creative and step outside the box when being creative.

 Another type of media that really inspires me is television shows especially ABC’s Modern Family. As a new hit dramady (hybrid of a drama and comedy) to ABC, Modern Family influences me to use comedy in my films. I found that shows like this make me want to produce and direct dramas and comedies. I find this genre the most entertaining. In Modern Family the plot is often Active or Didactic meaning that the audience often makes up there own minds about the context although sometimes, through confessionals, the actors tell us what to think specifically. Being active and sometimes didactic give the show a unique twist that most other television shows do not have. It attracts audience members because they never know what exactly the actors are thinking. This show is definitely influential to my hopeful future in comedic television.

iPhoto Manipulation