Mixed Tape

I think the mixed tape was one of my favorite assignments we had so far this year. I think that doing different projects that are some form of art, such as a mixed tape, opens a whole new door to what writing and composition can be defined as. Once again, it shows that there are no clear defining rules of what writing is and how it should be composed.

I put together my mixed tape for my grandfather. It is a CD that chronologically lists the songs I have played for my grandfather since I began playing the piano. I ended with a song I had composed and recorded in a recording studio for my grandfather. I thought that was a nice conclusion and gives the listener a reason to keep listening all the way through to the last song. Another reason I did this chronologically is because the songs I have played for him got more and more difficult the further down the playlist. The way I organized this is what I consider my ‘flow.’

This flow is my writing style for this project. The main thing it has taught me is that an individual’s flow does not have to necessarily be seen directly or in the standard fashion to prove a point or be considered correct. This does not mean that there can be no organization and still flow. I believe that once the audience is established and the main purpose for the CD is clear, then the choosing of the songs can take place. One thing I think helped this CD a lot is the addition of liner notes. For reasons that might be clear only to the reader, it helps prove a point or reemphasize one. It is also a representation of your songs by written word. Overall, this assignment has taught me that writing and composition is not the only standard text book, thesis-driven essays that we are taught in every English class, but goes beyond the thoughts of writing and is taken over by the imagination, where it can then develop and grow to its fullest.

Mixed Tape Preparations

We talked a lot about the perfect mixed tape and I think it was very interesting hearing everyones thoughts about what truly makes a "perfect" mixed tape/cd. To me, it cannot begin without establising a person to present the CD with, and a meaning behind this action. Even if you choose to give it to this person just for fun, that's still a reason. I'm choosing to give mine to my grandpa and I want to show him how much I care about him and audibly present him with some memories he can think about. I think that giving someone a gift like this is often priceless because it shows how much thought and effort go into doing something for someone else. I look forward to seeing how mine and everyone elses mixes turn out.

Art How We Make It

I thought this assignment in class about sampling was very interesting and difficult in the end. I love art and any thing that brings out creativity, especially when it’s not so direct. What I found difficult was trying to have it not really make sense. My ‘collage’ had black and white photos in the background and small fragments of sentences on top of it. What I took out of this is that many things, objects; subjects seem so cut and dry and black and white, true and false, all with areas of gray. When words that do not particularity make sense are placed on top of all that, it shows that our imagination and creativity are what we make it, and no one can define who we are. I think that ties into appropriation because although those black and white areas will always be in our minds, it is what we do with it through our creativity that matters.

Writing Styles

I thought it was really interesting talking about changing out writing style and even views when it comes to our professors or whoever is grading our papers. I have in the past written accoring to how I think a teacher might want to see my paper written. I remember in high school I had to give a debate against the use of stem cells, knowing that my teacher is pro-stem cell research. Knowing this, I actually brought up the other viewpoints way more than I would have, because I wanted to show him I understood his personal views. I was frustrated doing this, but at the same time I thought it was a good learning experience because I would not have researched the other point of view if Idid not feel I had to in order to get a better grade. My question is, is it always a bad thing to change how you might do something to satisfy a teacher or professor?

Ads, Ads, Ads! Oh, and Spooky

This week’s reading assignments brought a whole new thought into my mind about this whole semester of authorship. I thought the exertion and discussion about Appropriation helps reinforce a thought that we all live through every day. The immediate thing that was brought to mind was a statistic I once heard: According to Publicity.com the average American is exposed to 3,000 advertising messages a day. I think this shows how crazy the marketing world today has gotten when technology has permitted them access to our minds through television, radio, email, and even cell phones. With all these advertisements reaching our minds every day, it is no wonder companies feel the need to compete so that consumers adapt to their messages.

I just wanted to mention one part of “Rhythm Science” that I found ironic and pretty much sums how I felt the first time I starting reading it: “The beginning. That’s always the hard part. Once you get into the flow of things, you’re always haunted by the way that things could have turned out. This outcome, that conclusion. You get my drift.” This beginning, like many other novels of stories or articles that I have read begin with a complex introduction then work themselves out. I greatly enjoyed the readings from this week and look forward to reading more from Dj Spooky

Sampling For Creativity

I was most excited about this project than any of the previous because I have always enjoyed art and the numerous ways to look at one piece of art and determine so many different aspects that you never would have thought of previously. My first experiment consists of Google images I found and composed in the form of a collage. The main portrayal is a man who is writing who symbolizes the universal being. Over his right shoulder is a picture of God looking down angrily. This symbolizes the disapproval of what seems to be a higher being because what he is writing (which is his creativity) could be against the law in forms of copyrights. Straight in front of him are all the positives that have come from the creativity and advancements in technology, society, and creativity, all of which could not have been done if there were strong boarders against doing so. Preceding this completion, I would have thought the second experience would be easier. This experiment came more easily to me though, I think for a large reason due to the unlimited amount of resources I could use. Because I was able to use the entire internet, I felt that I can take all the pictures I intended to and create this collage that helps present my view of authorship and copyright. My goal was to show that although a higher being or authority may look down on someone who is displaying creativity, the major advancements have all come from an advancement of another, and from that, springs creativity. I wanted to show the more positive side of authorship and believe this experiment was more argumentative in doing that.

My second experiment contains pictures found from the Creative Commons along with my own personal drawings. I took a more simplistic view in this second piece that takes deeper thinking to find the meaning. The 2 top pictures are meant to symbolize two distinct climates and because of the extremes of their temperatures nature in particular has difficulty surviving and flourishing. The two climates are meant to symbolize the strict copyright laws that seem to prevent, rather than increase creativity and advancements. From these 2 climates is a picture of a flower that arises from them. The flower overpowers the two though, and brings forth a man holding the world in the palm of his hand. The picture next to him shows that world with a lock inside of it, symbolizing how our own world seems locked down with what we can do with it because of laws. The last picture is the world with the lock released. It is at this point, that that symbolic flower in the middle can survive, regardless of the law. In the end, the world is ours ultimately ours. I also attempted to show with this experiment the positive side of authorship that, once again, will not be disrupted by copyrights and the law.

This project helped strengthen my thoughts about how authorship sparks creativity and advancements, and that by limiting that from our society, fear will flourish in place of the good that comes from all this. By displaying my thoughts visually I think that I personally captured a better understanding of the good from authorship and the detriments copyrights bring forth.