Music by Mark and Cam

Blog 3a Cover Assignment

I chose the song “Sweet Jane” by one of my all time favorite bands the The Velvet Underground. The Velvet underground came about in New York City in the 1960s.  The song opens with an electric guitar playing freely. The tempo is fast and very upbeat. Lou Reed’s voices pitch is deep and distinctive. The intensity of the instrumentation played by the other members of The Velvet Underground is loud and a great example of the heavier rock of that time. The organization of the song mixes both ordered and chaotic. The original song contrasts greatly with the cover version played by the Cowboy Junkies.

The Cowboy Junkies are a alternative rock, blues, and folk band from the 1990s. Their cover of “Sweet Jane” is very contrasting mood to the Velvet Underground's version. The text of the chorus of both songs are the same but rest of the verses share original lyrics by both bands. The main melody holds the same in both songs as well but the tempo, intensity, Timbre, and Pitch are altered from the original version.

In the Velvet Underground’s original version of the song the verses tempo is very upbeat and faster than Cowboy Junkies version. Velvets’ version is more hard rock and Cowboy Junkies is very soft and mellow. The organizational characteristics in the cover is very structured and this contrasts with the chaotic-ness of the original. This creates to different moods over the same text and melody. They took a very fast passed rock song and turned it into a quiet and meaningful folk song. The Cowboy Junkies’ changed the speed or tempo of the song and slowed it down greatly. If i were to describe the tempo of their version I would say it is like a slow dance song at a high school prom.

The intensity of the songs are also very different. The electric guitar and drums are more prevalent in the original version. The song has a loud anthem feel about it and the mood gives off a very happy and celebratory vibe. It makes me want to get up and dance and sing along with the lyrics. It gives off the feel of an upbeat rock song. Contrasting with that feel is this very soothing and somber mood that the Cowboy Junkies gives off. The Cowboy Junkies version has a very folk sounding vocal track.

The timbre of Lou Reed’s voice is loud and distinctive. For the most part of the song it seems as if he is yelling the lyrics. His voice is very “Rock n’ Roll”. However in the Cowboy Junkies song the lead vocalist has a very folk sounding voice. It contrasts the loud yelling of Reed’s voice and gives off a very beautiful sounding timbre. I first heard the Cowboy Junkies’ cover of this song in the film by Oliver Stone “Natural Born Killers”. The Cowboy Junkies’ version has very somber mood. The lead singer’s voice has a quiet Folk music tone. The timbre of her voice is soft and quiet. The timbre of the guitar is clean unlike the Velvet Underground’s version with a very distorted and crunchy sounding electric guitar.

 I am a big fan of originals so my favorite would have to be the Velvet Underground’s version of the song. The organization is a very chaotic structure in the opening and in the solos really goes along with the free-spoken lyrics. I enjoy Lou Reed’s loud and distinctive voice. The lyrics are deep and really say something about what was going on at that time. I also like the up beat rock tone it gives off. Every time i hear this song I can’t help myself and have to sing along.

Mark and Tanner's Soundscape

Our emotion was FEAR/Be afraid of the dark! MUHAHAAAAHAAA

Assignment #1. Who influences ME as a Creative Person?

When I think of the question who inspires me I think of what gives me the passion to want to create something unique and true to myself and others around me. I think of the innovators who have taken something current and turned into something unique and personal to them. I think of Jimi Hendrix and turning a guitar into a supersonic music board from another planet. I think of altruistic directors like Martin Scorsese who last for generations in the film industry directing original and unique content. I have also always been heavily influenced by Hip Hop music. My all time hero in Hip Hop music would be Tupac Shakur. Tupac inspires me to want to right about things that are real in the world.

           

For me these artists have the old cliché way of expressing “Can I listen to all their albums or watch all their films all they way through, without changing them like we all tend to do while listing, or watching pop culture media”. Many times I have changed a popular song on the radio because I had heard it too many times. So for me to see or hear something I could listen to over and over again. The beauty of the art of music and film is really your how it allows your own personal interpretation of it. It can sound good or bad to anyone that’s why music is subjective. It breaks way into the human phyisciy and lets you deicide what is good and, or what is bad?

Jimi Hendrix from the beginning has inspired me into music. I have been playing music since I was twelve years old. I picked up my first guitar after a friend had introduced me to some of Jimi’s music. We listened to the Band of Gypsies album the song Machine Gun where Jimi imitates a variety of different sounds turning his guitar into a musical machine gun. Jimi has the ability to give the same affinity style of old blues musicians while putting is own contrasting sound to it. His heavy blues jams mixed with supersonic tones inspires me to play guitar everyday. Whenever I hear a Jimi song I immediately feel the need to pick up my guitar and jam along.  Although Jimi's life was cut short he gave us the ultimate experience in such a quick time.

My favorite movie of all time is “Taxi Driver”. It also is directed by one of my biggest inspirations in the film industry Martin Scorsese. His films are very popular for the tension and release methods. They always have heavy build up with ending that can through your mind for a loop. One of my favorite scenes is the beginning of Taxi Driver it sets up some great tension for the beginning of the movie. I also love the musical score. 

Tupac’s lyrics are also very inspiring. Tupac could make a really intense gangster rap song then go and write a song about his mother and you wouldn’t hate him for it. He knew how to write songs that could relate to any way your feeling at some point in time. He utilizes text and subtext to really open up his lyrical creativity.  One of my favorite songs from Tupac is “ Dear Momma”. I want to dedicate to my mom who also inspires me everyday.

I am truly interested in all aspects of media arts because I see it as something current and original. Although I am more drawn to music and film I see new media as a great device.  It gives you the technology and lets you creates aspects of media that are relevant to you as an individual and everybody that comes into contact with it. 

Finding Your Howl by Jonathon Flaum

http://changethis.com/manifesto/show/51.01.YourHowl

In the article Finding Your Howl by Jonathon Flaum it embarks on the Journey of a red wolf named Mumon. Mumon has lived his life thus far in captivity. Mumon and the other wolves have lost their ability to howl because they have been kept from pursing their natural instincts. They in a sense have lost what makes them wolves.  As an experiment Mumon and other red wolves are released back in the wild. In the wild they have no leader and many want to go back to the captive lives they have become accustomed to. Mumon refuses to go back instead he runs deep into the woods. Becoming hungry he is forced to hunt for the first time. He comes across a deer and the chase is on. Mumon has never hunted before and his instincts takeover. He kills the deer and begins to eat it. While eating the deer he becomes overwhelmed with sadness. He truly did not want to kill the deer but he had to eat to survive. He is torn between feeling grateful for the food but ashamed at himself for taking the deer's life. While Mumon is falling asleep a raven flies down to eat what is left of the deer. Seeing Mumon mourn over the deer the raven speaks. He tells Mumon that in order to find his howl again he must shed the shame of being what he truly is. He explains to Mumon that he is a wild animal and feeling shame for what he has done is akin to feeling shame for being born into the wild.

Flaum is trying to explain that it is possible to lose your howl or inner identity. From years of being in captivity Mumon lost his howl. He doesn't get it back until he breaks away from the cage and ventures into the jungle. This can be true with people too. As we grow we lose that wild imagination we once had as child.  We learn to think structurally and within the metaphorical box. We learn almost that having that absurd imagination is immature or childish. I think that my howl has a lot to do with my vivid child like sense of imagination. With a strong imagination creatives possibilities are endless.

When ever I am afraid of losing my "Howl" I listen to this song and it always comes back to me. I think of Jimi as the deer and his guitar as the raven. With lyrics like "Well, I'm gonna stand up next to a mountain and chop it down with the edge of my hand, I'm gonna pick up the pieces and make an island, might even raise a little sand" this really speaks to me creatively.

Mitch Ditkoff, 14 Ways to Get Breakthrough Ideas

Here is the link to the Article
http://www.ideachampions.com/weblogs/14%20Ways%20to%20Get%20a%20Breakthrough%20Idea.pdf

Mitch Ditkoff in this article explains the importance of innovation in today's society. He explains that innovations is what sparks and idea or inspires and idea that meets a need. He explains two schools of thought on this subject. First he describes the origination of ideas to inspired individuals who come up with these ideas. The second one ascribes the appearance of ideas to a transcendent force, a "Collective Unconscious. He then goes on to identifying the fourteen ways to get a breakthrough idea.

1. Follow Your Fascination - Find out what truly stimulates you mentally.

2. Immerse - Find something you love and completely involve yourself in it mentally and physically.

3. Tolerate Ambiguity - Learn from mistakes you make. Learning comes from failing first.

4. Make New Connections - Connecting two things in a original and innovative way.

5. Fantasize - Don't be afraid to dream big.

6. Define the Right Challenge - Questioning what you want to accomplish.

7. Listen to Your Subconscious -  Breakthrough ideas come after extensive periods of intense, conscious effort.

8. Take a Break - Let your mind marinate a good idea.

9. Notice and Challenge Existing Patterns and Trends - Seeing what is current and how you can put your own personal spin on it.

10. Hang Out with Diverse Groups of People - Go out of your comfort zone and meet new people.

11. Brainstorm - Sparking ideas deep inside your mind.

12. Look For Happy Accidents - The art of noticing new things that happen accidentally.

13. Use Creative Thinking Techniques - Jumper cables that ignite your mind into new ways of seeing something.

14. Suspend Logic - Take what is known and forget about it for sometime to uncover things that might not always make sense.


I feel that following your fascination is the most important of all fourteen ways. Doing something you like can only lead to good things. I think that if you were trying to accomplish something you were not interested in you would find it boring or tedious and that probably would affect the outcome of that project. It you have the chance to do something you find fascinating you can really let yourself go and not only succeed in it but also open up new fascinations that could evolve from it.

Notice and challenge patterns and existing trends is also very important. In this technological world we live in everything is changing in music, movies, and games. However some changes may be dramatic most are small changes that can lead to inventing something new and fresh.  If you can take an existing pattern and tweak it in a way that is personal to you can create something new and groundbreaking out of something that is also current. Some of the great art made comes form inspiring art that came before it.

Hanging out with diverse people is very important. I think that putting yourself out there and meeting new people is one of the best ways to succeed. By meeting new people you are opening your self up to new experience and ideas. The more people you meet and converse with can open new bridges to a path of being successful. The people you meet now and create relationships with can help you out in the future.


Nouns                                 Verbs                                 Adjectives


Guitar                               fix                                            dynamic
Film                                 allow                                        cheerful
Television                        jog                                           bright
New York                       run                                           helpful
radio                                pass                                         successful
speaker                            direct                                       confused
backpack                         lead                                         comfortable
poster                              takeover                                   colossal
Los Angeles                   obtain                                       tasty

         

Media 203

Hey, Im Mark this is my first blog.