PressPausePlay

Like most aspects of popular culture, the music and art industry are constantly evolving. To a great extent, music is a way of communication, a way for artists to tell the world what they feel. In PressPausePlay there was much emphasis on the fact that many people can become artists now, and it is easier to produce art. "Younger musicians, and some older ones I've noticed, rely too much on the technology." Although it is good to be able to express yourself, many well established artists fear that  this accessibility takes away the important of having real talent, and anyone can make something great. This ability has come from technological advances that allow anyone to tweak, edit, and tune their sounds to perfection. 

For example, high quality recording cameras such as RED are becoming cheaper for the average organization to buy and use, allowing higher quality films to be produced despite skill or education. The democratization of artistry opens up a world of possibility to new ideas and input that would never have been connected to others. With Olafur Arnalds, he was able to find a magnificent piece of art to accompany his music, and a connection could be made from there. 

Because he could just make the music in his home and share it, a man from across the world saw it and was inspired by it. Olafur Believes that anyone should be able to express art, despite the lack of academically verified skill. This exchange of art and culture from across the world can touch people, and the beautiful images and sounds can inspire even more work to be created.

Due to the democratization of art and music, many professionals in the industry believe the industry itself is dead. One main reason is that with mass culture being so prevalent, everyone thinks that they are the artist. "There's ten thousand people there, the difference is that everyone believes that they are the artist...then art ends." They can't enjoy shows and performances quite the same anymore because there is always the thought that they could do a better job than the performer. Some specific artists and producers disdain the the concept of mass media and the share-ability of the internet. Sean Parker has the opposite view, as the co-founder of an online music sharing website called Napsterr. "The vision behind Napster in the very early stages was just to come up with a system that made the sharing of mp3s so easy." (Dworsky PressPausePlay)

Professionals who have dedicated years and a lot of money into an education in the trade take offense to some kid thinking he can produce and equal quality product with his computer, and still encourage an elite culture in music. "The Craft is Gone", they say, meaning that creativity is all you need to produce a work. No longer does an artist need to be familiar with the workings of their instrument or materials. "It's separated the knowledge of craft and creativity...now you just have to know how to turn on a computer." The seemingly inhuman perfection that accompanies computer-generated music is eerie and lacks the human-like imperfection that fans enjoy.

Another way that the enjoyment of music as a whole has changed is that it is now more about the situation in which you encounter it. It is less about the music, now, and increasingly about the experience. Because each concert or live performance is different, it gives a sensation of discovery that recorded music doesn't give anymore.

Smoke Signals

As we watched Smoke Signals last week, There were several links between Vincent and the main character of Ceremony, Tayo. I think one reason why they were similar is because many people in various Native Tribes have started to live similar lives on the reservations. For example, the people around Tayo such as Harley and Emo just drink their problems away. Vincent's dad did the same thing because of the shame he felt for killing Thomas' parents. In one way or another, we all have problems that seem incurable, but being stuck on a reservation might make certain tribe members feel helpless. If they had an opportunity to go out and change their lives, it might motivate them to leave the bar stools.

Tayo connects to Vincent in other ways as well. Tayo's mother, Laura reminds me of both Vincent's father and his mother. She reminds me of his father because of the fact that he isn't there to raise him. Although Tayo's mother leaves before he can really get to know her at all, and Vincent's father can imprint memories on his son, they are both absent for the majority of the boys' childhoods. One difference that forms in adolescence between the two boys is that Vincent doesn't want anything to do with his father, and Tayo yearns to know Laura better and have her back. Tayo recollects watching his mother often be mistreated by men, recounting the stories in the "shanty village". Vincent witnesses this as well when his dad hits his sweet mother who was trying to keep the family together.

Essays, Essays, Essays

After writing numerous essays in the past few days, some quotes have hit me pretty hard. One part in the book that really made me think was Tayo's spirit walk. It is hard to tell whether or not it is real, so I think that some components are real while others were part of his imagination. We know that there really was someone out in the desert who trapped his cattle because he and Robert notice they had been fed while he was away. "They look real good, Tayo...Somebody's been looking after them for you" (Silko 199). Although he doesn't know if it is Ts'eh or not, because they hut is virtually empty, there had to have been some real person.

One aspect of his journey that seems to be imagined was when the man started chanting behind him as he walked. "The voice faded in and out, sometimes muffled or lost in the wind" (Silko 192). He seems like a memory of Tayos, recalling the chants of where his people came from. It seems unlikely that Tayo really was being followed by a mysterious man in the wilderness that he could not see. Although parts of this man seem dream-like, it is also possible that the man he hears is the hunter. The hunter is aware of the Traditional ways, as shown by the respectful manner in which he decorates the dead deer's antlers. This makes it possible that he could be the same person that Tayo hears chanting.

The Ceremony and Helen Jean

This past week we did close analysis of some important parts of the novel. One important part was the healing ceremony performed by Betonie. This is where Tayo turns around from trying to drink away his problems to start real healing. He understands how he will never get better unless changes are made. Betonie relays the belief of a great evil to Tayo, saying that the Indians created the white culture which has swept over the earth. One important symbol of Tayo's healing is the cattle. He is always chasing them, and although they seem out of reach, the closer he gets indicates further healing.

The other section we wrote about is about Helen Jean and the experiences they have together in the bar. Tayo has an interesting link to Helen Jean, both seeing himself in her and seeing his mother Laura in her. She has been through racist discrimination like Tayo has. When she got an awful wage doing dirty work at a theater, it is similar to Tayo not being treated like any other white person. She also remind Tayo of his mother. He has vivid memories of when he was a kid, how she would bring men home. He realizes that he is becoming those men, with Helen Jean being his mother in the situation. Another connection he sees is with Harley and Emo, and how they represent the great evil Betonie warned him of. They are trying to take him down with them by pressuring him to drink away his sorrows like they always have since the war. We see how much Better Tayo is getting, however, when he refuses the take part. It almost disgusts him when they get drunk and puke everywhere which shows that he is capable of reaching a new level of healing.

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