Personal Image 7

 

This is a picture of AAC in the middle of the night during week 7. While the AAC is no longer a 24/7 institution, people still flock here towards the end of the quarter at the strangest hours. Perhaps it's because they do their best work here or they have nowhere else to go, but for me its the feeling of not being alone in the middle of the night with my work.

Digital Response 7

Poster Reflection

          In the 21^st Century, writing is becoming a more social act. Historically, the education system, whose main focus is to produce good citizens, has always pushed reading since that is the way society has transmitted its values (Yancey 2). However, the increased accessibility of writing, due to the globalized community and the proliferation of writing platforms and therefore a wider audience, has allowed more people to enter into discussions and to express a wider range of opinions. This phenomenon has allowed literacy to take on a new life in the 21^st century, a period we may call the Age of Composition, an era where writers become writers not through direct and formal instruction, but through an extracurricular social co-apprenticeship (Yancey 5).

Writing in the 21st Century

Ong and Didion walk into a bar...

            The bar was filled with a hazy glow that emanated from a few old brass light fixtures on the ceiling and smoke filtered lazily throughout the room. The bar itself was polished from decades of use and the multitudes of bartenders that had passed through. The door opened to let in a gust of chilled October air, ruffling the pages of the novel that Didion was pretending to read. Though the bar was not crowded, a man sat next to Didion. His somber black clothes did not seem out of place, but the white clerical collar at his throat did. Didion watched him out of the corner of her eye, curious about this older man who seemed so at ease in a place that did not appear to suit him. She watched covertly as he ordered a drink (non-alcoholic), sipped it, and conversed briefly with the bartender. The bartender knew him by name (Walter) and seemed to like him well enough.

            After a few minutes, Didion felt her novel pulling at her attention, and she gratefully slipped back into it. As soon as she felt immersed, for the first time all night, she heard a gentle throat clearing to her left. She glanced up, intrigued by the sight of Walter looking at her so intently. He was older than she originally presumed. Laugh-lines framed his soft eyes and the hint of a smile pulled at his lips. “What is a young woman doing at a bar like this on a Monday night, and reading a book nonetheless!”

            Startled by his direct question, Didion snipped, “clearly, I’m reading. What is an old priest like yourself doing here?”

            Despite her attitude, Ong chuckled. “I come here to watch people. The most interesting folks show up at a bar on a Monday night.”

            “And you think I’m interesting?”

            “I don’t know for certain yet, but we’re off to a good start.”

            Didion took a moment to respond to the odd man, using the time to mark her book and put it down carefully. When she turned her attention back at him, she found he was staring at her with the same intensity at before. Unnerved, she responded, “Well, how will you determine if I’m interesting, then?”

            “We will talk for a bit, then I will tell you what I think. Does that sound okay?”

            “I suppose.” Didion let the silence sit until her frustration peaked, “What do you want to talk about?”

            “What are you reading?”

            “It’s a biography of the Reagans. I wrote a few essays about them years ago, though I don’t know why I chose to read this.”

            “What type of essays did you write?”

            “Nonfiction, mostly, but from my own perspective.”

            “So you told stories.”

            “I suppose, in a sense, that’s true. But my stories were real, they dealt with real issues and real people. They were never meant to mislead or misinform-“

            “but they were from your perspective?”

            “Yes.”

            “And they were written and published?”

            “Yes.”

            “So whether or not you meant to mislead or misinform, once they were published and read that is no longer up to you.”

            Didion stared at the man. How did she end up in such a conversation? “Perhaps not, but they are still my words and my stories.”

            “So why are you reading about the Reagans?”

            “Well, I guess I wanted to look back and see how they measured up against my expectations at the time.”

            “So you are looking for validity in your own writing?”

            “What are you trying to say?”

            “Clearly, you care about what you chose to say in those essays about the Reagans. You care so much about how you present your subject matter because it will remain written for anyone to see for the rest of time. If you had just been having a conversation about the Reagans back in the sixties, do you think you would be here now reading that book?”

            “Most likely not.”

            “No, most likely not.” Ong repeated, staring at the bottles behind the bar.

The Pulse of American Society

We all listen to music to feel connected. Music is the colloquial poetry of our society and it reaches out in an explosion of expression that can touch a person’s soul. This is not to say that all music has some deep and meaningful message or some higher value it is trying to convey; I would argue that most of it doesn’t. Like most modern consumers of music, I have heard some chauvinistic, and frankly insulting, lyrics in popular music and I have also heard music that sounds no better than nails on a chalkboard.

Music reflects the mindset of our society. It is just as diverse and just as integral as any other aspect of our culture, and I would further argue that it is a better measure of modern culture than any poll or news story. The scene in which music is enjoyed, whether it is a coffee shop, a small jazz club, or a large arena, is a study in humanity. When listening to music we connect to the lyrics, the instrumentals, the atmosphere, and the people.

I recently attended a small concert in Boulder where a local pop-reggae band, Na'an Stop, played. This is not a genre of music I usually listen to and I was really just there to support a friend who is dating on of the musicians. However reticent I was about the music, the atmosphere in the venue was electric. As the band played, everyone in the audience focused on the music. There was no exclusion in the audience, no place for judgment or insecurity, just a collective sense of being in the moment.

To me, this is the importance of concerts: it is a place for connection, a place for release, a place to express yourself.

Yet the most enduring music, music from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Nirvana, and even Madonna, is able to connect to audiences that span several generations. John Lennon, a member of The Beatles, created the song "Imagine" that is still played at peace rallies all over the world and is often cited as one of the most historically influential songs of all time.

In several concerts I have attended in the last few years, there has been an animosity and competitiveness in the atmosphere that I find jarring and distressing. While this is not a new phenomenon by any means, I believe it deserves to be discussed. The antagonistic mindset of concert goers is unnecessary and is hurting the music industry. I recently attended 93.3's Big Gig summer concert, and the level of disrespect and entitlement among the concert goers was something I had never seen at such a large scale (and I have attended Big Gig for the past few years). I had, at the time, blamed it on the heat and the overcrowded venue, but weren't those the same conditions for the past few years?

I watched as a girl fainted from heat exhaustion, a simple case of dehydration and excitement. Her friends swore she had not been drinking, and the paramedics later confirmed this, yet despite her obvious distress (she could not stand up and was a sickly green color) no one stopped to help. People moved slowly and reluctantly out of the way, rolling their eyes and grumbling loudly at the interruption. It took nearly 10 minutes to walk the few hundred feet out of the crowd and to an administrative post.

Concerts foster a feeling of community. They take emotions that are often too abstract to simply put into words and create musical representations of the human experience. Yet the ever-prevailing sense of entitlement and the self-centered mindset of many concert goers is changing the experience into a vulgar show of notoriety and privilege.

The sense of entitlement is reflected in the popular music of today. Kanye West, a prolific and controversial artist, is a prominent figure in popular music. He is an incredibly wealthy artist and is best known for his bad attitude and narcissistic personality, and yet his music is constantly lauded and awarded. With lyrics such as, “For all the girls that got dick from Kanye West If you see 'em in the streets give 'em Kanye's best Why? They mad they ain't famous (God damn) They mad they're still nameless (Talk that talk, man)” it is hard to argue that West is not sexist, so why are his albums so popular? They are demeaning to a multitude of people and promote material wealth, racism, and sexism.

One of the best moments in a concert is when the band plays the crowd’s favorite song. As soon as the opening notes sound, the audience eagerly shouts their excitement. Everyone moves to the music, sings, and is desperate to share their enthusiasm. However, in so many concerts this perfect moment is interrupted by the presence of social media. People furiously Snapchat, Tweet, and post on Facebook or Instagram, distancing themselves from the immediate environment in order to prove that they were there, that they saw that band, and they have concrete proof.

I'm bringing all of this up to try and convey the importance of music to our culture to you; to try and make you think how music has shaped your own life and what role it plays in your everyday routine. Yet the music itself is only a part of the impact the music industry has on our culture. I would argue that concerts are an epicenter for human connection and are a celebration of the emotions that music can bring out in anyone. Next time you are at a concert, take a moment and look at the crowd. Look at the diversity of the group, the obvious enjoyment (or maybe not, maybe they were forced there by a friend or significant other), the timelessness of just being in the moment. Next time you turn on the radio to a popular station, listen to the lyrics that are being preached. What does that say about our culture? Our obsessions and our passions are commented on by the artists, it just takes a moment to really listen, and a bit of reading between the lines, in order to hear what is really being said, or sung.

Personal Image 6

This is a photo from a concert I went to on Tuesday, October 18th. The band was Grouplove and, though I have not listened to them since high school and the only reason I went to this concert was that it fell on my birthday, just being at the venue, surrounded by people, reminded me why I loved concerts and music. I really feel that this topic is one that I want to pursue writing about, though I am unsure what form that will take at the moment.

Digital Reflection 6

http://www.salon.com/2014/11/10/david_foster_wallaces_mind_blowing_creative_nonfiction_syllabus_this_does_not_mean_an_essayist%E2%80%99s_goal_is_to_share_or_express_herself_or_whatever_feel_good_term_you_got_taught_in_h/

David Foster Wallace is my favorite author, and he is quite accomplished in the genre of creative non-fiction. This is a link to his syllabus for a class he taught, and I think that his definition of creative nonfiction is insightful and wonderful.

Who You Selling For

“I love rock n’ roll, so put another dime in the jukebox, baby”

With its ‘devil may care’ attitude and skintight leather, rock n’ roll is a genre that has oozed testosterone from the very beginning. Bands such as The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Who, and The Rolling Stones are credited with defining rock music in its modern context, and as such, being comprised of all male members, rock music found itself on a set path for male domination. This immediate segregation of the sexes was reflective of the time period more than of the music itself. The sixties are largely credited as the defining moment for rock n’ roll with rock legends such as Jimmy Page, Paul McCartney, Pete Townsend, and John Lennon emerging as the founding fathers of the genre.

It wasn’t until Woodstock in 1969 (perhaps the most notorious musical festival of all time, evolving to become a mythological event in the memories of contemporary music lovers who attempt to recreate the event with festivals such as Coachella and Bonnaroo) that female rockers started to gain popularity in the genre. In 1969 at Woodstock, Janis Joplin performed with her band Big Brother and the Holding Company and began to make an indelible impact on the rock community. Though her music incorporated more blues and folk than what would be considered ‘rock’ by modern audiences, Joplin’s influence on female rockers should not be underestimated. TIME magazine described Joplin as “probably the most powerful singer to emerge from the white rock movement” and she is listed as #46 on the Rolling Stone’s list of greatest artists and #28 on their list of greatest singers.

“I ain't gonna lose my chance, no I don't want to lose it”

Yet Joplin was not immune to the “sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll” stereotype that has followed the genre since its inception. In 1970, before the release of her biggest selling album, Pearl, Joplin died of a heroin overdose at only 27. The seventies proved to be much more welcoming to female rockers than the sixties, with bands such as The Runaways, The Pretenders, and Heart finding success within the genre. Joan Jett, founding member of the all-female band The Runaways, has had a long and illustrious career in rock music that spans over four decades. But that success was earned. The Runaways, an all-female teen band that Jett founded when she was only 17, constantly fought against the stigma that girls can’t rock. Though some of the early appeal of The Runaways was its young female presence (they were pitched as glam jailbait by late manager Kim Fowley), Jett says, “I made a point in The Runaways not to play up my sexuality.”

It is not a stretch to say that Joan Jett paved the way for female rockers in popular rock music. Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters and Nirvana credits Jett for her part in creating the punk scene in L.A. while guitarist Pat Smear states, “You gotta put the Runaways at the same level as the Ramones and the Sex Pistols," Smear adds, “They were doing in L.A. what those guys were doing in New York and London: getting kids to join bands. But I don't think Joan gets what people feel about her. Because she is a very modest person.”

“I’m a prisoner, won’t you set me free”

            Despite the inroads made by female rockers such as Joan Jett and Janis Joplin, rock music is still dominated by the males. Acts such as Halestorm, The Pretty Reckless, and Paramore still perform under the shadow of the stigma girls can’t rock. The Pretty Reckless, fronted by the talented and controversial Taylor Momsen, has broken chart records for a female fronted rock band. With their new record debuting tomorrow, Momsen’s band is set to blow up the charts and continue to make their mark on the world of rock n’roll. As Momsen states, “As a female, its fucking great.”

Heterogeneity in the Crowd

I was once invited to a large concert at the Pepsi Center in September of 2013. The venue stands large and imposing in the heart of Denver, intimidating and exciting my young teenage mind. Once inside the venue, it was easy to become lost in the crowd. People pushed and shoved their way to the front, (or to whatever they perceived as the optimal vantage point) uncaring who they upset or blocked in their mission. The band was Muse. They had recently had a huge influx in their following due to their presence on the new Twilight soundtrack and the crowd was full of twittering preteens and their reluctant parents.

The band itself was disconnected from the crowd. They played on their individual platforms on a large stage that dominated the venue. Strobe lights turned their movements into a collage of images and the sound rarely deviated from the studio produced tracks that we were so familiar with. The crowd was kept 20 feet away from the stage by ominous security guards who wore grimaces and beeping walky-talkies. Away from the general admission crowd on the floor, the rest of the audience watched silently from the thousands of seats surrounding the stage; looking for all the world like silent and ghostly specters.

For my 20^th birthday I went to a The Pretty Reckless concert at the Ogden. The crowd flowed with the music and took turns carrying people to the front. I was picked up by complete strangers and surfed the crowd to the stage where I shook hands with the lead singer. The security guards carefully lowered me to the floor where I was easily absorbed back into the crowd. The band talked to the audience, praising Denver and sharing their music with us. Their music was organic and played with obvious enjoyment, the drummer breaking his drumsticks and the guitarist constructing complicated solos and intricate melodies that we hadn’t heard before.

The crowd found a connection in the music and the realization that we were all there for the release from the tedium of daily life; the release that live music gives us. There is a sense of anonymity in a crowd. The insight that though you are surrounded by people you are also completely alone, absorbed as everyone is in the music and the atmosphere. The collective attention on the performance is freeing, a kind of exhilarating awareness that allows you a freedom that cannot be found elsewhere.