This class turned out to be nothing like I expected, in a good way. It is great to see a class with so much constant interaction. It could be the fact that this class was during the summer, but I've never seen a class with so much active interest. Another first for me was the public blogging aspect of the course. I had mentioned my class at UCLA with some posting involved there, but it was quite different in the fact that there was little interaction between students. Having said this, I hope that everyone has good fortune in their future endeavors in life. I encourage you to keep an eye out for my band at myspace.com/approachingzenith as well!! Thanks for a very entertaining course!
Mike Greenwood
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Keywords
It seems that many of my posts over this class have revolved back to music, so I figured this topic would suffice:
Music
This Keyword originally derives from the Greek mousikē, which was any art presided over by the Muses. The original usage for the word was translated through Latin and French before the modern English form was used. As forms of entertainment through the arts were limited in Ancient Greece, the meaning of this general term grew into something completely unique during the course of history. Music has adapted and taken shape to every technological and cultural influence on Earth. It makes perfect sense that this word has evolved forward into the meanings it takes on today.
As I mentioned in a previous post, music is something that can unite a people on a huge level. The reason for this is due to the many traits taken on by music. The first one easily being the sounds produced by patterns of chords, rhythm, and melody. Chords are the qualities that give the sounds their own unique pitches, while rhythm contains the pulsating beat that drives the song. The melody is a series of harmonic tones that flow well with the rest of the natural “chord progression”. The placement of these tones is what helps us remember one song from another. The only thing left out here is the instrument itself.
Without some form of instrument, these intriguing auditory occurrences would be impossible. This is where music and globalization come together. The instruments used to produce music vary in infinite possibilities, largely relating to the region in which the music is being played. Whether it be the Indian sitar, the American banjo, or Chinese pipa, all of these instruments use plucked strings to produce unique tonal vibrations. Depending on the melodic form of a song, different emotions can be brought forth through music. This idea of feelings produced by music gives way for the other meanings of the word.
Music is used in modern conversation as a representation of the emotions behind the words themselves. Many have heard the phrase, “It was music to my ears”. Using music in this way is meant to represent happiness in a situation of pure satisfaction. Some might be told to “face the music”, in which they would be judged for a series of unwanted actions. The polarity of this statement can represent how musical feeling is developed on every level.
Music, like auditory speech, can be notated on paper. The interesting point here is that this word survives the transformation from auditory to visual form. Spoken word is changed into the world of writing and grammar when it is translated onto paper. Also known as sheet music, scattered circular markings across waves of lines dictates which specific notes are to be played. These lines can be read as increments of time, as the notes must be played in coordination with the beat listed on the first page. During the Renaissance, the time signature was determined by a single emotion; dictated at the top of the masterpiece. In our society, time is determined by a specific number. 120 beats per minute is known as standard time.
It is not out of the realm to say that music can associate with identity, culture, and globalization. The use of music in a specific country makes the people of that country unique. Each society on this planet has a musical history that has adapted to their surroundings; with instruments made from mother nature, and emotional sounds passed down for generations. For many, music has reached the limits of religion itself. The amazing thing about music is that no matter how torn apart the world may become, this auditory phenomenon is something that us humans relate to on a global scale.
Thanks for a great course,
Mike Greenwood
Sources:
Merriam-Webster and OED online Dictionaries
The UCLA Ethnomusicology Archives
Music
This Keyword originally derives from the Greek mousikē, which was any art presided over by the Muses. The original usage for the word was translated through Latin and French before the modern English form was used. As forms of entertainment through the arts were limited in Ancient Greece, the meaning of this general term grew into something completely unique during the course of history. Music has adapted and taken shape to every technological and cultural influence on Earth. It makes perfect sense that this word has evolved forward into the meanings it takes on today.
As I mentioned in a previous post, music is something that can unite a people on a huge level. The reason for this is due to the many traits taken on by music. The first one easily being the sounds produced by patterns of chords, rhythm, and melody. Chords are the qualities that give the sounds their own unique pitches, while rhythm contains the pulsating beat that drives the song. The melody is a series of harmonic tones that flow well with the rest of the natural “chord progression”. The placement of these tones is what helps us remember one song from another. The only thing left out here is the instrument itself.
Without some form of instrument, these intriguing auditory occurrences would be impossible. This is where music and globalization come together. The instruments used to produce music vary in infinite possibilities, largely relating to the region in which the music is being played. Whether it be the Indian sitar, the American banjo, or Chinese pipa, all of these instruments use plucked strings to produce unique tonal vibrations. Depending on the melodic form of a song, different emotions can be brought forth through music. This idea of feelings produced by music gives way for the other meanings of the word.
Music is used in modern conversation as a representation of the emotions behind the words themselves. Many have heard the phrase, “It was music to my ears”. Using music in this way is meant to represent happiness in a situation of pure satisfaction. Some might be told to “face the music”, in which they would be judged for a series of unwanted actions. The polarity of this statement can represent how musical feeling is developed on every level.
Music, like auditory speech, can be notated on paper. The interesting point here is that this word survives the transformation from auditory to visual form. Spoken word is changed into the world of writing and grammar when it is translated onto paper. Also known as sheet music, scattered circular markings across waves of lines dictates which specific notes are to be played. These lines can be read as increments of time, as the notes must be played in coordination with the beat listed on the first page. During the Renaissance, the time signature was determined by a single emotion; dictated at the top of the masterpiece. In our society, time is determined by a specific number. 120 beats per minute is known as standard time.
It is not out of the realm to say that music can associate with identity, culture, and globalization. The use of music in a specific country makes the people of that country unique. Each society on this planet has a musical history that has adapted to their surroundings; with instruments made from mother nature, and emotional sounds passed down for generations. For many, music has reached the limits of religion itself. The amazing thing about music is that no matter how torn apart the world may become, this auditory phenomenon is something that us humans relate to on a global scale.
Thanks for a great course,
Mike Greenwood
Sources:
Merriam-Webster and OED online Dictionaries
The UCLA Ethnomusicology Archives
Friday, September 5, 2008
Heeding The Call
This is a picture of my version of Call of Duty 4. My personal experiences with through this game have led me to write this post.
Let me begin my post by creating a scenario. Todd Thompson is starting his first year at USC, and is very enthusiastic about getting his degree in Rich Parenting. As the first semester pushes forward, Todd realizes that this supposedly great school is in the middle of the ghetto. He fears for his life on a daily basis, leading him to revert back to what feels most comfortable to him. He stays inside his dorm room all day and plays Call of Duty 4 for the Xbox360. After feeling the rush of his first deathmatch victory, he only leaves his room for food from that point on. At the end of his first semester at USC, Todd Thompson is kicked out of school for failing all of his classes. Being that Todd was just kicked out of the University of Second Choice, his father gives him a second chance at Chapman University. Does Todd have what it takes to manage his personal call to duty?
Unfortunately for Todd, the moment he decided to purchase his own Call of Duty 4 sealed his fate forever. Let me transition now by explaining this game to those who are not as familiar with it. “Call of Duty” has been a series of military video games set in varying time periods. The first few versions of this game revolved around the stages of World Wars I and II. From your character’s first person viewpoint, you would be dumped off at places like Omaha beach, scurrying up the frantic hill towards the safety of the bunkers within. A long, winding close quarters battle would then take place, as your character would overcome insurmountable odds to achieve victory. This idea has been taken and shifted for the worst.
The most recent Call of Duty game is set in the near future. You play as Special Forces units in war-torn Russia and in the Middle-East. As you play through the game, plenty of Russian and Middle-Eastern stereotypes are present, and one of your characters is killed in the storyline by a terrorist-owned nuclear bomb. Having said that, the main attraction for this game lies within the multiplayer feature. The game producers came up with a genius system for online gameplay. Playing against other human opponents from across the globe has been a recent craze in the world of gaming, and the developers took this idea to the next level. As your character plays more “ranked” online matches, he gains experience points and military ranks. These ranks allow you to use new weapons and special features for your character. When you reach the highest level, you can earn your first prestige… and start all over again… Each prestige takes hours and hours of gameplay to reach, and there are TEN of them… This system, along with great graphics and the natural human drive to compete make Call of Duty 4 the most dangerous of games.
What makes this simple disk so dangerous? A multitude of reasons could provide an answer for this. I’ll start with something I briefly mentioned above. It is part of human nature to compete in some form or another. This game gives an outlet for gamers to feel good about themselves for sneaking up behind another player and knifing him in the back. The addition to headsets in this game adds the “trash-talking” aspect to this competition. After killing a friend, or even a completely random person, it is common for derogative verbal interaction to occur between those players. You could think of globalization through this game, but certainly not in a good way. Many Europeans have found interest in this game, and it is common to hear banter between Americans and them. The British take the majority of the punishment, as the non-English speaking players tend to stay quiet. Constant taunting of British accents and talk of tea and crumpets is disturbingly commonplace. I feel ashamed to call myself American in times like this, as it puts a label of ignorance directly on our foreheads.
Along with this twisted competition, the “rank” system would be my other main observation about the addictive properties to this game. At the end of each match, you can easily press one button and check your online stats. In this window, you can compare yourself to the rest of your friends, not to mention the entire world. Everyone knows the best players in the game, and they actually GIVE LESSONS in their downtime to earn money. When you are playing to earn promotions and get medals, every game is as intense as the last one. Depending on how you play from match to match, bonus points are given throughout the game to help boost your rankings. The false idea of all of these points flying around is what sets the trap. What people have to realize is that everyone is getting this array of points and promotions etc… In the grand scheme of things, you’re really just stuck in the middle of a never-ending cycle. Regardless, once you have begun your quest for that tenth prestige, you won’t just simply set down your controller and walk away, right?
From the inspirational US Army figures on the front cover to the genuine human ignorance and hatred brought out by the game itself; Call of Duty 4 has not only shaped the new gaming world, but has given millions of people around the world a new habit to break. Thanks Microsoft! Oh yea, and if I hadn’t stated this clearly enough, USC can go to hell.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
