So, Where Were We?
Analysis essay handed in. I chose David Lynch’s The Straight Story as a case study for a discussion around the function of music in narrative film. I’m a big Lynch fan, however, this isn’t your typical Lynch fare but it is a great film nonetheless. I’ve listened closely to the soundtrack a number of times and, aside from Badalamenti’s non-typical score, what strikes me most about it is the minimal use of dialogue and (but for the sound of the wind rustling the leaves of the trees) the huge swathes of silence.
Critical Evaluation presentation is done and the essay is nearly finished. This is the tricky one. The title ‘Does the prevalence of sampling in today’s popular music signal the triumph of ‘pseudo culture’, in the sense of Adorno’s definition?’ meant a lot of reading around theories and issues that are completely new to me. I wanted to include an artist’s perspective and I contacted Tim Exile via Twitter. He was, luckily for me, delayed at Gatwick airport during the bad weather just before Christmas and he very kindly agreed to answer a few questions. He provided me with some very useful material, so thanks very much, Tim and glad you (eventually!) made it safely to your destination.
Industry Studies essay is also nearly done. For this one I’ve focussed on artists and musicians who are building relationships with their audience in order to create sustainable, independent careers without need for a recording contract.
Next… some actual writing of music!
Wow, Dave McSherry’s blog and no comments…?
Fascinating. I have a question. I get the impression the people who wrote the book on modern audio recording are almost all self-taught, like yourself (?), or Richard D. James for instance, plus a gazillion others all the way back to Karlheinz Stockhausen. Now, academic institutions are trying to formalise and standardise the knowledge gained in all those years of experimentation. Moreover, it’s fluid, because more and more people are experimenting every day. How are they going about this and how successful are they?
Second question: How does it work as a lecturer without a formal academic qualification (I presume?).
Third question: With your knowledge of the music industry, and pioneering approach to it – that you are also tackling in your essays described in this blog posting – where do you see yourself going post-2012? Professor McSherry maybe?
Good luck, this is great and I’ll follow from time to time. Sorry if my questions reveal the misconceptions of an amateur.