I just need to say this out loud. Listen.
When you are saying a number such as 2007, it is pronounced Two Thousand Seven, not Two Thousand and Seven. By saying the word "and" you are actually denoting that there is a decimal point in the number that you are saying.
That being said, there has apparently been a severe lapse in intelligence amongst news media icons and anchors, as everyone from Katie Couric, to Hilary Clinton, and pretty much the entire Pittsburgh general reporting team have seem to have forgotten this basic and simple principle.
So remember, if you want to sound intelligent, saying the word "and" when pronouncing a number should only be used if you want to indicate that there is a decimal point contained within it.
BooYah!!!!
06 February 2008
25 December 2007
The Social Ideology of Mental Illness Displayed in the 1933 Release of the Film King Kong
As evidenced by allusions to mental instability in the main characters of King Kong, and through the process that these characters follow throughout the course of the plot, this paper proposes that the 1933 release of this film is a projection of the social ideology that the mentally ill must be confined in order to treat their symptoms. This paper also posits that King Kong himself is a collective representation of the mental illness that is present in the main characters of this film. When viewed from these perspectives, the film King Kong itself becomes a projection of a real social ideology that exists in the world: a prescription for the mentally ill that places them at a distance from the normal of society in an attempt to correct those cognitive processes that the social structure deems to be abnormal.
The psychiatric institution had existed for some time prior to the filming of King Kong in 1933. According to the Highbeam Encyclopedia, the year 1400 marks the opening date of Bethlem Royal Hospital in London, England, the first “institution for the care and confinement of the mentally ill” (encyclopedia). The idea that those people who have mental deficiencies are to be placed in confinement has thus been present in society for a long enough period of time to not only be normal, but to also be a widely-accepted practice. This is not to say that the methods pursued by these institutions are inhumane or unwarranted. It is apparent, however, that the method society has chosen to deal with the mentally ill has been adapted over a long period of time, and is based around the idea that alienation is an effective and acceptable practice for their treatment.
A parallel exists between this ideology, and the formal features in the film King Kong. Quoting Joshua Bellin, “If so many fantasy film narratives are devoted to issues of mental illness, this may be because the form of fantasy film is related to the condition of mental illness” (138). Another way of viewing this claim is that fantasy film combines diegetic and non-diegetic elements with mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing, and sound in a way that is paralleled with mental illness. Assuming that King Kong is a fantasy film, a map can be drawn within the film’s plot construction that follows a path: diagnosis of mental illness; containment of the diagnosed; confrontation, treatment, and control of mental illness; the display of control over metal illness for admittance back into society; and the continuing treatment and containment. This is the path that the mentally ill must follow to overcome social alienation in the real world, and it parallels the major plot segments found in King Kong: Pre-Voyage (diagnosis); Voyage (containment); Skull Island (confrontation & control); The Opera House (display of control); and Rampage on New York (continuing need for treatment).
By adapting this reading of King Kong, the viewer can begin to put events within the film into the context of the paper’s argument. As Bellin argues, “fantasy film is concerned-one might say morbidly obsessed-with the representation of mentally unstable characters” (137). Assuming that King Kong is a fantasy film, close examination of its formal features will provide a link between mental insanity and the main characters of the film.
Immediately upon the opening of the first scene, Karl Denham and his voyage are both deemed to be crazy by a mariner on the dock outside of the ship. Specifically, the man calls Denham’s plan a “crazy voyage.” This also points to the fact that as a “crazy voyage” the people on this ship are actually the “crazy.” In other words, the crazies are going away. A precedent is established through these two words, as the viewer is immediately presented with the glaring social ideology of alienating the mentally ill. There is no other introduction to the film’s main character at this stage in the plot construction, except for the allusion to his mental state by the mariner. What the viewing audience is given at this point is a frame of reference for the future viewing of Denham and his mission.
It can also be argued that Denham is delusional. This is discovered through the grandiose assumption that he will “make the greatest picture in the world, something that no one’s ever seen or heard of.” Despite his past filmmaking history, delusions of this nature are the fundamental structure that Denham has assigned to the environment that he lives in and is influenced by. This is a gross overestimation of his power and worth as an individual as the viewing audience is merely led to assume that he has produced previous, profitable films. No evidence of his success or existence is present beyond the claim that he has made. If one is to argue that Anne Darrow has in fact heard of Denham, and therefore his fame is justified, consider that Darrow herself is also insane.
Anne Darrow can fit the mold of mentally insane under the assumption of a quote from Bellin’s book, Framing Monsters:
[T]here is great difficulty in establishing “the presence of psychopathology in an individual who is suffering extreme physical deprivation” (16) [citation Bellin’s own]. Indeed, some scholars argue that such deprivation may be a cause, not an effect, of mental illness; as Paul Koegel and M. Audrey Burnam point out “Chronic malnutrition, sleep deprivation, hypothermia, and many other consequences of extreme privation are known to induce delirium, memory impairment, apathy, dementia, personality disorganization, and even paranoid psychosis.” (155)
The fact that Darrow is fatigued and starving when Denham finds her has great significance in further developing the claim that mental illness is very much present within the form of the King Kong film. The look on Darrow’s face when she first meets Denham is a prime indicator of her mental state. Confused, almost staring through Denham, with a distant gaze marks an inherent deficiency in mental soundness. It is also apparent that Darrow’s inhibitions have been all but destroyed by her lack of nutrition and exposure to the elements. She is willing to follow where Denham, a perfect stranger, leads her. Any mentally-sound individual would at least find the capacity to pose a question of destination while being led by an unknown counterpart. Additionally, as Denham persuades Darrow to join him on his voyage, there is very little resistance from Darrow herself. Some questioning occurs, but all in all she is fairly compliant with Denham’s suggestions.
The first stage in conforming the mentally ill to the processes required for their treatment is diagnosis. It is apparent in the opening scenes that Denham and Darrow have been diagnosed as potentially insane. This is in line with the relationship between the pre-voyage plot segment and diagnosis stage of the mentally ill. Returning to the mariner on the dock enables us to view the post-diagnosis stage of containment. The mariner, despite his relatively insignificant role in the film, does in fact have a critical role in establishing the framework for a reading of the ship as the metaphorical representation of the sanctuary for the mentally ill, or the mental institution. There are two pieces of information provided by this character, in reference to the make-up of the ship, that carry weight for the argument of this paper: the cargo being hauled, and the number of men manning the ship. The mariner states that with so many men aboard this ship, there won’t be enough room for them to sleep. This information uncovers the potential mental state of the men on this ship, as we have established previously that mental instability can be an effect of sleep deprivation. Viewing the occupants of the ship through this lens establishes the ship itself as a place where a body of insane people can be contained, serving a function similar to that of the mental institution.
Continuing to trace the path that the mentally ill must follow to overcome social alienation in the real world leads us from diagnosis, to containment, to the next phase, which is treatment. I argue that Kong himself is the collective representation of mental illness, as the confrontation and control of his being by Denham and his crew stands as a metaphorical representation of treatment. If the monster or illness can be controlled, then the return to normal society will be made more realistic, as display of this control will be required for social acceptance. There are many elements of this film that point to the possibility that Kong is fitted to the collective representation of Denham and Darrow’s mental illness.
The first indicator that Kong is actually within the mind comes within chapter six of the King Kong DVD where Denham is presenting the skipper and first mate with maps of their destination. On the close up shot of the map it can be argued that the island is similar in shape to that of a human brain. It appears to be a diagram, with a section identified as Skull Mountain, the home of King Kong, or a potential identification of the part of the brain being affected by mental illness. Additional allusions to Kong’s role as mental illness exist as well.
The scene from chapter 14 of the King Kong DVD provides an interesting snapshot of how Kong fits into Ms. Darrow’s mind. While confronting a beast such as Kong would obviously spark terror and fear in the heart of any human, it is at this moment that Darrow’s insanity is revealed through her actions. To regress temporarily from the actual confrontation scene will provide deeper insight into how this claim is possible. Chapter 7 of the DVD is a scene in which Denham creates a “profile” of Anne for filming purposes. This “profile” film can also be viewed as a confrontation with mental illness. Bellin states, “ given Kong’s film within a film plot, it is not surprising that critics have called attention to the self-reflexive elements in it” (167). The elements contained in chapter 7 of this DVD may in fact point to the possibility that the terror and fear of the unknown (possibly as a confrontation of mental illness) are placed in this scene as a reflection of both Denham and Darrow’s mental state. The reaction of Anne within Denham’s film may be representative of a confrontation fabricated within both of the characters’ minds. It is the same progression that occurs within chapter 12, as a duplicate occurrence, a situation in which Anne is helpless with no chance for escape. Anne is in fact struggling to overcome her mental tormenter. Kong is the definition of that mental torment, and it is further proven through the following reading of the island.
If the island is in fact a representation of the mind, three dimensions of the island exist: the tribe, the landmass, and the monsters. A Freudian context can be applied to this triad as well. The rational mind, or Ego, being the tribe; the mind controlled by social context, or Superego, being the landmass; the pleasure-seeking irrational mind, or Id, being Kong. This is an interesting claim to look at. In Freudian theory, the Ego is constantly struggling to control the Id, in the same way that the tribe is constantly trying to control Kong through their sacrificial offerings. The Ego looks to the Superego for cultural guidance. To quote Baran & Davis “Caught between the primitive Id and the overly restrictive Superego, the Ego fights a losing battle. When the Ego loses control to the Id, hysteria or worse results” (81). In the same way, the island tribe attempts to control Kong and contain hysteria through the ceremony of sacrifice. Hysteria instead results when our crew passes through the gates into the jungle.
Kong is in fact receiving some pleasure from holding Darrow as a hostage. If he wasn’t he would have killed her. The pleasure-seeking mind, or Id, is also revealed in Kong’s future actions as he will vehemently search for Ms. Darrow both as she escapes the island and as he is set loose upon the city. When and if this part of the mind is left to its devices, the outcomes may be regrettable at least, if not disastrous, because being removed from the boundaries that the Ego and Superego regulate, the Id will literally be uncontrollable, just as Kong will prove to be impossible to restrain when he is removed from the confines of the island and the control of the native peoples.
In the initial capture sequence of King Kong there is another metaphor to point out. And thus, we return to our mariner, who through his identification of the surmounting mental states of the men on the ship as potentially insane, also identified the cargo of the ship as “crazy.” More specifically, we will see as Denham deals the final blow to Kong, that the cargo on the ship is a metaphorical representation of the pill: a prescription intended to control insanity, or in this case King Kong, and control the monstrous effects of mental illness. If we return to our opening sequence, we are in fact given a view of the explosive device that is used against Kong prior to his capture. As Denham and his skipper discuss the explosive cargo, a single unit is examined, and while large in size, the oval-shaped explosive unit is wholly representative of a pill.
This device debilitates King Kong and makes him docile and controllable. Under chain and shackle he is returned to society where his exhibition gives Denham and Darrow the opportunity to achieve social acceptance. This marks the fulfillment of the fourth stage in the defined process of treating the mentally ill. It is still a test however, as Kong, our metaphor for mental illness, will only be kept under control for a limited time. Ultimately, people will flee from Kong, and distance will once again be placed between the mentally ill and the socially “normal.”
The end sequence in which Kong rampages upon the city will mark the final stage of the process that has been defined. The continuing treatment of the mentally ill is really the only way to keep their cognitive processes under control. In order to control him it is Kong himself that will again need to be treated. What’s interesting in this scenario is that Kong represents the fact that the mentally ill can’t be made normal. They can only be contained, medicated, and ultimately left at a distance, alienated from the socially normal. Even though the normal community may grant moderate acceptance to the mentally ill, the end result is still going to return to more alienation and more medication.
Throughout the length of this discussion it has been evidenced that many elements within the film King Kong do in fact point to the ideology that the mentally ill must be confined in order to treat their symptoms. It has also been evidenced that Kong may in fact be the collective representation of Denham and Darrow’s mental insanity. Whether the reading is in relation to racism, sexism, or in this case mental illness, what is apparent in all cases is that the form of this film, and its placement within the fantasy genre, has provided a multitude of readings that are rich with those ideologies that fabricate our society. As a relic of the past King Kong provides both new and old insights and analyses into those social ideologies of alienation that have existed in the past, the present, and will continue to exist in the future.
Please contact me for full works cited
The psychiatric institution had existed for some time prior to the filming of King Kong in 1933. According to the Highbeam Encyclopedia, the year 1400 marks the opening date of Bethlem Royal Hospital in London, England, the first “institution for the care and confinement of the mentally ill” (encyclopedia). The idea that those people who have mental deficiencies are to be placed in confinement has thus been present in society for a long enough period of time to not only be normal, but to also be a widely-accepted practice. This is not to say that the methods pursued by these institutions are inhumane or unwarranted. It is apparent, however, that the method society has chosen to deal with the mentally ill has been adapted over a long period of time, and is based around the idea that alienation is an effective and acceptable practice for their treatment.
A parallel exists between this ideology, and the formal features in the film King Kong. Quoting Joshua Bellin, “If so many fantasy film narratives are devoted to issues of mental illness, this may be because the form of fantasy film is related to the condition of mental illness” (138). Another way of viewing this claim is that fantasy film combines diegetic and non-diegetic elements with mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing, and sound in a way that is paralleled with mental illness. Assuming that King Kong is a fantasy film, a map can be drawn within the film’s plot construction that follows a path: diagnosis of mental illness; containment of the diagnosed; confrontation, treatment, and control of mental illness; the display of control over metal illness for admittance back into society; and the continuing treatment and containment. This is the path that the mentally ill must follow to overcome social alienation in the real world, and it parallels the major plot segments found in King Kong: Pre-Voyage (diagnosis); Voyage (containment); Skull Island (confrontation & control); The Opera House (display of control); and Rampage on New York (continuing need for treatment).
By adapting this reading of King Kong, the viewer can begin to put events within the film into the context of the paper’s argument. As Bellin argues, “fantasy film is concerned-one might say morbidly obsessed-with the representation of mentally unstable characters” (137). Assuming that King Kong is a fantasy film, close examination of its formal features will provide a link between mental insanity and the main characters of the film.
Immediately upon the opening of the first scene, Karl Denham and his voyage are both deemed to be crazy by a mariner on the dock outside of the ship. Specifically, the man calls Denham’s plan a “crazy voyage.” This also points to the fact that as a “crazy voyage” the people on this ship are actually the “crazy.” In other words, the crazies are going away. A precedent is established through these two words, as the viewer is immediately presented with the glaring social ideology of alienating the mentally ill. There is no other introduction to the film’s main character at this stage in the plot construction, except for the allusion to his mental state by the mariner. What the viewing audience is given at this point is a frame of reference for the future viewing of Denham and his mission.
It can also be argued that Denham is delusional. This is discovered through the grandiose assumption that he will “make the greatest picture in the world, something that no one’s ever seen or heard of.” Despite his past filmmaking history, delusions of this nature are the fundamental structure that Denham has assigned to the environment that he lives in and is influenced by. This is a gross overestimation of his power and worth as an individual as the viewing audience is merely led to assume that he has produced previous, profitable films. No evidence of his success or existence is present beyond the claim that he has made. If one is to argue that Anne Darrow has in fact heard of Denham, and therefore his fame is justified, consider that Darrow herself is also insane.
Anne Darrow can fit the mold of mentally insane under the assumption of a quote from Bellin’s book, Framing Monsters:
[T]here is great difficulty in establishing “the presence of psychopathology in an individual who is suffering extreme physical deprivation” (16) [citation Bellin’s own]. Indeed, some scholars argue that such deprivation may be a cause, not an effect, of mental illness; as Paul Koegel and M. Audrey Burnam point out “Chronic malnutrition, sleep deprivation, hypothermia, and many other consequences of extreme privation are known to induce delirium, memory impairment, apathy, dementia, personality disorganization, and even paranoid psychosis.” (155)
The fact that Darrow is fatigued and starving when Denham finds her has great significance in further developing the claim that mental illness is very much present within the form of the King Kong film. The look on Darrow’s face when she first meets Denham is a prime indicator of her mental state. Confused, almost staring through Denham, with a distant gaze marks an inherent deficiency in mental soundness. It is also apparent that Darrow’s inhibitions have been all but destroyed by her lack of nutrition and exposure to the elements. She is willing to follow where Denham, a perfect stranger, leads her. Any mentally-sound individual would at least find the capacity to pose a question of destination while being led by an unknown counterpart. Additionally, as Denham persuades Darrow to join him on his voyage, there is very little resistance from Darrow herself. Some questioning occurs, but all in all she is fairly compliant with Denham’s suggestions.
The first stage in conforming the mentally ill to the processes required for their treatment is diagnosis. It is apparent in the opening scenes that Denham and Darrow have been diagnosed as potentially insane. This is in line with the relationship between the pre-voyage plot segment and diagnosis stage of the mentally ill. Returning to the mariner on the dock enables us to view the post-diagnosis stage of containment. The mariner, despite his relatively insignificant role in the film, does in fact have a critical role in establishing the framework for a reading of the ship as the metaphorical representation of the sanctuary for the mentally ill, or the mental institution. There are two pieces of information provided by this character, in reference to the make-up of the ship, that carry weight for the argument of this paper: the cargo being hauled, and the number of men manning the ship. The mariner states that with so many men aboard this ship, there won’t be enough room for them to sleep. This information uncovers the potential mental state of the men on this ship, as we have established previously that mental instability can be an effect of sleep deprivation. Viewing the occupants of the ship through this lens establishes the ship itself as a place where a body of insane people can be contained, serving a function similar to that of the mental institution.
Continuing to trace the path that the mentally ill must follow to overcome social alienation in the real world leads us from diagnosis, to containment, to the next phase, which is treatment. I argue that Kong himself is the collective representation of mental illness, as the confrontation and control of his being by Denham and his crew stands as a metaphorical representation of treatment. If the monster or illness can be controlled, then the return to normal society will be made more realistic, as display of this control will be required for social acceptance. There are many elements of this film that point to the possibility that Kong is fitted to the collective representation of Denham and Darrow’s mental illness.
The first indicator that Kong is actually within the mind comes within chapter six of the King Kong DVD where Denham is presenting the skipper and first mate with maps of their destination. On the close up shot of the map it can be argued that the island is similar in shape to that of a human brain. It appears to be a diagram, with a section identified as Skull Mountain, the home of King Kong, or a potential identification of the part of the brain being affected by mental illness. Additional allusions to Kong’s role as mental illness exist as well.
The scene from chapter 14 of the King Kong DVD provides an interesting snapshot of how Kong fits into Ms. Darrow’s mind. While confronting a beast such as Kong would obviously spark terror and fear in the heart of any human, it is at this moment that Darrow’s insanity is revealed through her actions. To regress temporarily from the actual confrontation scene will provide deeper insight into how this claim is possible. Chapter 7 of the DVD is a scene in which Denham creates a “profile” of Anne for filming purposes. This “profile” film can also be viewed as a confrontation with mental illness. Bellin states, “ given Kong’s film within a film plot, it is not surprising that critics have called attention to the self-reflexive elements in it” (167). The elements contained in chapter 7 of this DVD may in fact point to the possibility that the terror and fear of the unknown (possibly as a confrontation of mental illness) are placed in this scene as a reflection of both Denham and Darrow’s mental state. The reaction of Anne within Denham’s film may be representative of a confrontation fabricated within both of the characters’ minds. It is the same progression that occurs within chapter 12, as a duplicate occurrence, a situation in which Anne is helpless with no chance for escape. Anne is in fact struggling to overcome her mental tormenter. Kong is the definition of that mental torment, and it is further proven through the following reading of the island.
If the island is in fact a representation of the mind, three dimensions of the island exist: the tribe, the landmass, and the monsters. A Freudian context can be applied to this triad as well. The rational mind, or Ego, being the tribe; the mind controlled by social context, or Superego, being the landmass; the pleasure-seeking irrational mind, or Id, being Kong. This is an interesting claim to look at. In Freudian theory, the Ego is constantly struggling to control the Id, in the same way that the tribe is constantly trying to control Kong through their sacrificial offerings. The Ego looks to the Superego for cultural guidance. To quote Baran & Davis “Caught between the primitive Id and the overly restrictive Superego, the Ego fights a losing battle. When the Ego loses control to the Id, hysteria or worse results” (81). In the same way, the island tribe attempts to control Kong and contain hysteria through the ceremony of sacrifice. Hysteria instead results when our crew passes through the gates into the jungle.
Kong is in fact receiving some pleasure from holding Darrow as a hostage. If he wasn’t he would have killed her. The pleasure-seeking mind, or Id, is also revealed in Kong’s future actions as he will vehemently search for Ms. Darrow both as she escapes the island and as he is set loose upon the city. When and if this part of the mind is left to its devices, the outcomes may be regrettable at least, if not disastrous, because being removed from the boundaries that the Ego and Superego regulate, the Id will literally be uncontrollable, just as Kong will prove to be impossible to restrain when he is removed from the confines of the island and the control of the native peoples.
In the initial capture sequence of King Kong there is another metaphor to point out. And thus, we return to our mariner, who through his identification of the surmounting mental states of the men on the ship as potentially insane, also identified the cargo of the ship as “crazy.” More specifically, we will see as Denham deals the final blow to Kong, that the cargo on the ship is a metaphorical representation of the pill: a prescription intended to control insanity, or in this case King Kong, and control the monstrous effects of mental illness. If we return to our opening sequence, we are in fact given a view of the explosive device that is used against Kong prior to his capture. As Denham and his skipper discuss the explosive cargo, a single unit is examined, and while large in size, the oval-shaped explosive unit is wholly representative of a pill.
This device debilitates King Kong and makes him docile and controllable. Under chain and shackle he is returned to society where his exhibition gives Denham and Darrow the opportunity to achieve social acceptance. This marks the fulfillment of the fourth stage in the defined process of treating the mentally ill. It is still a test however, as Kong, our metaphor for mental illness, will only be kept under control for a limited time. Ultimately, people will flee from Kong, and distance will once again be placed between the mentally ill and the socially “normal.”
The end sequence in which Kong rampages upon the city will mark the final stage of the process that has been defined. The continuing treatment of the mentally ill is really the only way to keep their cognitive processes under control. In order to control him it is Kong himself that will again need to be treated. What’s interesting in this scenario is that Kong represents the fact that the mentally ill can’t be made normal. They can only be contained, medicated, and ultimately left at a distance, alienated from the socially normal. Even though the normal community may grant moderate acceptance to the mentally ill, the end result is still going to return to more alienation and more medication.
Throughout the length of this discussion it has been evidenced that many elements within the film King Kong do in fact point to the ideology that the mentally ill must be confined in order to treat their symptoms. It has also been evidenced that Kong may in fact be the collective representation of Denham and Darrow’s mental insanity. Whether the reading is in relation to racism, sexism, or in this case mental illness, what is apparent in all cases is that the form of this film, and its placement within the fantasy genre, has provided a multitude of readings that are rich with those ideologies that fabricate our society. As a relic of the past King Kong provides both new and old insights and analyses into those social ideologies of alienation that have existed in the past, the present, and will continue to exist in the future.
Please contact me for full works cited
21 December 2007
The NFL’s Transition to the Digital Age
The National Football League has a long history in America. Today, this organization is not just a sports management group, but in fact an entertainment powerhouse that provides content to fans all over the world through a host of digital content across multiple mediums. The NFL not only utilizes the technologies available in the digital age to deliver content but also to manage the distribution of data content amongst various departments and branches of the organization. Since 1996 the NFL has taken
significant strides in successfully moving the organization into the digital age.
The NFL first moved to integrate digitally into the lives of fans in the mid-90s. With the help of NBC and the Microsoft Corporation, the NFL launched its first website in January 1996 by dedicating a website to that year’s Super Bowl XXX. Nine months later the National Football League launched it’s own online website. Utilizing a graphic interface integrated with audio and video features the two sites developed in 1996 mark the beginning of this organization’s transformation to a digital content provider (ESPN). The 1996 initiative was a groundbreaking move as Mike Conte, Microsoft’s personal systems group manager, claimed, "Superbowl.com is one of the most dynamic sites on the Web” (Microsoft).
The NFL has since developed its web space to perform as the umbrella website for league overviews, merchandise, and statistics while at the same time acting as a portal that links fans to team-specific sites. The web presence that the NFL has developed is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of the methods by which this organization is delving into the digital age. The most important steps that the NFL has taken to provide more sophisticated digital services have really come from initiatives to adapt internal operations to the digital age.
The digital transformation of the internal organization began to take shape at the same time as the initial web platform development. In response to the FCC’s mandate for transition to digital television, NFL Films, the league-funded video documentation branch, began to research ways to conform to the imposed digital standards. By 2002, NFL Films had built a $45 million facility capable of high definition pre- and post-production of video (“NFL Films”).
Early in 2003, the NFL contracted with IBM for the production of a secure, digital media storehouse. This “digital-asset warehouse” was instituted as a means of distributing 80-years of NFL texts to franchises, and media affiliates (“NFL & IBM”). Presumably the digital production laboratory created by NFL Films would have a purpose in the digitization of archival footage to be included in this collection. Cited as holding over 100 million feet of archival footage in it’s vault and producing 200,000 feet of 16mm film per week during the regular season, NFL Films alone would be a huge supplier to this archive (“NFL Films”). This is not mention audio content from radio, statistics data, articles, and roughly every form of media produced by the NFL. It is fair to say that the data capacity needs of this server were astronomical in 2003 and that they are growing at an astronomical rate even today.
Also of note in 2003 was the launch of the NFL Network, which was initially scheduled to broadcast exclusively via DirectTV, a digital satellite cable service (Romano). By 2004, the 24/7-football network was added to basic cable packages of Comcast digital cable customers. With this expansion to 22 million subscribers, a new digital form of distribution was also made available, NFL Network On-Demand. The new on-demand capabilities enabled the NFL to be in the eyes of viewers whenever viewers wanted them to be (Umstead). The NFL Network has since faced various battles with cable providers, and struggles today to establish itself as a cable channel with staying power (Nocera).
Today NFL franchise owners see digital media as a new means of generating funds. This can be seen through initiatives such as ring tones, digital cell phone logos, and itunes highlight downloads. Partnerships in these ventures are providing huge sources of income for the NFL; the live streaming of video footage on Sprint phones alone is worth $600 million to the league. According to Robert Kraft, New England Patriots owner, the future of revenue growth is in “streaming video and high technology” (Bell).
The NFL has taken great strides and invested large amounts of money to position itself comfortably in the current digital age. With so much content available, the National Football League is well posed to utilize its historical archives in conjunction with its future content to form a solid base of digital media for consumer purchase. The NFL has proved that they can successfully utilize the newest mediums, such as cell phones and Ipods for delivery of content. It is hard to believe that the organization is not well poised to adapt to the next technological paradigm shift.
Please Contact Me For Full Works Cited
significant strides in successfully moving the organization into the digital age.
The NFL first moved to integrate digitally into the lives of fans in the mid-90s. With the help of NBC and the Microsoft Corporation, the NFL launched its first website in January 1996 by dedicating a website to that year’s Super Bowl XXX. Nine months later the National Football League launched it’s own online website. Utilizing a graphic interface integrated with audio and video features the two sites developed in 1996 mark the beginning of this organization’s transformation to a digital content provider (ESPN). The 1996 initiative was a groundbreaking move as Mike Conte, Microsoft’s personal systems group manager, claimed, "Superbowl.com is one of the most dynamic sites on the Web” (Microsoft).
The NFL has since developed its web space to perform as the umbrella website for league overviews, merchandise, and statistics while at the same time acting as a portal that links fans to team-specific sites. The web presence that the NFL has developed is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of the methods by which this organization is delving into the digital age. The most important steps that the NFL has taken to provide more sophisticated digital services have really come from initiatives to adapt internal operations to the digital age.
The digital transformation of the internal organization began to take shape at the same time as the initial web platform development. In response to the FCC’s mandate for transition to digital television, NFL Films, the league-funded video documentation branch, began to research ways to conform to the imposed digital standards. By 2002, NFL Films had built a $45 million facility capable of high definition pre- and post-production of video (“NFL Films”).
Early in 2003, the NFL contracted with IBM for the production of a secure, digital media storehouse. This “digital-asset warehouse” was instituted as a means of distributing 80-years of NFL texts to franchises, and media affiliates (“NFL & IBM”). Presumably the digital production laboratory created by NFL Films would have a purpose in the digitization of archival footage to be included in this collection. Cited as holding over 100 million feet of archival footage in it’s vault and producing 200,000 feet of 16mm film per week during the regular season, NFL Films alone would be a huge supplier to this archive (“NFL Films”). This is not mention audio content from radio, statistics data, articles, and roughly every form of media produced by the NFL. It is fair to say that the data capacity needs of this server were astronomical in 2003 and that they are growing at an astronomical rate even today.
Also of note in 2003 was the launch of the NFL Network, which was initially scheduled to broadcast exclusively via DirectTV, a digital satellite cable service (Romano). By 2004, the 24/7-football network was added to basic cable packages of Comcast digital cable customers. With this expansion to 22 million subscribers, a new digital form of distribution was also made available, NFL Network On-Demand. The new on-demand capabilities enabled the NFL to be in the eyes of viewers whenever viewers wanted them to be (Umstead). The NFL Network has since faced various battles with cable providers, and struggles today to establish itself as a cable channel with staying power (Nocera).
Today NFL franchise owners see digital media as a new means of generating funds. This can be seen through initiatives such as ring tones, digital cell phone logos, and itunes highlight downloads. Partnerships in these ventures are providing huge sources of income for the NFL; the live streaming of video footage on Sprint phones alone is worth $600 million to the league. According to Robert Kraft, New England Patriots owner, the future of revenue growth is in “streaming video and high technology” (Bell).
The NFL has taken great strides and invested large amounts of money to position itself comfortably in the current digital age. With so much content available, the National Football League is well posed to utilize its historical archives in conjunction with its future content to form a solid base of digital media for consumer purchase. The NFL has proved that they can successfully utilize the newest mediums, such as cell phones and Ipods for delivery of content. It is hard to believe that the organization is not well poised to adapt to the next technological paradigm shift.
Please Contact Me For Full Works Cited
20 December 2007
Time
Or not enough of it. I haven't posted anything here for a good half of a year. It's a shame, but at the same time I've been out of my mind with all of the things that you would expect life to throw at you.
Since May I have:
Gotten Married
Gone to Peru
Taken on two challenging and fantastic jobs
And, Finished a 15 credit semester with a 4.0 (Snap!)
I will be posting some of my final papers here in the next day or two, so check them out. This semester has provided me with some really interesting topics, and consequently, some pretty cool pieces to add to my portfolio.
If you haven't already, check out the David Lewiston profile below. This dude has done some amazing things in the way of creating the Ethnic Music genre that we probably don't, but should, listen to more often.
Since May I have:
Gotten Married
Gone to Peru
Taken on two challenging and fantastic jobs
And, Finished a 15 credit semester with a 4.0 (Snap!)
I will be posting some of my final papers here in the next day or two, so check them out. This semester has provided me with some really interesting topics, and consequently, some pretty cool pieces to add to my portfolio.
If you haven't already, check out the David Lewiston profile below. This dude has done some amazing things in the way of creating the Ethnic Music genre that we probably don't, but should, listen to more often.
03 May 2007
David Lewiston-Global Recording Engineer
David Lewiston: Contributions to the Field of Ethnic Music Production
David Lewiston is a pioneer in the production of cultural, musical recordings created in international settings. Since 1966, Mr. Lewiston has been capturing the music formed by ethnic groups located in: Indonesia, the Himalayas, India, Pakistan, South America, the Orient and the Middle East (“Discography”). David Lewiston, through his life pursuit of ethnic music recordings, has played a critical role in producing music for the ethnic genre of today’s musical classification system.
It is important to first distinguish the difference between ethnic music and world music. Ethnic music is defined as, “the traditional and typically anonymous music that is an expression of the life of people in a community” (“Ethnic Music”). On the other hand, world music’s definition is more directly associated with popular forms (“World Music”). There is no apparent negative consequence to having these two separate genres, however, finding information about the different modes of non-Western music is, in my personal experience, difficult to obtain and discern between. Many sources still refer to the two genres as one, generalizing all non-western music as world music.
World music is defined as, “music from cultures other than those of Western Europe and English-speaking North America, especially popular music from Latin America, Africa and Asia” (“World Music”). Originally, the world music genre consisted of recordings made in the field that were then mass-produced in a manner consistent with the culture’s grassroots, original form. In modern times, however, world music refers more directly to a fusing of cultural sounds and styles (Simmons).
The fusing of traditional music and popular styles appears to result from the imposition of Western culture upon foreign nations. In Africa, foreign influences have shaped popular music styles for centuries, and in effect caused new styles to emerge (Johnston 101). Korean society, at the end of the 20th century, looked to the West for ideals and societal direction causing Western music to be taught in schools over traditional Korean music (Myung-hee 34). It is my opinion that Western influence can also be observed through listening to contemporary pop recordings produced in Latin America, Africa, and Eastern Europe by artists such as: Ricky Martin, Amadou and Miriam, and Nena, respectively. By examining the examples and definitions presented above, I conclude that world music and its current relation to more popular, mainstream media, has forced the folk and traditional music recordings to be more directly associated with a separate, but similar genre of media called ethnic music.
Tadahiro Wakabayashi, master of multiple ethnic instruments and musical disciplines, makes a statement in a 2006 interview about the origins of ethnic music. Wakabayashi claims, “The origins of ethnic music can be divided into two streams. One stream originated with the formal music of shamanism…the other stream originated with the peoples of the forests” (Kondo). To me, this suggests that each case has had unique affects on the result of ethnic music’s development. A second statement made by Kondo shows the possibility of the world and ethnic music genres being formed at this time. According to Kondo, the shaman’s music spread into the higher ranks of society to become an artistic mode of composition taking on a more classical form. In the latter example of music deriving from the people of the forests, Indian music of South America grew and developed amongst common people (Kondo). To me, this shows that the forest people’s music remained traditional and formed the basis for the ethnic music genre. Conversely, the shaman’s music became more popular in nature and formed the world music genre.
It is the traditional, ethnic genre of music that Lewiston was, and is today, the most interested in capturing. “I want pure local music” he bluntly states in an interview about his methods (Settino 36). Many see Lewiston as a preservationist for capturing pure indigenous sounds and maintaining them for future reference (Simmons). Initially, however, David Lewiston was far from the ethnic music researcher and preservationist that he is recognized as today.
Lewiston was raised in the suburbs of London, and in his youth studied piano at London’s Trinity College of Music (Settino 32). At Trinity, Lewiston studied piano with a man named George Bennett. Bennett exposed Lewiston to non-Western music for the first time as he presented the work of a man named Georgii Ivanobitch Gurdjieff, a musician and philosopher of Asian and Russian descent (Roden). Other sources point to Gurdjieff descending from an area called Cass, which is currently known as Gumrie, Armenia (Kushner). Lewiston claims that being exposed to Gurdjieff’s compositions “popped [him] into another space.” In other words, these compositions made Lewiston aware of the fact that music existed outside of the sphere of Western influences and traditions (Roden).
Lewiston later moved to New York to study with the disciple and apprentice of Gurdjieff, Thomas de Hartman, a Russian composer and pianist. In 1956 de Hartman passed away (Roden). However, Lewiston continued to study folk and traditional music from around the world while working in a variety of low paying jobs (Roden). At the end of a ten-year slump, Lewiston would eventually find himself as a financial editor for an anonymous news corporation (“David”).
In 1966, Lewiston took a three-week vacation in combination with a four-week leave of absence (Kushner). In part, Lewiston’s employer granted this extended departure because he agreed to write a story on Vietnam’s wartime banking conditions while traveling abroad. Traveling to Bali and Java, Indonesia, Lewiston would eventually find himself connected with a young prince in the higher ranks of society. Upon request, this man, referred to as Dean, introduced Lewiston to the local Balinese gamelan musicians (Settino 34). Gamelan music is defined as “an Indonesian orchestra that consists mainly of percussion instruments such as chimes, gongs, and wooden xylophones” (“Gamelan”).
On this initial voyage, Lewiston brought a reel-to-reel tape recording device called the Uher 4000. In combination with the Uher 4000 he used two microphones that had been borrowed from a friend. This particular recording device did not have a battery pack, weighed 8-pounds and recorded in mono format (Settino 34). Mono signal audio recordings utilize one channel to produce sound. Stereo format, however, uses two separate channels to produce a more dynamic sound.
Prior to arriving in Bali to record the gamelan musicians, Lewiston discovered a portable, stereo recording device called the Concertone 727 at a store in Singapore (Settino 34). This machine is identified by World Music Central as “one of the first portable stereo tape recorders” (“David”). This device enabled battery-operation for on-location field recordings and would serve its purpose in Indonesia before being sold following Lewiston’s initial excursion (Simmons). Lewiston identifies this unit several times as, “flimsy” (Lewiston, Settino 34), and on another occasion as, “Really cheap crap“ (Simmons).
Upon returning to the United States in 1967, Lewiston would be introduced to two individuals that would boost his career as a producer of global music: Teresa Sterne, manager of the newly formed Nonesuch record label, and Peter Siegel, Nonesuch record’s staff engineer. Together Sterne, Siegel and Lewiston listened to the Balinese gamelan recordings and contracted to release a selection titled Music from the Morning of the World on the Nonesuch record label (Settino 34). This new relationship would eventually lead Nonesuch records into new musical pioneering directions and change the face of ethnic music recordings forever (Simmons).
Jac Holzman, founder of Elektra records, created the Nonesuch record label in 1964 with the intention of expanding Elektra’s musical scope into the classical realm. Nonesuch originally released 10 classical records with a price of $2.50 each. Holzman believed there to be no other comparable product in or on the market and accordingly named his new label Nonesuch records. It is important to note that Nonesuch originally asserted the promotion of baroque and chamber music as the labels main interest (H, K.). Manager, Teresa Sterne would, however, stray from this direction and lead the company to eventually release 92 albums of ethnic music, twenty eight of which would be recorded by Lewiston (Simmons).
Recording of the World’s cultural music had been alive for many years prior to Lewiston’s entrance to the field (Simmons). Where he lacks in early production, however, he makes up for in field exploration:
“Primarily, he was the first to venture beyond the relative musical comfort of America, Europe and the Caribbean and into the more challenging musical terrains of Asia and the Himalayas…His recordings were the first to be mastered and released commercially as entertainment for adventurous listeners, rather than archived for research purposes.” (Simmons)
Some people have been critical of Lewiston’s bias towards folk and traditional sounds over other popular forms. In a 2002 critique of the Explorer Series, Milo Miles states, “there is precious little other than pure folk music or classical traditions. It feels like the Explorer Series focused on villagers but left out the city kids and, well, the obvious super stars” (Miles). However, the purpose of Lewiston’s recording expeditions was to capture traditional music in its purest form. According to Simmons: Lewiston and Sterne “created the Explorer Series, offering what Nonesuch now describes as ‘…a musical window to a specific community at a specific point in time, without the strong imprint of Western society or pop music.’” (Simmons).
Lewiston was so adamant about eliminating popular, modernized versions of music in his recordings that he began to seek out and hire local assistants who were familiar with the particular culture being recorded. This ensured that only the purest forms of indigenous music were captured. Lewiston was always in search of local intellects to incorporate into his staff:
“They make really helpful intermediaries with the local musicians, who are usually farmers or laborers…I like to work with somebody knowledgeable within the culture. In remote villages I always seek out local educated people, administrators, school teachers, doctors, and other professionals, and enlist their help.”
(Settino 36)
A level of economic value was also brought to the community when Lewiston recorded in these various settings. He claims that the payment for musician’s fees is chosen based on what is appropriate in a specific culture, “The compensation needs to be meaningful.” He also points out the fact that some of these cultures are poverty stricken, and that entering them with fancy recording equipment and simple amenities, like clothes and shoes, warrants the need to pay the local musicians for their services (Settino 36). I believe that making an effort to compensate the local musicians for their services, in fact, validated the musicians, and encouraged them to continue playing their traditional music.
In the process of recording various musicians from around the world, there became a need to address an ethical dimension of the recording process. Lewiston claims, “At the urging of a respected entertainment lawyer, I decided to copyright all of my recordings. That way there will still be some publishing income to send back to the musicians.” Lewiston also initiated contractual agreements for musical service with people in the various cultures that he recorded. In reference to these contracts, Lewiston states that:
“[I] Write a one paragraph release, which covers the essentials. In some situations, the payment for the performance may not be a complete buyout, so there’s space on the release form to write in how much more will come to the musicians if the recording is used.”
(Settino 36)
Displaying his service to, and respect for the musicians, Lewiston asserts, “Basically, I feel I’m there to serve the musicians and to give them the best recording of their material.” A final ethical issue encountered by Lewiston in the recording field is the question of who owns a particular compositions copyright. It is relevant to note that Lewiston assumes the material to be public domain if the music is in a completely traditional form (Settino 36).
David Lewiston, over the course of forty years has released records with companies including Nonesuch Records, BBC Sound Archives, Bridge Records, Ellipses Arts, and Shanachie Records for a documented total of 46 major releases (“Discography”). According to World Music Central, Lewiston has produced an archive of music recordings in the range of 320 hours. Additionally, Lewiston has also simultaneously produced photographs and documentation of the people and cultures he records, a valuable companion to the music produced there (“World”). According to Simmons, “He not only captured the music that inspired an entire new genre, he also brought it to the masses” (Simmons).
When interviewed about his involvement in the Explorer Series, and his role as a pioneer in the creation of a new genre, David Lewiston comments, “We were just doing what we did. It was our thing” (Roden). He also prefers the title of “musical tourist” to that of ethnomusicologist. On the topic of ethnomusicology, Lewiston claims, “I think of an ethnomusicologist as someone who takes wonderful music and analyzes it until all the joy has been lost (Roden).
Lewiston’s work and development as a “musical tourist” has had its affects on the American pop and rock music industries as well. World Music Central declares that Lewiston’s ethnic recordings have inspired artists like the Grateful Dead and Jeff Buckley (“World”). Additionally, an interview with David Byrne, founding member of the Talking Heads, regarding the Explorer Series yields further proof of Lewiston’s influence on Western pop music:
“It was the first time I heard music that was texturally and also structurally organized in completely different ways than what I was used to…The Balinese record, I think in particular, Music from the Morning of the World, had the Monkey Chant on it. It rocked. And I think I may have used some of the melodies later on in some of my own work.”
(Byrne).
Byrne goes on to say that the various Nonesuch Explorer series records that he sampled were very eye opening to him. The new sounds and structures presented in these recordings had shattered his previous perceptions of correct form in the musical realm (Byrne).
In analyzing the above information, I conclude that Lewiston’s relentless, passionate recording of traditional ethnic music in combination with the support of major U.S. record labels, has indirectly impacted the development of Western, American music. I find this to be extremely interesting, and wholly ironic, as it has been examined previously that Western influence has directly impacted the development of world music. Theoretically, there has been a cyclical result created by this, and consequently, the World’s music that is being made today is more globally integrated than ever before in history.
Ethnic music is not always easy to digest. The various recordings that I have found of Lewiston’s have exposed me to music from all over the world. In the process of seeking out and listening to various examples, I find that am definitely partial to some geographical areas over others.
The Indonesian recordings are harsh and dramatic with heavy, driving percussion. Instruments like the mouth harp, flute, gongs, cymbals, and bells are used with a variety of drums. The musical style is hard for me to comprehend and stimulates anxiety and disconnectedness in thought. I believe that the music is mostly improvised, with the concept of virtuosity on an instrument appearing irrelevant. This music isn’t about skill level, or even performance quality, but instead appears to be ritualistic, oriented to the present, and for the purpose of serving those in attendance. It offers a glimpse back into a chaotic period of time, and at the same moment, is astonishing to listen to because of its complete polarization with what is typically listened to in American culture.
Lewiston’s Tibetan recordings are vocally oriented with instruments such as bells and gongs. Men chant phrases in unison over and over again. This music is most likely intended to put the listener or participator into a meditative state. Every few minutes the whole chant breaks into loud crashes and noise, where from the chaos emerges new chants and vocal pulses. I find these recordings to be more relaxing than the Indonesian ones. They have a mystical quality to them, but at the same time are very eerie and dark sounding. Lewiston apparently found great satisfaction in recording the Tibetan Buddhist’s because he is noted to have spent many years devoted to conserving theirs ceremonial rites and procedures (“World”).
There are many other areas of the World represented in Lewiston’s discography, including places like Pakistan, the Himalayas, Bangladesh, China and Japan (“Discography”). However, none of these records are as appealing to me as the recordings from Peru. The Peruvian music is more aesthetically pleasing to my ear with instruments like flutes, harp, guitars, and light percussion being represented. There is more of a focus on melody and musical quality, and in general is easier for my mind to grasp. Some of the Peruvian music appears to be improvised, but most of this music has an element of organized composition.
David Lewiston has traveled the World over in search of ethnic music, and in the process has exposed many people’s ears and minds to the diverse sounds of foreign cultures. His work in the field has captured pure indigenous folk music at its source in areas previously untouched by other global recording engineers. These achievements are important to the development of the mass media because society in general can now experience benefits from Lewiston’s recordings. In other words, a greater understanding of music, outside of Western influence, is now able to exist. Lewiston utilized the mass media as a channel for spreading the music he discovered, but more importantly he contributed largely to the establishment of the ethnic music genre in today’s musical classification system. In my opinion, it is because of the commercial method by which Lewiston brought ethnic music to the mass audience, in combination with recording in locations untouched by previous researchers, that he is held to be a major innovator in the field today.
Document researched and written by Alex Bard, 2007.
Please contact for full works cited reference.
David Lewiston is a pioneer in the production of cultural, musical recordings created in international settings. Since 1966, Mr. Lewiston has been capturing the music formed by ethnic groups located in: Indonesia, the Himalayas, India, Pakistan, South America, the Orient and the Middle East (“Discography”). David Lewiston, through his life pursuit of ethnic music recordings, has played a critical role in producing music for the ethnic genre of today’s musical classification system.
It is important to first distinguish the difference between ethnic music and world music. Ethnic music is defined as, “the traditional and typically anonymous music that is an expression of the life of people in a community” (“Ethnic Music”). On the other hand, world music’s definition is more directly associated with popular forms (“World Music”). There is no apparent negative consequence to having these two separate genres, however, finding information about the different modes of non-Western music is, in my personal experience, difficult to obtain and discern between. Many sources still refer to the two genres as one, generalizing all non-western music as world music.
World music is defined as, “music from cultures other than those of Western Europe and English-speaking North America, especially popular music from Latin America, Africa and Asia” (“World Music”). Originally, the world music genre consisted of recordings made in the field that were then mass-produced in a manner consistent with the culture’s grassroots, original form. In modern times, however, world music refers more directly to a fusing of cultural sounds and styles (Simmons).
The fusing of traditional music and popular styles appears to result from the imposition of Western culture upon foreign nations. In Africa, foreign influences have shaped popular music styles for centuries, and in effect caused new styles to emerge (Johnston 101). Korean society, at the end of the 20th century, looked to the West for ideals and societal direction causing Western music to be taught in schools over traditional Korean music (Myung-hee 34). It is my opinion that Western influence can also be observed through listening to contemporary pop recordings produced in Latin America, Africa, and Eastern Europe by artists such as: Ricky Martin, Amadou and Miriam, and Nena, respectively. By examining the examples and definitions presented above, I conclude that world music and its current relation to more popular, mainstream media, has forced the folk and traditional music recordings to be more directly associated with a separate, but similar genre of media called ethnic music.
Tadahiro Wakabayashi, master of multiple ethnic instruments and musical disciplines, makes a statement in a 2006 interview about the origins of ethnic music. Wakabayashi claims, “The origins of ethnic music can be divided into two streams. One stream originated with the formal music of shamanism…the other stream originated with the peoples of the forests” (Kondo). To me, this suggests that each case has had unique affects on the result of ethnic music’s development. A second statement made by Kondo shows the possibility of the world and ethnic music genres being formed at this time. According to Kondo, the shaman’s music spread into the higher ranks of society to become an artistic mode of composition taking on a more classical form. In the latter example of music deriving from the people of the forests, Indian music of South America grew and developed amongst common people (Kondo). To me, this shows that the forest people’s music remained traditional and formed the basis for the ethnic music genre. Conversely, the shaman’s music became more popular in nature and formed the world music genre.
It is the traditional, ethnic genre of music that Lewiston was, and is today, the most interested in capturing. “I want pure local music” he bluntly states in an interview about his methods (Settino 36). Many see Lewiston as a preservationist for capturing pure indigenous sounds and maintaining them for future reference (Simmons). Initially, however, David Lewiston was far from the ethnic music researcher and preservationist that he is recognized as today.
Lewiston was raised in the suburbs of London, and in his youth studied piano at London’s Trinity College of Music (Settino 32). At Trinity, Lewiston studied piano with a man named George Bennett. Bennett exposed Lewiston to non-Western music for the first time as he presented the work of a man named Georgii Ivanobitch Gurdjieff, a musician and philosopher of Asian and Russian descent (Roden). Other sources point to Gurdjieff descending from an area called Cass, which is currently known as Gumrie, Armenia (Kushner). Lewiston claims that being exposed to Gurdjieff’s compositions “popped [him] into another space.” In other words, these compositions made Lewiston aware of the fact that music existed outside of the sphere of Western influences and traditions (Roden).
Lewiston later moved to New York to study with the disciple and apprentice of Gurdjieff, Thomas de Hartman, a Russian composer and pianist. In 1956 de Hartman passed away (Roden). However, Lewiston continued to study folk and traditional music from around the world while working in a variety of low paying jobs (Roden). At the end of a ten-year slump, Lewiston would eventually find himself as a financial editor for an anonymous news corporation (“David”).
In 1966, Lewiston took a three-week vacation in combination with a four-week leave of absence (Kushner). In part, Lewiston’s employer granted this extended departure because he agreed to write a story on Vietnam’s wartime banking conditions while traveling abroad. Traveling to Bali and Java, Indonesia, Lewiston would eventually find himself connected with a young prince in the higher ranks of society. Upon request, this man, referred to as Dean, introduced Lewiston to the local Balinese gamelan musicians (Settino 34). Gamelan music is defined as “an Indonesian orchestra that consists mainly of percussion instruments such as chimes, gongs, and wooden xylophones” (“Gamelan”).
On this initial voyage, Lewiston brought a reel-to-reel tape recording device called the Uher 4000. In combination with the Uher 4000 he used two microphones that had been borrowed from a friend. This particular recording device did not have a battery pack, weighed 8-pounds and recorded in mono format (Settino 34). Mono signal audio recordings utilize one channel to produce sound. Stereo format, however, uses two separate channels to produce a more dynamic sound.
Prior to arriving in Bali to record the gamelan musicians, Lewiston discovered a portable, stereo recording device called the Concertone 727 at a store in Singapore (Settino 34). This machine is identified by World Music Central as “one of the first portable stereo tape recorders” (“David”). This device enabled battery-operation for on-location field recordings and would serve its purpose in Indonesia before being sold following Lewiston’s initial excursion (Simmons). Lewiston identifies this unit several times as, “flimsy” (Lewiston, Settino 34), and on another occasion as, “Really cheap crap“ (Simmons).
Upon returning to the United States in 1967, Lewiston would be introduced to two individuals that would boost his career as a producer of global music: Teresa Sterne, manager of the newly formed Nonesuch record label, and Peter Siegel, Nonesuch record’s staff engineer. Together Sterne, Siegel and Lewiston listened to the Balinese gamelan recordings and contracted to release a selection titled Music from the Morning of the World on the Nonesuch record label (Settino 34). This new relationship would eventually lead Nonesuch records into new musical pioneering directions and change the face of ethnic music recordings forever (Simmons).
Jac Holzman, founder of Elektra records, created the Nonesuch record label in 1964 with the intention of expanding Elektra’s musical scope into the classical realm. Nonesuch originally released 10 classical records with a price of $2.50 each. Holzman believed there to be no other comparable product in or on the market and accordingly named his new label Nonesuch records. It is important to note that Nonesuch originally asserted the promotion of baroque and chamber music as the labels main interest (H, K.). Manager, Teresa Sterne would, however, stray from this direction and lead the company to eventually release 92 albums of ethnic music, twenty eight of which would be recorded by Lewiston (Simmons).
Recording of the World’s cultural music had been alive for many years prior to Lewiston’s entrance to the field (Simmons). Where he lacks in early production, however, he makes up for in field exploration:
“Primarily, he was the first to venture beyond the relative musical comfort of America, Europe and the Caribbean and into the more challenging musical terrains of Asia and the Himalayas…His recordings were the first to be mastered and released commercially as entertainment for adventurous listeners, rather than archived for research purposes.” (Simmons)
Some people have been critical of Lewiston’s bias towards folk and traditional sounds over other popular forms. In a 2002 critique of the Explorer Series, Milo Miles states, “there is precious little other than pure folk music or classical traditions. It feels like the Explorer Series focused on villagers but left out the city kids and, well, the obvious super stars” (Miles). However, the purpose of Lewiston’s recording expeditions was to capture traditional music in its purest form. According to Simmons: Lewiston and Sterne “created the Explorer Series, offering what Nonesuch now describes as ‘…a musical window to a specific community at a specific point in time, without the strong imprint of Western society or pop music.’” (Simmons).
Lewiston was so adamant about eliminating popular, modernized versions of music in his recordings that he began to seek out and hire local assistants who were familiar with the particular culture being recorded. This ensured that only the purest forms of indigenous music were captured. Lewiston was always in search of local intellects to incorporate into his staff:
“They make really helpful intermediaries with the local musicians, who are usually farmers or laborers…I like to work with somebody knowledgeable within the culture. In remote villages I always seek out local educated people, administrators, school teachers, doctors, and other professionals, and enlist their help.”
(Settino 36)
A level of economic value was also brought to the community when Lewiston recorded in these various settings. He claims that the payment for musician’s fees is chosen based on what is appropriate in a specific culture, “The compensation needs to be meaningful.” He also points out the fact that some of these cultures are poverty stricken, and that entering them with fancy recording equipment and simple amenities, like clothes and shoes, warrants the need to pay the local musicians for their services (Settino 36). I believe that making an effort to compensate the local musicians for their services, in fact, validated the musicians, and encouraged them to continue playing their traditional music.
In the process of recording various musicians from around the world, there became a need to address an ethical dimension of the recording process. Lewiston claims, “At the urging of a respected entertainment lawyer, I decided to copyright all of my recordings. That way there will still be some publishing income to send back to the musicians.” Lewiston also initiated contractual agreements for musical service with people in the various cultures that he recorded. In reference to these contracts, Lewiston states that:
“[I] Write a one paragraph release, which covers the essentials. In some situations, the payment for the performance may not be a complete buyout, so there’s space on the release form to write in how much more will come to the musicians if the recording is used.”
(Settino 36)
Displaying his service to, and respect for the musicians, Lewiston asserts, “Basically, I feel I’m there to serve the musicians and to give them the best recording of their material.” A final ethical issue encountered by Lewiston in the recording field is the question of who owns a particular compositions copyright. It is relevant to note that Lewiston assumes the material to be public domain if the music is in a completely traditional form (Settino 36).
David Lewiston, over the course of forty years has released records with companies including Nonesuch Records, BBC Sound Archives, Bridge Records, Ellipses Arts, and Shanachie Records for a documented total of 46 major releases (“Discography”). According to World Music Central, Lewiston has produced an archive of music recordings in the range of 320 hours. Additionally, Lewiston has also simultaneously produced photographs and documentation of the people and cultures he records, a valuable companion to the music produced there (“World”). According to Simmons, “He not only captured the music that inspired an entire new genre, he also brought it to the masses” (Simmons).
When interviewed about his involvement in the Explorer Series, and his role as a pioneer in the creation of a new genre, David Lewiston comments, “We were just doing what we did. It was our thing” (Roden). He also prefers the title of “musical tourist” to that of ethnomusicologist. On the topic of ethnomusicology, Lewiston claims, “I think of an ethnomusicologist as someone who takes wonderful music and analyzes it until all the joy has been lost (Roden).
Lewiston’s work and development as a “musical tourist” has had its affects on the American pop and rock music industries as well. World Music Central declares that Lewiston’s ethnic recordings have inspired artists like the Grateful Dead and Jeff Buckley (“World”). Additionally, an interview with David Byrne, founding member of the Talking Heads, regarding the Explorer Series yields further proof of Lewiston’s influence on Western pop music:
“It was the first time I heard music that was texturally and also structurally organized in completely different ways than what I was used to…The Balinese record, I think in particular, Music from the Morning of the World, had the Monkey Chant on it. It rocked. And I think I may have used some of the melodies later on in some of my own work.”
(Byrne).
Byrne goes on to say that the various Nonesuch Explorer series records that he sampled were very eye opening to him. The new sounds and structures presented in these recordings had shattered his previous perceptions of correct form in the musical realm (Byrne).
In analyzing the above information, I conclude that Lewiston’s relentless, passionate recording of traditional ethnic music in combination with the support of major U.S. record labels, has indirectly impacted the development of Western, American music. I find this to be extremely interesting, and wholly ironic, as it has been examined previously that Western influence has directly impacted the development of world music. Theoretically, there has been a cyclical result created by this, and consequently, the World’s music that is being made today is more globally integrated than ever before in history.
Ethnic music is not always easy to digest. The various recordings that I have found of Lewiston’s have exposed me to music from all over the world. In the process of seeking out and listening to various examples, I find that am definitely partial to some geographical areas over others.
The Indonesian recordings are harsh and dramatic with heavy, driving percussion. Instruments like the mouth harp, flute, gongs, cymbals, and bells are used with a variety of drums. The musical style is hard for me to comprehend and stimulates anxiety and disconnectedness in thought. I believe that the music is mostly improvised, with the concept of virtuosity on an instrument appearing irrelevant. This music isn’t about skill level, or even performance quality, but instead appears to be ritualistic, oriented to the present, and for the purpose of serving those in attendance. It offers a glimpse back into a chaotic period of time, and at the same moment, is astonishing to listen to because of its complete polarization with what is typically listened to in American culture.
Lewiston’s Tibetan recordings are vocally oriented with instruments such as bells and gongs. Men chant phrases in unison over and over again. This music is most likely intended to put the listener or participator into a meditative state. Every few minutes the whole chant breaks into loud crashes and noise, where from the chaos emerges new chants and vocal pulses. I find these recordings to be more relaxing than the Indonesian ones. They have a mystical quality to them, but at the same time are very eerie and dark sounding. Lewiston apparently found great satisfaction in recording the Tibetan Buddhist’s because he is noted to have spent many years devoted to conserving theirs ceremonial rites and procedures (“World”).
There are many other areas of the World represented in Lewiston’s discography, including places like Pakistan, the Himalayas, Bangladesh, China and Japan (“Discography”). However, none of these records are as appealing to me as the recordings from Peru. The Peruvian music is more aesthetically pleasing to my ear with instruments like flutes, harp, guitars, and light percussion being represented. There is more of a focus on melody and musical quality, and in general is easier for my mind to grasp. Some of the Peruvian music appears to be improvised, but most of this music has an element of organized composition.
David Lewiston has traveled the World over in search of ethnic music, and in the process has exposed many people’s ears and minds to the diverse sounds of foreign cultures. His work in the field has captured pure indigenous folk music at its source in areas previously untouched by other global recording engineers. These achievements are important to the development of the mass media because society in general can now experience benefits from Lewiston’s recordings. In other words, a greater understanding of music, outside of Western influence, is now able to exist. Lewiston utilized the mass media as a channel for spreading the music he discovered, but more importantly he contributed largely to the establishment of the ethnic music genre in today’s musical classification system. In my opinion, it is because of the commercial method by which Lewiston brought ethnic music to the mass audience, in combination with recording in locations untouched by previous researchers, that he is held to be a major innovator in the field today.
Document researched and written by Alex Bard, 2007.
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21 March 2007
Colbert Roasts the White House
I had heard about Stephen Colbert giving a speech at the 2006 Correspondents dinner held at the White House last April. I started to search around for it, because it sounded interesting, and found a full version of it on Google Video. It's worth a laugh and a waste of 25 minutes if you're looking for something to do.
Watch the video by clicking here
Watch the video by clicking here
19 March 2007
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