Blog Transmedia

Summarize the arguments of the deBourgoing piece and connect to first half of the course

The digital world has obviously changed the way society communicates. DeBourgoing is sharing with the audience specific examples of how social media and networking in the digital world has shaped the world of hip-hop. Trying to connect this to pre-midterm studies one connection that came to mind is that of technological determinism. The new social media world we live in has influenced these hip-hop artists to take a different approach at gaining “street cred” and making it in the world of music. Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and other social media outlets have helped spread the word of one’s rapping influence. If you want to gain any kind of recognition you must not only go to open Mic, but must establish an identity online. You have to make a story for yourself and collaborate with the other artist around you.

Summarize Paul D Miller 56-77 and connect with deBourgoing and or any of the topics we have discussed in class

                Paul D Miller’s book “Rhythm Science” definitely caught me off guard! I was not expecting it to be this heavy and in depth with examples that range from W.E.B Du Bois to Nietzsche to Edison and Emerson.  In trying to understand this, what I got out of it, is that Miller is saying that nothing is original. He compares writing to DJ-ing. DJ-ing uses a lot of different works to create its own kind of unique sound. He thinks that written work is just recycled from previous people which also create its own unique voice. “Rhythm science is not so much a new language as a new way of pronouncing the ancient syntaxes that we inherit from history and evolution, a new way of enunciating the basic primal languages that slip through the fabric of rational though and infect our psyche at another, deeper level.” I agree and disagree with what I think he is trying to say… in all honesty I could be totally getting the wrong message from him… I agree that ideas from the past can influence the present and future. Evolution is a key aspect in the world we live in today. But, I also believe in originality. Somewhere, sometime, somebody has to take a leap in a new direction.