Comment of the Week

Here are this week's contenders:

Comment #1: a new comment on your post "Human Brain Is Wired for Harmony":

This has been one of the more fascinating articles that I have read. We are fragile and very sensitive beings and sound is something that we are either completely aware of or something that we choose to ignore. It's interesting that our brain craves harmony and identifies patterns in the sound. The information in this article could really help someone like a sound designer. There are different effects that you could potentially get when you play around with various sound patterns. Obviously, there are some sounds that are stronger and more disarming while others are simply pleasant. It would be good to try testing sounds and starting with a very harmonious and pleasant sound while moving to a harsher drum. There are many ways to mess with the mind, sound is just another tool. 

 Comment #2: a new comment on your post "Art and politics don’t mix":

I speak the same language as the author of this article. I believe that the arts A) should not be for economic gain and B) should not cost anything to be viewed. Arts value lies in the artists intentions. If the artist is trying to say something political then that is their right as an artist and the value of the art should be quantified by how well they tell the story or expose the truth. But if an artist just wants to make something that is beautiful then I think that that is their prerogative. With theater more than with visual art there is an impulse to have a finished piece that allows us to comment on something in the world but that does not mean that the art should be responsible for actually changing that thing. It is just a comment. Like a news paper article just in a different more accessible form. Art is about enjoyment, and thought and beauty and reflecting and morphing the world we see around us. 

 Comment #3: a new comment on your post "Autodesk 123D Design Arrives":

Well I'm not really sure how much this will teach, or really help an individual develop skills in digital design and art past 10-12 year old kids. This program appears to be incredibly simple, especially as it's free source...it's kind of like the Paint of the 3D design/rendering world.

(Gets on soapbox)

My good friend Luke Foco once said, "Yeah, but how cool would be to as an 8 year-old to say 'Hang on a minute, I gotta go print me another G.I. Joe...'" Which I agree with, but on other hand, what 8 year-old kid has the patience to sit and wait for his Makerbot printer to extrude his G.I. Joe, and furthermore....WHAT 8 YEAR_OLD KID HAS A MAKERBOT PRINTER! GO PLAY OUTSIDE!

(Gets off soapbox) 

 Comment #4: a new comment on your post "Stage review: Twists on classics create 'A Grand N...":

Does having a male singer perform a song that, when performed in the context of the original show, is performed by a female character really truly count as a twist? Or a big enough twist to warrant a position in the title of the review? Despite having a full understanding of Rodgers and Hammerstein's significance on the world and history of musical theatre, I've never been a huge fan of their work, but was actually excited when I saw the title of this review. Perhaps this production has found a way to breathe new life into these songs! While the opposite-gender casting of the song is interesting (even though I'm nearly certain all of the gender references in the song were switched to fit the heteronormative construct), is that really enough to warrant being called a "twist?" When Patti Lupone sang "Being Alive," it wasn't a jaw-dropping, shocking theatrical twist. It was just her singing a song written for a male character. True, I haven't seen this production. But I have a feeling it's a much more traditional construction of Rodgers and Hammerstein than they'd like to advertise. 

 Comment #5: a new comment on your post "Getting “A Real Job” Thanks To Your Arts Job":

I have always thought that the skills I have learned as an arts management student could help me to gain a management position in a more convention field some day. This article has helped to confirm that, though it hasn't necessarily helped me to confirm that people outside of the arts truly understand that skills I can bring to the table from a BFA in Drama. I would love to know how the people interviewed for this article came to gain their new positions in non-arts organizations- did they have to fight to get the positions and to prove that they had the necessary skills? I can't help but think that, unfortunately, they might have had to try a little harder to prove themselves because they came from an arts background. On another note, I appreciate this article for pointing out that taking a non-arts related job can actually give you more skills to take back to the arts, and vise versa. We don't have to be locked into the arts, and there is value in both arts and non-arts work. There's a choice to be made there that many of us will have to make some day, not without much tribulation, I'm sure.

Put your votes in the comments on this post.