(By: Travis Phipps)
One of the best ways I escape the mundane rituals of the day-to-day world is by listening to songs by my favorite artists. I ponder the lyrics as the beat guides me through the song, and sometimes think about how great it would be to take part in the same creative processes as musicians. Activities like writing lyrics, composing beats and melodies, and planning performances would surely never be dull. This once exclusive world known only by the entertainers is now being opened to fans with the technological advances of the internet. Some are even able to contribute to an artist’s work.
A select group of attendees to Beastie Boys concerts were able to upload captured footage that was then compiled onto a DVD. Aspiring artists who listen to Janet Jackson were given the chance to design the cover art for her new album, "20 Y.O." Lil’ Jon selected homemade music videos to his song “Snap Yo Fingers” to be showcased in his “FansOnly” section of Yahoo Music (Bruno, 2006). These are just some o the many examples highlighting the new ways musicians connect with their audience. This willingness to connect, according to Sarah Tucker, “may be driven by a response to the ‘loss’ of the public realm” (Atwan, 2005).
User-generated creations are powerful in their ability to build “momentum” or artists’ work. Without a doubt, YouTube has become the medium of choice for users wanting to upload video parodies and reenactments paying homage to certain songs and entertainers (Bruno, 2006). Such webcam-produced videos can even achieve overnight popularity and become a mode of passive advertisement for the respective artists (Atwan, 2005).
This brings me to the video entitled “ALL THE GIRLS ARE SITTING ON A PILE OF GOLD”...
I obtained this piece via YouTube (of course), curiously including the tags “candy” and “cannibalism” (weird, I know). The video features Khaela Maricich who the lead singer and creative force behind the Portland, Oregon based band The Blow, an act known for “[working] in the cracks between pop music and performance art, bouncing between the genres to suck out the juicier parts of either world” (krecords.com). The Blow also happens to be one of my favorite bands (just a little tid-bit for you). During the video, Khaela sits in front of a purple paper backdrop detailing an upcoming tour and states her desire to have a large screen featuring user-generated videos for the song “Pile of Gold” to be played during its performance. This song is part of the album "Paper Television" and is about, or so I’ve interpreted, the power women have over men: “all the girls, you’re sitting on a pile of gold and the boys you know, they want it.”
“Hello, out there. I can’t see you, but you can see me.” Are the first words spoken enforce Tucker’s idea that a person with a webcam “cannot help but anticipate the looming presence of the global viewer” (Atwan, 2005). “Hey! Look! Girls!” suddenly and comically draws the viewer’s attention to a snippet of Khaela dancing wildly and then to an unidentified girl in a back alley pointing and exclaiming “it’s all in your mind!” This diversion seems a little out of place, but it is a perfect segue into the video’s message.
“I made a song about girls with my band the Blow. We need videos.” Khaela tells the camera. She proceeds to play a recording of the song, moving her head rhythmically to it. Then a piece of paper divided into grids magically appears after a choppy break, leading to the assignment of helping create this wall of videos. The instructions are simple: make a video doing whatever you feel like doing to the song, which can be downloaded at www.krecs.com. The only specific request is to include something shiny during the chorus--hence the “Gold”—and is casually demonstrated by a metallic bracelet being held in the front of the camera’s lens. “So anything will be interesting because like, it will be my little peep into your life.” Khaela concludes. Thus another instance of the ever-present desire to look at someone's life as it naturally occurs(Atwan, 2005).
It is easy to see that the video is that of an artist reaching to her audience, an audience composed of those already familiar with the Blow and interested in seeing a performance. However, the instant accessibility of posted items on YouTube elevates the footage’s purpose to a form of passive advertisement. Users who are clueless what “the Blow” can stumble upon the video, hear the song played in the background, be directed to where to download it, and given instructions to contribute to the creative process of the band. This video could have very well been a fan of the Blow’s first exposure the group. Khaela even entices the viewer to go to one of the concerts so that they can “see each other live, not electronically”—not to mention to find out if their video was featured on stage.
Through the example of “ALL THE GIRLS ARE SITTING ON A PILE OF GOLD”, one can clearly witness the power that webcams have in bringing people together, making connections where they were previously absent. This video stresses the fact that users are gaining more and more influence over artists and their works. Now the only limit to what enters the realm of popular culture is the creativity of audiences, leaving me wondering what changes this democratization of entertainment will cause as both time and technology progress.
References:
Atwan, Robert (Ed.). (2005). Convergences: message, method, medium. Boston, MA:
Bedford/St. Martin's.
Blow, the: bio. Retrieved October 4, 2007, from K Records Web site:
http://www.krecs.com
Bruno, A. (2006, August 19). Web Brings Audience Closer To Acts. Billboard, 118(33), 12-12.
Retrieved October 3, 2007, from Academic Search Complete database.
