tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11664087419850239592024-02-17T00:51:03.731-08:00Kenya Rock Film Festival JournalThis blog offers a behind-the-scenes look at ROFFEKE.
ROFFEKE is pronounced "rafiki" which is a Swahili word meaning "friend". 'Friendship, Fun, Freedom' is the motto of the ROck 'n' ROll Film FEstival, KEnya. The mission of ROFFEKE is to promote rock music in Kenya by dispelling rock 'n' roll myths and misconceptions via the medium of film. The Purpose of ROFFEKE is "Lighten the Burden".Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger252125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166408741985023959.post-69482775132362152372024-02-07T05:17:00.000-08:002024-02-07T05:21:07.260-08:00Interview: Federico Santini - composer of "Boysong" from the film Quest for Feilong (Part 2) <p><b>ROFFEKE:</b> During the 2020 lockdown, the world saw how Italians stood in
solidarity with each other through music on their balconies:“In
the flat in front of me, a couple with a small child appeared,”…“The mother
carried him in her arms while the father played a children’s musical toy. They
waved over at us and we waved back. We’ve never met.” (“<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/14/solidarity-balcony-singing-spreads-across-italy-during-lockdown" target="_blank">Balcony singing in solidarity spreads across Italy during lockdown</a>” The Guardian). </p>
<p>Did the lockdown increase your productivity as a composer or
did it lessen your productivity? How did you cope during this
challenging time? How do you take care of your mental health?<br />
<br />
<b>FEDERICO SANTINI:</b> At the school where I worked we started with remote lessons immediately,
so the teaching activity never stopped. Unfortunately, not long before I
had started having breathing problems which worsened during the
lockdown, not being able to rely on medical care. At a certain moment,
as directed by the doctor who was worried it could be Covid (the
symptoms of the disease at that time were not yet very well known), I
had to isolate myself in a couple of rooms for about a month and my
activity during that period had stopped completely. During the rest of
the lockdown my composition activity remained more or less the same as
before, even if the cooperation with the musicians who had to record
the songs from the soundtrack took place online.</p><p> Teaching activity became more difficult during the lockdown because the
remote learning triggers a series of critical issues. Feedback with
students is more difficult on screen. It is difficult to understand if
the topics explained are clear and it is also more difficult for the
students to interact with the teacher.<br />
For me in that period, communication with loved ones was very important,
especially with the Chinese harpist, Siyun Shen, whom I spoke about
above [in part 1], with whom I had established a deep friendship. Especially during
my period of isolation, Siyun was very close to me and we spent hours
every day communicating via Whatsapp, especially with messages since my
breathing problems made verbal communication a little difficult.<br />
<br />
<b>ROFFEKE: </b>Your thoughts on artificial intelligence and music?<br />
<br />
<b>FEDERICO:</b> As far as I'm concerned, I don't use artificial intelligence in
composition, I like to take care of every aspect personally. So far I
haven't found any really interesting compositions created by artificial
intelligence. I think it does well in low and medium-low level
compositions but so far I haven't heard any interesting music. However,
when A.I. finally will be able, to write some beautiful music, and I
think it's a matter of time, I will be very happy to listen to it. But I
believe that there are big risks for composers due to the numerous
instances where A.I. has been involved in matter of plagiarism.
Artificial intelligence operates without awareness of what it means to
copy a work, and therefore, which is why many artists are complaining
about this.<br />
<br />
<b>ROFFEKE:</b> Advice for aspiring composers?<br />
<br />
<b>FEDERICO:</b> First of all, I would recommend an in-depth study of the subject.
Searching for scores and analyzing the songs you like is a useful tool.
Look for qualified teachers to take lessons from. Studying alone is not
enough, it is useful to play in many different contexts and enrich
yourself with many experiences. It was useful to me, in addition to
playing in classical ensembles, being part of rock and pop bands,
accompanying Gospel choirs, and so on. I think it is important to make
yourself known by interacting with other people as much as possible.
Avoid contexts for which you don't have time to prepare, you risk making
a bad impression. I would also recommend being fair to other
composers and protecting your works before sending them out.</p><p>(You can read part 1 of the interview <a href="https://kenyarockfilmfestivaljournal.blogspot.com/2024/02/interview-federico-santini-composer-of.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>) </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvLWdJx8DpghEFUW6sK3I6OgvOWnp2UJqT1oL5VFJL9urlBzDsNsEZOjB67A9wdrOBLnXK7aqzwg3S6TsRcLi8osfoorlv52YeXi_imkLTo-BppFnN1lQC0JNlQfu8Jq8XdSCV98mVAHEf-bM5w7tbwYFIYyr9Tkj2kyu-paA3fYmRykQkQ0s8D3pdSaA/s1612/quest%20for%20feilong.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1612" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvLWdJx8DpghEFUW6sK3I6OgvOWnp2UJqT1oL5VFJL9urlBzDsNsEZOjB67A9wdrOBLnXK7aqzwg3S6TsRcLi8osfoorlv52YeXi_imkLTo-BppFnN1lQC0JNlQfu8Jq8XdSCV98mVAHEf-bM5w7tbwYFIYyr9Tkj2kyu-paA3fYmRykQkQ0s8D3pdSaA/s320/quest%20for%20feilong.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166408741985023959.post-29769015692912822062024-02-07T04:42:00.000-08:002024-02-07T04:42:35.608-08:00Interview: Peter Böving - Writer, Director, Producer of The Heaviest Order (Part 4) <p><b>ROFFEKE:</b> In part 3 of the interview, you said: " In my first "life," I was a musician –
25 years on live stage..." How has being a musician helped you in your
work as an animator/filmmaker?</p>
<div><b>PETER Böving:</b> I can highly recommend this sequence :) As a musician, you learn
and practice not only the instrument and theory but also something
extremely helpful in filmmaking: a sense of timing! One aspect of my
cinematic work focuses on poetry films, with an emphasis on sound poetry
and music. I have tested the texts of the poetry films created so far
live on stage in various programs over many years. Audience reactions
are, of course, an incredible gift: from one performance to another, you
can fine-tune your performance, music, and intensity. How many
filmmakers have the opportunity to collect so much feedback in the
pre-production phase? However, it would be dishonest of me to claim that
25 years ago, I already knew I wanted to incorporate all these
experiences into film productions later on. Sometimes, one is also
lucky, and things just come together that seemingly belong together.</div>
<div> </div>
<div><strong>ROFFEKE: </strong><a href="https://www.crew-united.com/en/Peter-Boeving_478574.html" target="_blank">Your profile</a> on <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://deref-gmx.net/mail/client/UUl7sv7DizM/dereferrer/?redirectUrl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fcrew-united.com&source=gmail&ust=1707393443120000&usg=AOvVaw0IJMwZohr6k9I1VI_TTJwd" href="https://deref-gmx.net/mail/client/UUl7sv7DizM/dereferrer/?redirectUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fcrew-united.com" target="_blank">crew-united.com</a> says
that in 2010 you "founded the animation studio "Kloetzchenkino"; from
2006 to 2011 you "held various commissions in the advertising film and
music film industry"; in 1999, you "founded the audiobook label "Shower
Records"...published numerous CDs in the field of literary dubbing, funk
and jazz in the distribution of EICHBORN"; from 1993 to 2003 you "made
extensive tours with your own literary program, visited the
Goethe-Instituts in Germany, Switzerland, France, Scandinavia, the
Baltic States and Russia"; since 1983, you have worked as a musician and
since 1990, you have worked as "a composer in the field of theater
music, mainly in North Rhine-Westphalia." How do you maintain
work-life balance? How do you take care of your mental health?</div>
<div> </div>
<div><b>PETER:</b> This may initially seem like a lot to read. However, I've been
around for quite a few years, and all these activities are already a bit
scattered. It might sound strange when I say that, for my taste, I'm
doing far too little. That's exactly what I've been thinking since I
became aware that I might have been born into one of the most
significant turning points in human history: the digital revolution!
There aren't many generations here in Germany that have held printing
plates, hand-cut Super 8 films, or learned their craft in an analog
studio and later adapted to the digital world. As I mentioned before,
it's crucial for me that in a semi-digital animated film, you can almost
"smell" the analog production moments. However, this can only be
achieved if you feel at home in both worlds. It's the grace of the
timing of my birth: a privilege and responsibility at the same time! In
just a few years, as AI sets out to conquer the last remaining spaces in
cultural creation, people might envy us and possibly wonder why, in
this unique time, we produced so much mainstream and had so little
courage to develop something exciting.</div>
<div> </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEKAvmR_kNshyphenhyphenjFwREocKysUuLXDmRgDWyvJmsu4s5EnlbHArsz1N8m7ykrqvAFLqbrDWotzG4bqf8gR908xah_89uc1tZMTGRw788TLe7Zbgn9CNxsH5kT6vhQFMOohWxzu4LTJVfZSRY9-yKsfPIRjUhb7-6TH8T2e7W4JNu8ROK6IaFSUL4czvG4D0/s1920/heaviest%20order2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEKAvmR_kNshyphenhyphenjFwREocKysUuLXDmRgDWyvJmsu4s5EnlbHArsz1N8m7ykrqvAFLqbrDWotzG4bqf8gR908xah_89uc1tZMTGRw788TLe7Zbgn9CNxsH5kT6vhQFMOohWxzu4LTJVfZSRY9-yKsfPIRjUhb7-6TH8T2e7W4JNu8ROK6IaFSUL4czvG4D0/s320/heaviest%20order2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166408741985023959.post-62338305937491826352024-02-06T21:53:00.000-08:002024-02-06T21:53:12.751-08:00Interview: Federico Santini - composer of "Boysong" from the film Quest for Feilong (Part 1)<p><b>ROFFEKE:</b> In your <a href="https://federicosantini.com/index.php/services/" target="_blank">“About Me” page on your website</a>, it is mentioned that you teach piano and music education at middle schools, high schools and music schools. What would you say is the importance of music education in middle school and high school?<br /><br /><b>FEDERICO SANTINI:</b> I believe that musical activity has an important contribution in strengthening cognitive, emotional, linguistic, motor and relational skills, especially in developmental age, where the brain is still in the training phase. This is why I believe music education in schools is important. During the musician's activity, many brain areas are involved, from the auditory to the visual, from the motor to the language. The musician has to coordinate the movement quickly on the basis of what he finds written in the score. Furthermore, in addition to listening to his own playing, he must pay attention in real time to what others are playing, in order to play in time, to establish a joint interpretation of phrasing, etc.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihqUButzTomB9iEcel3k_R2OCu1YCQH7jPSHWiGF41XjBXShcix7qKzUPoNmf7Fga3TonMwebDqaT5qvwb4fzbPMqTKjVZUWrnKy2joQW32OHR1Sea6Av2ReYWacpHOGc0qNYcLaas90LySHL-V1tPW6ElaDtj86o1nNRoMMCcjO-TEMo3QvEZiy59rCo/s800/boysong.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="554" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihqUButzTomB9iEcel3k_R2OCu1YCQH7jPSHWiGF41XjBXShcix7qKzUPoNmf7Fga3TonMwebDqaT5qvwb4fzbPMqTKjVZUWrnKy2joQW32OHR1Sea6Av2ReYWacpHOGc0qNYcLaas90LySHL-V1tPW6ElaDtj86o1nNRoMMCcjO-TEMo3QvEZiy59rCo/s320/boysong.jpg" width="222" /></a></div><p>Neuroscientists who have conducted studies on the subject, claim that musicians' brain connections are particularly developed as different brain areas are mobilized which must process stimuli of different nature. In addition, these stimuli and actions also involve the two different hemispheres of the brain, thus strengthening the corpus callosum which acts as a connection. Furthermore, the music, by involving the emotional sphere of the individual, especially at an age where this is not yet fully mature, guides him to greater awareness and maturation of the same. In the school program I often also include the topic of music used for advertising purposes. The advertising message, packaged in such a way as to appeal to emotional involvement, generally sees the youngest people as the most vulnerable because they still lack defense tools, so I try to explain some of the mechanisms to them, especially from the point of view of the advertising jingle.</p><p>Music is also often recognized as having a social and aggregative role. In fact, I have participated in several projects whose main objectives include not so much the students' musical performance but socialization and integration in areas and situations of social hardship. Music urges us to listen to others in order to work in unison and each member of the group or orchestra is important, each one with their part. In essence, I believe that musical activity within schools includes various aspects and substantially integrates the individual's education.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jDJSaHld10M" width="320" youtube-src-id="jDJSaHld10M"></iframe></div><p><b>ROFFEKE:</b> You have composed soundtracks for theatrical performances, advertisements, festivals, video games and short films like “Quest for Feilong” (song: Boysong). What elements of composing remain the same across all these different types of media and what elements differ, for example, differences between composing for a video game and composing for a short film?<br /><br /><b>FEDERICO:</b> I think that the basis for all composition activity should be a systematic and in-depth study of harmony and composition in general. I think training based on classical principles is indispensable, but for a wider view I believe we need to grasp the harmonic principles linked to different techniques and deepen into the specific languages of many genres. In general, the different techniques of composition learned have served me for all kinds of composition.</p><p>The main differences, however, regarding music for video games compared to that of short films concern the interaction on the part of the player. When I write for short films (whether animated or live action) I have the precise timing of the scene and I can work on the synchronization between music and images. This happens both if the complete film is already provided to me and if I work with the animatic. In a video game, however, I have to predict the player's possible actions during the composition phase and make sure that the music can adapt accordingly. This can be done in a more or less complex way. A very simple example (but in my opinion not always effective) is the crossfade: one music fades out while the other is fading in. A more complex technique is to create a bridge between two different pieces of music. It is a harder task where several points must be foreseen in which the first music can transition to a short jingle that connects to the second music. Another method is to create a soundtrack with different rhythms and then move from a quieter mood to a brighter one.</p><p>Another substantial difference is the length of time the soundtrack is listened to. While a film generally lasts from an hour and a half to three hours, a video game can be played for more than 80 hours and the risk of monotony is very high . To overcome this, there will have to be moments where the music must remain as a constant background and then rise in the salient moments where it becomes more relevant.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjobkLYvX7-hQXkgDN_pdm4dj4Z2tw0Pbf3ry6MiCx-ddit8f8qzS8-yuAubo9AlHI0gUCg46tT0BV5dN-3Vjeh_mGzUhVQrKykqS2Sl_UMaVu8ArD3sTvl9BcY98ZXcwjtTdmRS1gUVjgNhQsFhV_Lbs8ajJdZbodgp6nLLMVViuOf6QdqWtTqfgrJe7U/s1920/boysong2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="885" data-original-width="1920" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjobkLYvX7-hQXkgDN_pdm4dj4Z2tw0Pbf3ry6MiCx-ddit8f8qzS8-yuAubo9AlHI0gUCg46tT0BV5dN-3Vjeh_mGzUhVQrKykqS2Sl_UMaVu8ArD3sTvl9BcY98ZXcwjtTdmRS1gUVjgNhQsFhV_Lbs8ajJdZbodgp6nLLMVViuOf6QdqWtTqfgrJe7U/s320/boysong2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><b>ROFFEKE:</b> Boysong is from the short film Quest for Feilong: “…created to promote integration in Prato where a strong presence of the immigration phenomenon takes place. Students of different ethnic groups participated, together with their teachers, in the making of the film, which touches on the issue of migration/integration.” Apart from this project “Quest for Feilong” and you teaching music abroad, how else has your musical journey helped you to interact with people from different communities and cultures?<br /><br /><b>FEDERICO:</b> I went to a conference in Pakistan a couple of months ago to talk about music in education and I had the opportunity to meet colleagues teachers and musicians with whom we exchanged ideas, ways of working and organizing school. Musical activity also allowed me to play with people from different cultures. For a few years, for example, I have been playing in a duo with a Chinese harpist who in the meantime has also become a dear friend. I had the opportunity to collaborate with directors from countries other than mine or to play during exhibitions with artists of different nationalities.<br /><br />(Look out for Part 2 of the interview).<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166408741985023959.post-86947696077659622202024-01-23T09:44:00.000-08:002024-01-23T09:44:19.869-08:00Interview: Peter Böving - Writer, Director, Producer of The Heaviest Order (Part 3)<p><b>ROFFEKE</b><strong>: </strong>In part 2 of the interview, you said: “…something often overlooked in creative
processes is that experimenting with mistakes often leads to entirely
new ideas, possibly even the best ones!” Please share any examples
either from “The Heaviest Order” or any other creative work of yours
where mistakes took you in new and interesting directions.</p>
<div><b>PETER Böving:</b> In my first "life," I was a musician – 25 years on live stages and in a
constant process of learning. There, I recognized the approach of "Error
as Opportunity" and quickly cultivated it. Whenever tonally thrown off
track while improvising, I noted that mistake – or, more
sympathetically, the blue note – in the corresponding context and firmly
integrated it into the further arrangement from that moment on.
Ideally, one then weaves unpredictable turns in their improvisation on
these detours. The crucial aspect is to "sell" what one is playing
outwardly and always know where the emergency exit is, if in doubt... In
filmmaking, I experience these moments much less frequently. A surefire
way to create surprising moments is to "overlay" music or sounds onto
one's films, ones that one would never have thought could fit together
or complement each other. Approaching such a process openly ensures that
one can certainly hear where a "match" can occur.</div>
<div> </div>
<div><strong>ROFFEKE: </strong>In part 2 of the interview, you also mentioned that your parental home influenced you to
prevent food waste. In what ways did your parental home influence you in
terms of creativity and the arts?</div>
<div><br />
<b>PETER:</b> In addition to a few obligations, I was allowed to be a child. I would
say that I played disproportionately much – often with things that were
not necessarily age-appropriate. I essentially disappeared for years.
Once, when my parents went on a summer vacation with my brothers, I
chose to stay alone with my grandmother. During that period, I built
ancient Rome from Kellogg's Cornflakes packages. When my family returned
after weeks of relaxation, my fingers were sore, I was chalk-white with
a happy face, and most importantly: Rome was completed!</div>
<div><br /><strong>ROFFEKE: </strong>“The Heaviest Order” has been featured in many film festivals
all over the world. What advice would you give regarding making a
film’s festival circuit successful?</div>
<div><br />
<b>PETER:</b> This is something that probably few filmmakers are truly deeply involved
in. My films also vary too much for me to create a guide to success.</div>
<div>A good idea or story, combined with originality and unique
features, in my opinion, form a solid foundation for a film to gain
attention at festivals. Impressive visuals and witty dialogues can also
contribute, but in my opinion, they only bring something when the first
point is fulfilled as well. Festival short films are, in any case, the
ideal playground to experiment. Courage is often rewarded in the
festival scene more than one might assume. Even if things don't go well
at festivals, at least there is enjoyment in the production process.</div>
<div>What has personally helped me often: In addition to festival
regulations, I also review photos from past screenings. If the
atmosphere appeals to me and I feel I would enjoy being a guest there,
it serves as a deciding factor for me to submit my work.</div><div> </div><div><strong>ROFFEKE: </strong>In “The Heaviest Order” there is a scene where the words “Something not right in Denmark” appear. I searched Denmark and food waste and came across a <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20170124-the-country-where-unwanted-food-is-selling-out" target="_blank">2017 BBC article </a>which said: “Around 29,000 tonnes of bread and cakes are discarded every year in Denmark, mainly because it is sold in portions larger than people need….” The article also says: “Yet Denmark now has more initiatives tackling food waste than any other country in the world.” It seems Denmark is tackling the food waste problem, so I’m curious, what were you referring to in that scene? :-)</div><div><strong><br /></strong></div><div><strong>PETER: </strong><a href="https://interestingliterature.com/2021/07/hamlet-something-rotten-state-of-denmark-meaning-analysis/#" target="_blank">"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark" is just a saying
originating from William Shakespeare's play "Hamlet."</a> In Germany, it is
often used to point out discrepancies, corruption, or general issues in a
situation. In reality, it doesn't have much to do with the
"present-day" Denmark. On the contrary, the Scandinavian countries are
always one step ahead of other European states in terms of environmental
protection, quality of life, innovation, and technology. So, dear
Danes: No hard feelings, but you are also a bit to blame. This example
vividly illustrates that not only does the internet not forget...</div><div> </div><div>(The BBC article is "The country where unwanted food is selling out" by Prathap Nair, 24th January 2017. Look out for part 4 of the interview. You can read part 1 <a href="https://kenyarockfilmfestivaljournal.blogspot.com/2024/01/interview-peter-boving-writer-director.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> and part 2 <a href="https://kenyarockfilmfestivaljournal.blogspot.com/2024/01/interview-peter-boving-writer-director_23.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>)<br /></div>
<div> </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqTMOMxmtVcFCQn07SMxVCn7QWWySz9eLBfdpf7YkDwIn2MyhhY41afZsrJTH-CpgqmMKqwZ68-Q6dpnhdcFdc9Yo_kpyjbYsNtxZEr3l6oXHunz3IeeWyqGBD7AwKZ9TPfubMFzh_4CAdIeGM3RAiPmNx8nnjvgp5AWRe9q2CqHuFAxIGIY2JK-lpEHI/s1920/heaviest%20order2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqTMOMxmtVcFCQn07SMxVCn7QWWySz9eLBfdpf7YkDwIn2MyhhY41afZsrJTH-CpgqmMKqwZ68-Q6dpnhdcFdc9Yo_kpyjbYsNtxZEr3l6oXHunz3IeeWyqGBD7AwKZ9TPfubMFzh_4CAdIeGM3RAiPmNx8nnjvgp5AWRe9q2CqHuFAxIGIY2JK-lpEHI/s320/heaviest%20order2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166408741985023959.post-71820227297596962412024-01-23T08:14:00.000-08:002024-01-23T09:44:56.258-08:00Interview: Peter Böving - Writer, Director, Producer of The Heaviest Order (Part 2)<p><strong>ROFFEKE: </strong>There are new artificial intelligence tools that, with a
prompt, someone can create animated music videos or short films within
minutes. What are your views on artificial intelligence? As a stop
motion animator, what are the ways you see artificial intelligence being
of use? What would you never use artificial intelligence for when it
comes to animation?
</p><div>
<div><b>PETER Böving:</b> My sense is that AI will play a significant role in the creation of
computer-generated animations. It seems like there won't be a stone
left unturned. I can't elaborate much further as I have given my heart
to the analog approach. The greatest strength of stop-motion animation
lies in its analog nature, allowing one to potentially smell the
materials and adhesives used in a film. Naturally, AI is gradually
finding its way into my film and audio software without me actively
installing anything.<br />
However, something often overlooked in creative processes is that
experimenting with mistakes often leads to entirely new ideas, possibly
even the best ones! This only works when one has previously tinkered
with the controls oneself. AI works largely flawlessly and doesn't
reveal any vulnerabilities. But there are aspects of AI that I already
wouldn't want to do without: the potential in the area of image scaling
and restoration.</div><div><br />
I will consciously keep artificial intelligence away from sound and
music production, though. The evolution in this field has taken peculiar
turns even before the era of AI: Instruments are being played live less
and less, and arranging is often done using modular systems. However,
in music, my observation is that it's not as easy to deceive as in the
film medium. Those who merely 'claim' or hide behind 'effects' will be
exposed much quicker by the human ear!</div>
<div> </div>
<div><strong>ROFFEKE: </strong>What are you doing in your own life to prevent wasting your food?</div>
</div>
<div> </div>
<div><b>PETER:</b> The whole program, I think: Planned shopping, making use of
leftovers, proper storage, and minimizing waste or composting. However, I
also know no other way: My parental home has greatly influenced me in
this regard. We threw out little, whether it was money or food. Despite
having the financial means, at our home, recycling came first before
considering buying something new (of course, food was not recycled:).
Probably, the post-war years, which strongly influenced my parents,
still play a role here.</div><div><br />
What I have newly discovered for myself, though, is the 'regrowth' of
vegetable scraps. In our kitchen, there are little water glasses in
every corner where leeks or vegetable onions grow again. That a
harvested plant sprouts again is almost a miracle! After 4 weeks, there
are fully grown, harvestable plants in the glasses again. Anyone who has
ever grown leeks in their garden would have reason to doubt now. After 4
weeks, not much has happened in the home garden bed with a young plant,
to be honest.</div><div> </div><div>(Look out for part 3 of the interview. You can read part 1 of the interview <a href="https://kenyarockfilmfestivaljournal.blogspot.com/2024/01/interview-peter-boving-writer-director.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>) </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVTFeq9Li8Rw64iw5eP8CbbYS7aoRqft2zp7Kp16wOL6D6bTqrCWoRMzVE4HG5LccpYeizRT0HE-OMv5sQp4G5d9P7WTcc5pd2b9O35UaFLJRDNG6TU7fSIh92dge0bH5dv3V-1-REYEoZ3DXSB8ZlZUBlbpjLL6DvfraOwNn9bwN0JD2esIjC-K4DW10/s1920/heaviest%20order.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVTFeq9Li8Rw64iw5eP8CbbYS7aoRqft2zp7Kp16wOL6D6bTqrCWoRMzVE4HG5LccpYeizRT0HE-OMv5sQp4G5d9P7WTcc5pd2b9O35UaFLJRDNG6TU7fSIh92dge0bH5dv3V-1-REYEoZ3DXSB8ZlZUBlbpjLL6DvfraOwNn9bwN0JD2esIjC-K4DW10/s320/heaviest%20order.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166408741985023959.post-16536734382456363982024-01-23T07:46:00.000-08:002024-01-23T08:17:12.436-08:00Review: andymori - everything is my guitar (Music Video) directed by Brett Koehn<p>Synopsis: Frustrated with learning how to play guitar, a boy's world starts to get
overrun by guitars until he finds his own way to approach the
instrument.</p><p><b>Reviewer: Love Kassim</b></p><p>First impression: The concept of the boy's transformation from struggling at guitar to perceiving everything as guitars adds a unique and intriguing twist.<br />What I liked: The imaginative portrayal of the boy's growing musical proficiency intertwining with his perception of the world is a creative and engaging storyline.<br />What I didn't like: It would be interesting to explore the origin or reason behind the boy's sudden shift in perception and musical ability for a more comprehensive narrative.<br />Reminds me of: This narrative echoes elements of magical realism, similar to works where characters experience surreal shifts in perception or reality.<br />Conclusion: The story captivates with its imaginative blend of music and perception, leaving room for further exploration of the fantastical elements introduced.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0HKmyh8ObHk" width="320" youtube-src-id="0HKmyh8ObHk"></iframe></div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166408741985023959.post-7921405617661076932024-01-13T05:00:00.000-08:002024-01-13T05:06:01.622-08:00Interview: Peter Böving - Writer, Director, Producer of The Heaviest Order (Part 1)<p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>ROFFEKE</b>: Stop-motion animation takes a lot of time. How long
did it take you to create "The Heaviest Order" and what challenges
did you face?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b>PETER Böving</b>: </span>My biggest challenge is always the same: the start of
shooting! After spending weeks on set design and characters, a large, imaginary
wall builds up. Instead of being happy to finally get started, it always takes
a bit of time before I really get going. Perhaps this is because stop-motion
animation is like a live performance with a big unknown. However, once I've
started, I usually stick with it – at least 28 days a week, continuously. It
took 8 months for this film. However, I switch between tasks during that time:
lighting, sound, editing, music, VFX – more or less in a bio-rhythmic manner.
When one activity tires me out, I switch to another that challenges me on a
different level. As long as I don't get sick, I usually maintain this 12-hour
workload for months. But if I do interrupt the work, I run the risk of bringing
the aforementioned problem into the studio: the start of shooting!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>ROFFEKE</b>: You have managed to creatively bring to light the
serious topic of food waste, a topic that many people are either not aware of
or are not interested in tackling. What advice would you give creatives who
want to use their art to talk about serious societal issues?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b>PETER</b>: </span>I'm not sure if I'm in a position to give advice on
this. Honestly, I'm just relieved every time I come up with a trick to present
the respective subject in a creative way. Overall, the challenge might be to
find a balance between a humorous story and infotainment to make an
environmental film work. A personal dramaturgical touch is to keep the audience
in the dark about my intentions for as long as possible.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">In my current film, I admittedly went a bit overboard.
The punchline would have worked even if the film had been only half as long, as
originally planned in the script. However, during production, I found joy in
'stretching' the story. An example of this is a scene in the film where one of
the over-the-top protagonists gets the idea to drill a tunnel in a giant cake
to run his model train through. This was not in the script; during filming,
this absurd turn of events seemed inevitable to me. After all, I practically
'lived' in the set and understood the perspective of my protagonists a bit
better every day.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">This is both the blessing and curse of productions
where one person does everything. The desk-bound planner becomes an activist,
creating space for adjustments while risking getting hopelessly bogged down. In
the end, I stopped pushing it further simply because I didn't want to exceed a
runtime of 10 minutes. As a rule of thumb, films longer than 10 minutes are a
criterion for exclusion at many festivals.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b>ROFFEKE</b>: </span>Speaking of food, what are your thoughts on the
ongoing<a href="https://www.dw.com/en/germany-farmers-protest-causes-nationwide-disruption/live-67913441" target="_blank"> German farmers strike</a>?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b>PETER</b>: </span>A highly charged topic: I fully agree with the farmers
and their demands. However, I believe that there are also many other issues
being unleashed right now, issues that have been building up over decades. On
the other hand, I'd like to point out that currently, we have an Agriculture
Minister who is about as good as it gets. I hope that this realization will
permeate the broader public. (As we know, it took a while even for our former
Chancellor Schmidt to be recognized.)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">(Look out for Part 2 of the interview with Peter </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Böving)</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVcSNsj54FBQzytW7e0jbYHkMpv0dJkvDR8yyYS33IX3Pa6gRmOWic1DUpF4a9fsNldUJhN8bcgECNp5pzPMFZ9n0yG8BXmAiju84JcijT3AM4kL1xGnuVAeI6fvhoYawnaDeEAn72qgC0wIQH9lKJuoink-_ij5m0aQvSBz5B0tRy9ofy4RLSWBDpMSE/s800/The%20heaviest%20order.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="560" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVcSNsj54FBQzytW7e0jbYHkMpv0dJkvDR8yyYS33IX3Pa6gRmOWic1DUpF4a9fsNldUJhN8bcgECNp5pzPMFZ9n0yG8BXmAiju84JcijT3AM4kL1xGnuVAeI6fvhoYawnaDeEAn72qgC0wIQH9lKJuoink-_ij5m0aQvSBz5B0tRy9ofy4RLSWBDpMSE/s320/The%20heaviest%20order.jpg" width="224" /></a></div><p></p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166408741985023959.post-90470065855637028902024-01-08T05:37:00.000-08:002024-01-08T05:40:37.038-08:00Interview: Dr. Nolan Stolz - composer of "Gravitation" (Part 2)<p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>ROFFEKE:</b> Your About page on <a href="https://nolanstolz.com" target="_blank">your website</a>
https://nolanstolz.com says you are a “Composer, Scholar, Percussionist/Drummer,
and Music Professor.” One could be criticized for not focusing on one career or
lane. How do you juggle the different hats you wear? What are the advantages of
being involved in diverse aspects of music/creativity?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>DR. NOLAN STOLZ: </b>Yes, I sometimes worry about that
perception and potential criticism, and maybe it happens behind my back, but
that's probably just imposter syndrome setting in. When I was in my late
teens/early twenties, I was concerned about that in relation to my career as a
jazz musician and a classical composer. For performance credits, I would put
"Nolan Stolz," but for my composition credits, I would put
"Nolan R. Stolz" to differentiate. I found that jazz musicians would
treat other jazz musicians that had other interests as if they were somehow
lesser artists—you wouldn't be able to admit listening to anything other than
jazz without being mocked. I stopped caring about that and went in my own
direction as a performer, one that fused jazz, rock, classical and even other
styles. A similar thing was true with the classical music world, but to a much
lesser extent (at least they admitted listening to popular music!). I remember
one composer in graduate school saying to me, "you don't look like a
composer; you dress like a rock star." It wasn't meant to be flattering,
but I actually liked that idea! Over time, I was able to find my own
compositional voice by not caring what others thought or how I'd fit in. My
compositions are still firmly rooted in the contemporary classical
tradition—even Gravitation, whose score looks like a 1950s graphic notation
piece (by the way "Gravitation" is a portmanteau of
"graphic" and "notation")—yet the sound of them is clearly
influenced by jazz and rock.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/q8R7uD81gIA" width="320" youtube-src-id="q8R7uD81gIA"></iframe></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Nolan Stolz on Czech Radio, January 2023</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The "scholar" bit didn't come until after
graduate school, and I faced similar issues in that arena as well. I remember a
time at a music theory conference over 10 years ago, I mentioned that I had a
doctorate in composition. A music theorist (who has since become a very
prominent scholar in popular music theory but wasn't yet at the time) said
"I thought you were a theorist!" My response usually is "I am,
and I am also a composer." I didn't do any musicology scholarship until
even later. It was when a colleague asked me to write essays about Black
Sabbath, Genesis, Rush, and Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention that set
off a whole new path in musicology, one with a focus on Black Sabbath, complete
with book, book chapters, presentations at conferences nationally and overseas,
etc.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/x2USQxwdymo" width="320" youtube-src-id="x2USQxwdymo"></iframe></div><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Was There Another Black Sabbath? Dr. Nolan Stolz explains. . .<br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I might go to a musicology-related conference and others assume I have a
PhD in Musicology (and I'm often introduced as a musicologist), and I get
similar responses. Instead, I take it as a compliment—if I'm able to publish in
the theory world or in the musicology world without a PhD in either, than I
must be doing something right! It all came together when a musicologist said to
me "I'm so impressed that you are able to publish as a composer, as a
theorist, as a musicologist, and as a drummer, and do it all very well."
My imposter syndrome decreased after that kind remark, but it's still there.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The juggling part is tough because I often have to
choose which conferences to go to, how to spend those few hours of time, etc.
but I enjoy it all, so I stay as active as I can in all realms. For me, it
works to do these different things because they all inform one another. In
fact, I no longer separate music theory and musicology, and just say music
analysis. I've found that the better I am with music analysis, the better a
composer and drummer I become. I often approach music analysis from a
composer's or performer's perspective; it helps me understand others' music if
I can "put myself in their shoes," so to speak.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">In the end, it was my diverse skill set that got me
the jobs that I've had over the years and that got me job interviews at places
I never thought possible. The common thread was hearing comments such as
"we liked that you did x, but also do y." In 100 applications for one
position, nobody is going to have the same skill set (unless there is only one
thing that you do). It's always been the secondary thing I do that got me the
job interview or the job itself.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>ROFFEKE:</b> You have performed/recorded J-Pop with the
band Swinging Popsicle. How did you get involved with this project? What did
you learn from the experience? If you were to recommend J-Pop to a first-timer,
what would you say?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>DR. STOLZ:</b> I was sitting in my office, and my cell phone rang,
showing a number I didn't recognize, one that was far too long to be coming
from inside the U.S. It was a friend from high school calling from Japan. He
was calling because he had booked several J-Pop and J-Rock bands to perform at
a festival in California, but one of them did not—and still does not—have a
full-time drummer. Swinging Popsicle (as do many other bands in Tokyo come to
find out) hires drummers ad-hoc without issue, but asking one to travel all the
way from Tokyo to the U.S. would not have been cost-effective. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5EmiDprlSi8" width="320" youtube-src-id="5EmiDprlSi8"></iframe></div>Swinging Popsicle: "I Just Wanna Kiss You" San Jose Civic Auditorium (Fanime MusicFest) 5/26/06 <p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">My friend, who
was already confident in my abilities, called to see if I was willing and
available to learn their songs with very little rehearsal time. They emailed
MP3s, and I learned the drum parts. We only had a 30-minute rehearsal, which
was shorter than the performance itself(!), so we only had time to rehearse the
start and ends of songs and to discuss how they do things differently live than
on the record. The only issue is that the translator was absent, so
communication was very difficult, especially because we were pressed for time.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The first four gigs I did with them were at anime
conventions. The thing I learned the most from the experience was that there is
a whole subculture of anime fans that dress up ("cosplay," as they
call it) as characters at conferences. I knew about anime, but not about anime
conventions. So, I was pretty shocked to see so many people dressed up this way
at our performances and around the convention generally.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>ROFFEKE:</b> Advice for
musicians, music scholars and creatives in general?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>DR. STOLZ:</b> My advice depends on their goals. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">For creatives not relying on their work as their
primary income, I say "create the art that you want to exist in the world:
music you want to hear, films that you want to see" and so on. If it's
mainstream, great! If it's experimental, great! I wish that could be the case
for all, but if you are trying to make a living at your art, diversify by
finding as many ways to earn an income by providing a needed service. This
means you may need to play music you don't like, do lighting for a show you
don't like, etc. Doing this is a business choice, not an artistic one. Both are
perfectly acceptable, and it depends on the person and the balance that is right
for them. I know that I would be unhappy playing drums in a Broadway show or in
a touring rock band—I'd get bored so quickly! As a teenager, those were my
goals (except that I wanted to play drums in production shows on the Las Vegas
strip and do the occasional tour with a band). After a few years of college,
that was no longer my goal; doing those sorts of things was fine to pay the
bills as a job, but I learned pretty quickly that I didn't like playing other
people's music—I wanted to make my own.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">For scholars, know now that you won't make much money
off of book sales or royalties. Income from scholarship will come in other
ways, such as a teaching position and invited talks. My advice is "write
the book [or article, etc.] that you believe should exist but doesn't."
There is so much joy in knowing your contribution serves its purpose. It pays
off in other ways, sometimes not until years later. If I hadn't written those
essays for that collection (which was essentially for free—my payment was a physical
copy of the two-volume book), I probably would have never gone to England,
France, or Sweden to lecture on Black Sabbath, written the book on Black
Sabbath, gotten a personal email from Ozzy Osbourne. . .</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">(Read part 1 of the interview<a href="https://kenyarockfilmfestivaljournal.blogspot.com/2024/01/interview-dr-nolan-stolz-composer-of.html" target="_blank"> HERE</a>)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JlmRo0jsGl4" width="320" youtube-src-id="JlmRo0jsGl4"></iframe></div><br /><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>"Gravitation" Teaser Trailer<br /><p></p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166408741985023959.post-75892048495826810422024-01-08T04:39:00.000-08:002024-01-08T05:43:11.055-08:00Interview: Dr. Nolan Stolz - composer of "Gravitation" (Part 1)<p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>ROFFEKE:</b> You have done a 2020 “COVID” version of your
composition “Gravitation” which is “an open instrumentation piece for any 5 to
8 performers” but in the Covid version, you overdubbed all the parts and used
video to present it “in a way impossible in live performance.” I’ve been trying
out various artificial intelligence tools, including the ones that make music.
I must say that I’m very impressed with them and at the same time, I am
conflicted because it seems as though something important is being lost in the
process. What are your thoughts on artificial intelligence? Would you consider
an “AI” version of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Gravitation”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why yes and/or why no?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>DR. NOLAN STOLZ:</b> It sounds like what's being
"lost in the process" that you are not satisfied with is the
algorithm itself, which is likely hidden behind an easy-to-use interface.
Before AI became widespread, the term we'd use for composing music in this
manner was "algorithmic composition." The art is in the creation and
execution of those algorithms with a result that is satisfying to the composer.
An early algorithmic piece that I composed required the user to type in four
characters on the keyboard—letters, numbers, symbols—the user's choice. The
program I wrote took the ASCII code of the characters that the user entered and
set off a series of events, which were then converted into musical sounds. The
particular program I wrote made it sound a certain way, but I could have made
it sound simplistic—perhaps even "pretty-sounding"—with limiting it
to a simple scale and limiting the rhythms to imply a simple groove; I could
have made it microtonal to avoid it from resembling Western tuning system and
with bizarre/random-sounding rhythms; I chose somewhere in the middle where it
was atonal and had unusual rhythms—but nothing too crazy. I titled it
"Love is a Four-Letter Word."</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Um9sAwmkcJ4" width="320" youtube-src-id="Um9sAwmkcJ4"></iframe></div><span> </span>2018 SC Upstate Research Symposium: Nolan Stolz Rock Orchestra<br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I would love to create an AI version of Gravitation or
have someone create one. The score for Gravitation provides quite strict
instructions for timings, loudness, and frequency, but the sounds themselves
could certainly be AI-generated. In other words, instead of choosing guitars
and keyboards as the instruments used, AI would create the timbres. Some of the
sounds are supposed to be wood against wood, metal against metal, and wood
against metal, so perhaps AI could be used to control robotics physically
hitting those materials. At least the timing would be incredibly precise!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>ROFFEKE:</b> You have authored “Experiencing Black
Sabbath: A Listener’s Companion” and have also written many scholarly works on
rock, specifically, progressive rock. With all the “more” important subjects
that need to be researched – climate change, a cure for cancer, world peace –
why spend so much time, energy and resources doing research on progressive rock
and Black Sabbath?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>DR. STOLZ:</b> The simple answer would be is that I wasn't
trained as a climate scientist, a cancer researcher, nor in politics. I began
my music studies very young, and I knew that's where I was headed. Those things
are important to me, but we live in a world of specialists, and I doubt I'd
have enough impact on those issues with my skill set. However, I can certainly
use my skills to point others to think about those issues, and maybe those with
the right skills can make a bigger impact than I ever could (directly, I mean).
For example, I talk about how a song such as "Into the Void" (1971)
is about pollution, how "War Pigs" (1970/1) is still relevant today,
and so on. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil4TBzJKsco8vQMRjt-2RTkBL_jDbzp8o1xzORRZPSWnVFn49KFu-7Sq72Vsv871VONVj2cqYx2AYj6xclc8r8ERs2rhQF6grMvEuAogUlznmIYQj5FgS4YWtsuVP016emZ48th3Df7K-X_ayNN9YGYvJVdTqfKoXmys6ltLMD0NCkhiLXzrWSuUDz-eI/s1200/into%20the%20void.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil4TBzJKsco8vQMRjt-2RTkBL_jDbzp8o1xzORRZPSWnVFn49KFu-7Sq72Vsv871VONVj2cqYx2AYj6xclc8r8ERs2rhQF6grMvEuAogUlznmIYQj5FgS4YWtsuVP016emZ48th3Df7K-X_ayNN9YGYvJVdTqfKoXmys6ltLMD0NCkhiLXzrWSuUDz-eI/s320/into%20the%20void.png" width="320" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjec85nt_wM5GfE6FO8SayrVXNgFM6ZhL2QbD_FPNK6Az7tXZnFvoTfg9fEuSqlINRLeTwhajnTyXzLRl1D8f7vH5NEeqfm36_3_-aIoBPWIrRy6qkUDiRxHYEoBCmuofdg1xMMufrO-18FN0eMb_7vRwmxK0rgIM6UuuRCxE5oBbceA9iuWzkDmdF1pvc/s1200/war%20pigs.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjec85nt_wM5GfE6FO8SayrVXNgFM6ZhL2QbD_FPNK6Az7tXZnFvoTfg9fEuSqlINRLeTwhajnTyXzLRl1D8f7vH5NEeqfm36_3_-aIoBPWIrRy6qkUDiRxHYEoBCmuofdg1xMMufrO-18FN0eMb_7vRwmxK0rgIM6UuuRCxE5oBbceA9iuWzkDmdF1pvc/s320/war%20pigs.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> <br /></span></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">There are many Black Sabbath songs that would have a large impact on
listeners if they knew what the songs were about. So, if I can do my small part
by pointing them to songs that addressed these issues over 50 years ago and yet
are still relevant, then I think that's using my skills for the greater good in
the only way I know how. </span></div></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></div></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/p_0JltlyoMY" width="320" youtube-src-id="p_0JltlyoMY"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Emergence of Heavy Metal and Progressive Rock in Black Sabbath's Music from 1969 to 1971 (Stolz)<br /></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">There are other issues that are also important to me
that I believe I can make an impact, which hopefully inspires others to do the
same, and, after time, I hope will make a significant impact. For example,
poverty, hunger, and homelessness are issues that have always been ones that
tug at my heart. If I can do a small part by buying some school kids some basic
necessities and provide food, clothes, and personal hygiene items to a homeless
shelter, it's wish others will follow suit. For example, just last week, I
emailed all my colleagues at work to see if anyone else would like to buy some
backpacks for students at my wife's school. Many of these kids come from
families that cannot afford one, or if they have one, they are taped together
and falling apart because they cannot afford to get a new one. I live in a
neighborhood that suffers from poverty, so I see it on a daily basis.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>ROFFEKE:</b> Your About page on <a href="https://nolanstolz.com" target="_blank">your website</a>
https://nolanstolz.com says you are a “Composer, Scholar, Percussionist/Drummer,
and Music Professor.” One could be criticized for not focusing on one career or
lane. How do you juggle the different hats you wear? What are the advantages of
being involved in diverse aspects of music/creativity? (Check out Dr. Nolan Stolz's answer in part 2 of the interview).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JlmRo0jsGl4" width="320" youtube-src-id="JlmRo0jsGl4"></iframe></div><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>"Gravitation" Teaser Trailer<br /><p></p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166408741985023959.post-77501422865092443632024-01-06T22:45:00.000-08:002024-01-06T22:56:16.712-08:00Interview: Dr. Lisa Spencer aka llysa - writer of Bad Syne <p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>ROFFEKE: </b>Bad Syne begins with the graffiti artist saying: “if there are more public places specifically allotted to the public creativity and the public's idea of whatever they want to do with art...in Europe, it’s a lot easier, just walk up to a wall and write on it, no problem, it’s legal.” There is always a tension between freedom of expression and those who want to regulate art. What are your thoughts about this?<br /><b><br />DR. LISA SPENCER: </b>The regulation of art is dangerous. In history, we see artists being persecuted because they often were brave enough to express commentary on social and political mores and structures. One of the purposes of art is to make change in thought and in the action of art, the world continues to open up, change, and heal. The freedom of expression should only be regulated by consideration for others in terms of, for example: racism, sexism, exploitation, etc.<b><br /><br /></b>Governments, especially here in the U.S., have banned forms of religion, language, and art, dance and song, punishable by death. Art’s significance is vast, but its freedom plays a role in human freedom and human rights.<b><br /><br />ROFFEKE: </b>Speaking of regulation, what are your thoughts on artificial intelligence? If you had to re-do or update your dissertation: <a href="https://dc.uwm.edu/etd/2128/" target="_blank">“The Journey, an Internship in Urban Activism, Music Videos: Zombie and Bad Syne, and a Study of Afro-Panamanian Identity & the Reggaetón Music Movement”</a> how would you use various artificial intelligence tools to assist you?<b><br /><br />LISA: </b>I have never used artificial intelligence and in terms of my research, it would be irrelevant because the struggles of the Afro-Panamanian workers and their stories are organic and AI would only dilute their texture and impact.<b><br /><br />ROFFEKE: </b>As part of your dissertation, you interviewed Michael Ellis in 2014 who said: “But while we are here, we are here to serve. I try to keep it humble and simple. I am coming forward with the story of reggaetón now because you need this story…When I go, I want to leave you with something. I didn’t want to write a book, but with you writing this dissertation, you are uncovering the truth and piecing together the story. We are being blessed, we must be ready. When you are done, we will take it to the next level from the University to the people. We are going to tell the truth and let the history tell the truth. This music is a movement. It was a birth.” Please share with us your thoughts and feelings about these powerful words that were spoken ten years ago.<b><br /><br />LISA: </b>Thank you for mentioning Michael Ellis. Michael was a best friend, but also a lighthouse. Though we were so different in many ways and often held opposing perspectives, we had a deep bond and friendship. I met him while in Ecuador and I had befriended the homeless youth population and had his client meet them. I remember the first thing he said to me, “I would burn my heart in fire to have a heart like yours.” No one understood our friendship; it was beyond race, religion, nationality, gender, age, and social more. We were family; I miss him every day. I still am inspired by his love and belief in me and am working on re-releasing, The Journey... for the people and traveling to Panama.<b><br /><br />ROFFEKE: </b>There is a lot of uncertainty in the world today. How do you take care of your mental health in light of all that’s going on?<b><br /><br />LISA:</b> On a social level, I continue to teach the youth, feed the people, change laws, make music and film, and serve. On a person level, I try to eat well, drink enough water, sleep, swim, hike, dance, spend time in nature and with loved ones, find creative outlets, garden, all in a mindful prayerful manner.<b><br /><br />ROFFEKE: </b>Your advice to musicians, writers, filmmakers and creatives in general?<br /><b><br />LISA: </b>Find your people. Don’t focus too much on the naysayers. I am a woman. I’ve always been a second-class citizen, especially in music and film. You just express yourself authentically and the right people, opportunities, and unions will occur organically. It’s nature.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3fxlf7gyiEQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="3fxlf7gyiEQ"></iframe></span></div><br /><p></p><p></p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166408741985023959.post-58510342287690645662024-01-01T23:51:00.000-08:002024-01-01T23:52:43.616-08:00Interview: Mario Luis Telles, Screenwriter of "Time"<p> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>ROFFEKE</b>: What
inspired your screenplay “Time” and how long did it take you to write it?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>MARIO LUIS TELLES</b>: In 2020 I was stuck inside for most of the year
because of covid. I couldn't be around people because things were so weird. So
I wanted to hear a happy story. I sat down with the memories I had from my
jamming days, I remembered how to format a script from my days at the
University of New Mexico, and I had new memories from acting and being on set.
I sat for about 12 hours at my computer and out came "Time". As soon
as I wrote it I saved it and submitted as it was, no editing, just because I wanted
my peers and colleagues to see my work as I am. It turned out to be a success
beyond my wildest dreams. To be accepted as a person in any way is a huge
achievement. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>ROFFEKE</b>: What was
your writing process? Are you an outliner or a seat-of-the-pantser?😀</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>MARIO</b>: I would have to really feel what I want to write. To
affect me in such a way that I would have to sit down and tell a story. Most
people wouldn't take the time to stop and think about it, but to me it's an
opportunity to be that story teller. To tell a tv show ok you're coming to
life, I got to get you out on to paper. Seat-of-the-pantser totally. I wish I
had a team to bounce ideas from, but it's just me for now</span><span face=""Segoe UI Symbol",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol";">😃🎥</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>ROFFEKE</b>: What are
your thoughts on artificial intelligence? Would you be open to “Time” being
produced using artificial intelligence tools or would you prefer it to be
produced in the normal way?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>MARIO</b>: Anything put through AI would be a fun experiment.
Like a what if come to life. I would really enjoy seeing the show come to life
the old way and possibly in front of a live studio audience. Norman Lear I know
you hear me where ever you are, thank you for bringing the live studio audience
to the show instead of a separate entity. Like you can tell the difference from
I Love Lucy to All In The Family. One was part of the show(All In The Family),
the other was a fun spectator(I Love Lucy). Always for the audience!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>ROFFEKE</b>: You have
worked as a stage hand at The Super Bowl, you have been a radio show host, you
have been a musical guest on a network late night show and you have performed
as an actor/stand in/ photo double in more than 30 TV shows and movies. Your
family has supported and stood by you through all of these accomplishments.
What would you say to family members who, understandably, are hesitant to
support their sons/daughters to pursue a career in the arts?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>MARIO</b>: I would say "Quit Being Jealous"(like a
tv show title, hmmmm could be a new show</span><span face=""Segoe UI Symbol",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol";">😃🎥</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">) because it's not you
that is successful. You may be close in relation, but it's still not you. The
child is going to be successful no matter what. You, the jealous one, need
therapy at the very least. Mom or Dad lost it because of the bitterness and
jealousy they had towards their child is such a tragic thing, but I've
experienced that from my Dad. My mom was/is always supportive. She passed away
from cancer complications, but she told me to never give up. My dad's stuck
trying to be cool. It's weird and sad.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>ROFFEKE</b>: What
advice would you give a budding screenwriter/actor/musician?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>MARIO</b>: Don't ever give up. You will be the outcome of your
hard work. The success is already inside you. Let it come out as naturally and
as beautiful as you are. I love you all so much you creative artist you. Thank
you for your dedication to story telling and performance. The world needs you.</span></p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166408741985023959.post-56105132968937565552023-12-30T05:55:00.000-08:002023-12-30T05:55:00.862-08:00Friendship: ROFFEKE Official Selections 2023 (Partial Listing)<p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Bad Syne” by Illysa Spencer and the transmedia
tripartite by Robert David Duncan “Alley Senses”, “Alley of Lost Friends” and “Old
Man’s World” speak to and with each other, even though they have many
differences. Bad Syne is longer (15 minutes) than all three of Robert’s
microfilms (5 minutes 40 seconds in total). Robert uses a smartphone and
artificial intelligence. Bad Syne is a student project filmed in Armenia,
Puerto Rico and the U.S. while Robert’s microfilms are three of very many that
he has done over the years (including "Room 254 Spinoza Hotel" that I had the
honour of being a part of). </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi614OkNiKx_cPzvRzNd7K2kQk62OSAq1HiIs6bqsxS98XaIQvvJIw1XoOrsafbnhjCmtxw_Lz4GoPdzteC1ATsG7I8tGs94WQf5VWyRynX3sUHyGUNHVS1tSRYcQS7KhqsOPdAME9jkiPsxDJRfhaEZzMBul0Efnx07f88xL3HyRS1eDpqR8nmwd9_z_M/s1080/Alley_of_Lost_Friends_poster_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="864" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi614OkNiKx_cPzvRzNd7K2kQk62OSAq1HiIs6bqsxS98XaIQvvJIw1XoOrsafbnhjCmtxw_Lz4GoPdzteC1ATsG7I8tGs94WQf5VWyRynX3sUHyGUNHVS1tSRYcQS7KhqsOPdAME9jkiPsxDJRfhaEZzMBul0Efnx07f88xL3HyRS1eDpqR8nmwd9_z_M/s320/Alley_of_Lost_Friends_poster_1.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">One similarity is that both Bad Syne and Robert’s
microfilms feature street art/graffiti. About Alley Senses, Robert says: “I was
revisiting some alley footage I had shot and was struck by the energy and
sensory vibrancy of it, raw sound and all. I decided to capture some of its
essence and share it in this film – enjoy!” The first few minutes of Bad Syne
feature a graffiti artist in the middle of creating his street art as we hear
his views via voice over: “…establishment, you’re not thinking about the better
good of people by surrounding them by monochromatic, flat, dry and just
dead-looking, absence of life environment.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTdNZkVlyyMhTtM1jCS4OVRyKDuB7k8O3WCxJ-P6-U8BcaE_ALqvs8sD48vKI-ecgSubOByFQduXHTnkj-Pc0TEgmNgG2kxx885z0OmtngetgtjjUa-CnePsQn1zrAafcPy61xVBBMJv0vmtqJ8_a71gCiZ6KMA8Db_gf6V_yC4eBmBs24HUz0ht2kaCw/s800/Alley%20Senses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTdNZkVlyyMhTtM1jCS4OVRyKDuB7k8O3WCxJ-P6-U8BcaE_ALqvs8sD48vKI-ecgSubOByFQduXHTnkj-Pc0TEgmNgG2kxx885z0OmtngetgtjjUa-CnePsQn1zrAafcPy61xVBBMJv0vmtqJ8_a71gCiZ6KMA8Db_gf6V_yC4eBmBs24HUz0ht2kaCw/s320/Alley%20Senses.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Both Bad Syne and Robert’s microfilms are about
friendship. In Bad Syne: “Two artists collaborate on music and life in an epic
roadtrip” while the three microfilms are “interconnected pieces on themes of
friendship and art.” You can check out the </span> Alley of Lost Friends transmedia story world at https://alleyoflostfriends.weebly.com/</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3fxlf7gyiEQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="3fxlf7gyiEQ"></iframe></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The theme of friendship and art also shines through in
“Time”, a screenplay by Mario Luis Telles: “After trying their luck at rock and
roll fame, 4 friends embark on a hilarious journey to get their fame and
fortune.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Creative differences are part and parcel of the
friendship and art package. The key is to know how to navigate these
differences. “So it goes” touches on this topic. Director Jenna Cornell writes
that it is “a beautiful song written by musician, producer and filmmaker Marc
Golde. Tackling some of the current issues we face, it reminds us that we are
all in this together. We all have common humanity even if we disagree.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLpWRW7LcmlnmX9VTNM8zKP0MYyjtSROzaegdxzSvzKmWrFcWhW2uASDpjryIK4KPIBweikMXj45ptGlS9Bvgm-VHt5xysubvBoY37JZznAmbVlNFBZtaSnIAf3mQEFad0t8qp62FI7zZHpwqvU18J2jIafKzPePKM4LBTSY7NgppE7X7eeWzJWSWTb_I/s851/Still_So_It_Goes_Video.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="693" data-original-width="851" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLpWRW7LcmlnmX9VTNM8zKP0MYyjtSROzaegdxzSvzKmWrFcWhW2uASDpjryIK4KPIBweikMXj45ptGlS9Bvgm-VHt5xysubvBoY37JZznAmbVlNFBZtaSnIAf3mQEFad0t8qp62FI7zZHpwqvU18J2jIafKzPePKM4LBTSY7NgppE7X7eeWzJWSWTb_I/s320/Still_So_It_Goes_Video.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166408741985023959.post-22881292776376761812023-12-30T05:32:00.000-08:002023-12-30T05:32:44.723-08:00Patti Smith, Horses and ROFFEKE Official Selections - The White Horse, Trickster and The Heaviest Order featuring Greta Thunberg<p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Today is Patti Smith’s birthday, the “Godmother of
Punk”. I discovered her during the season 2 finale of Millennium, a series by
X-Files creator Chris Carter. <a href="https://collider.com/millennium-best-episodes-ranked/#the-fourth-horsemen-the-time-is-now-season-2-episodes-22-23" target="_blank">Michael John Petty writes in collider.com</a> that
one of the best moments in The Fourth Horsemen/The Time Is Now (Season 2, Episodes
22-23) is “Lara Means’ disturbing psychotic break to the tune of Patti Smith’s
“Horses”. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://millennium-thisiswhoweare.net/guide/music/season-2/223-47-the-time-is-now-patti-smith" target="_blank">The Millennium website</a> gives the correct name of the
song, which is often understandably mistitled as simply “Horses”: </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“The <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Millennium</span>
episode The Time Is Now contains the following music by
Patti Smith:</span></i></p>
<ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Land:
Horses/Land of 1000 Dances/La Mer(de)</span></i></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Heard during the intense motel cabin scene where Lara Means,
(depicted through the use of various montages, imagery and stock photography)
slips into insanity after failing to come to terms with the knowledge revealed
to her by the Millennium Group.”</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In “<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/2011/11/29/142891497/youve-never-heard-patti-smiths-horses" target="_blank">You’ve never heard Patti Smith’s‘Horses’?!</a>” Charlie Kaplan writes that the protagonist’s (Johnny’s) “emotional
collapse is a herd of horses, "white shining silver studs with their nose
in flames".</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Patti Smith’s iconic song could also
work well in Goran Mihailov’s short film titled “The White Horse” where “A couple's daily routine
is interrupted by an unexpected threat.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja_JekTx-xVyShvDws7C0cn7UX3Fr6MyNso9iOx_QhluATt4-taXS2T1dgAB7jlYzWgOP8n9o0fXBokENj57W7nrQZnY54IalQlI3y8rt23QyleKm-lK_xjqEouMDtN0k2vkML_UQ1mExAIv9fcqifE1ytG2IiqPF66KkuqwbEDdnRFp9EPd2ZV1su3n8/s1080/the_white_horse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja_JekTx-xVyShvDws7C0cn7UX3Fr6MyNso9iOx_QhluATt4-taXS2T1dgAB7jlYzWgOP8n9o0fXBokENj57W7nrQZnY54IalQlI3y8rt23QyleKm-lK_xjqEouMDtN0k2vkML_UQ1mExAIv9fcqifE1ytG2IiqPF66KkuqwbEDdnRFp9EPd2ZV1su3n8/s320/the_white_horse.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Both “The White Horse” and Rob
York’s screenplay titled “Trickster” feature a horse and a girl. Rob York’s
screenplay is “Based upon a true story a wise old horse narrates his
extraordinary life. After a near death accident he finds the meaning of life
through the eyes of a special needs little girl.” </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">According to his writer biography,
Rob York “…is a distinguished screenwriter whose passion for storytelling
rivals his love for horses…Among his accolades, York proudly holds numerous
awards for his standout screenplay, "Trickster" earning 87 awards in
23 countries…While Rob's talent in crafting captivating scripts is evident,
it's his passion for horses that truly sets him apart. With a deep
understanding of these majestic creatures, he brings an authentic touch to
equestrian-themed stories, painting vivid portraits of the bond between humans
and horses…Rob's other home away from home is working at the D6 Movie Horse
Ranch in Apple Vally California, the home of Roy Rodgers. Rob works directly
with the legendary horse trainer Ty Nitti who is one in a few horse trainers in
the world who has mastered all three disciplines of Spanish, English, and
Western. Rob is the direct assistant for Ty horse wrangling, stunt coordinating,
and qualifying professional stuntmen in the movie industry. As Rob embarks on
new projects and collaborations, there's no doubt that his unique blend of
Texas roots, California spirit, and unwavering passion for horses will continue
to shine through in every script he crafts, captivating audiences and leaving a
lasting impression on the world of cinema.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Heaviest Order by <a href="https://www.crew-united.com/en/Peter-Boeving_478574.html" target="_blank">Peter Böving</a> is a stop-motion short film featuring Greta
Thunberg who “places a significant order at a bakery.” According to the
director’s statement: “The film begins with musical references to the
Thuringian children's song "Backe, backe, Kuchen" (Bake, bake, cake).
This simple song is fundamentally enumerative in content, essentially a pure
baking recipe. Its simplicity and clarity radiate a "healthy"
approach to food. In other words: baking - simple - analog! In the short film,
this cake is created at the request of a young activist, even though the
accompanying elements may remind one somewhat of the US short film series
"The Little Rascals." The intended feel-good atmosphere serves
primarily the purpose of creating the greatest possible anticipation for the
punchline in the finale, which puts the issue of food waste at the center of
the film.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJNITOpEt7ZqTj0Dra_XcCrpk7XaFOUjUt2FlyYLpdMaBjnumZW2UqzpTscZwkSBbadPKwkeRPKM-bWsg8cO8aF3dtR6q-bftJMcCbLRpQ3Do5kevGHif_RF2vgjPUc6d7RU1dP8G-pgKjGiAJYij5wH1GbywMKKzkV5hXZsr7RR_r8zrP9bGE4etC6gE/s800/heaviest%20order%20poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="560" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJNITOpEt7ZqTj0Dra_XcCrpk7XaFOUjUt2FlyYLpdMaBjnumZW2UqzpTscZwkSBbadPKwkeRPKM-bWsg8cO8aF3dtR6q-bftJMcCbLRpQ3Do5kevGHif_RF2vgjPUc6d7RU1dP8G-pgKjGiAJYij5wH1GbywMKKzkV5hXZsr7RR_r8zrP9bGE4etC6gE/s320/heaviest%20order%20poster.jpg" width="224" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Greta Thunberg’s birthday is four
days after Patti Smith’s. In January 2020, <a href="https://www.grammy.com/news/patti-smiths-latest-tribute-greta-thunberg-birthday-shout-out-instagram" target="_blank">Jennifer Velez wrote on grammy.com</a>: “If
you follow punk rock legend Patti Smith, you’re likely aware of her fondness
for Swedish teen climate activist Greta Thunberg. The singer posted tributes to
the teen throughout 2019 and didn’t leave out posting one on Thunberg’s
birthday, Jan 3.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Patti Smith appears in Chris Gero's “The Sound of
Us”, a documentary that attempts to answer the questions: “What is music? What
is music to you?” Patti Smith’s answer? “It contains the essence of the human
soul, one could say.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aqWJyq7aodg" width="320" youtube-src-id="aqWJyq7aodg"></iframe></div><br /><p></p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166408741985023959.post-67037455906695705512023-12-08T06:16:00.000-08:002023-12-08T06:16:56.812-08:00Why "Mono" is a comedy-horror film<p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Yesterday, I watched the very entertaining and
aptly-titled film “Mono”. It brought back interesting memories of my time in a
boarding high school. I remember those four years with mixed feelings. There
were moments of comedy, joy, sadness, rebellion and always, always, the
underlying feeling of “I want to go home”, which was the title of the very
first poem I ever wrote, during my first weeks as a form one student - <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a “mono”.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEMv_7FXtgCsl0Coh-YbiWZ2CRthVtzhXxCZeUadBv64kM_Zops-3RdXhFNb9fT460sFNyIuz2I-t6C5eTpCAAf-9l-5-oH7GWWz4tfjShNxeJh-TBHmlC_UDVqfMBgF3nxW8d-hvvx0JlTUB6b0T_kzOb303Es4NHjNMRWUec6W1IbUddUMZu0kk26Z4/s630/Mono%20poster.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="630" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEMv_7FXtgCsl0Coh-YbiWZ2CRthVtzhXxCZeUadBv64kM_Zops-3RdXhFNb9fT460sFNyIuz2I-t6C5eTpCAAf-9l-5-oH7GWWz4tfjShNxeJh-TBHmlC_UDVqfMBgF3nxW8d-hvvx0JlTUB6b0T_kzOb303Es4NHjNMRWUec6W1IbUddUMZu0kk26Z4/s320/Mono%20poster.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What makes "Mono" a comedy-horror film? The comedic elements are very clear. Upon
reflection, I picked out the following horror elements:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">TRAPPED: It’s right there in the name. Boarding. No
going home. No escape.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">MONSTERS: Two monsters are portrayed in the film: physical
monsters (bullies) and psychological monsters. Psychological monsters are
usually brought to life by the physical monsters and are outlined in the
Psychology Today article by Karl Albrecht, <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brainsnacks/201203/the-only-5-fears-we-all-share" target="_blank">The (Only) 5 Fears We All Share</a>: “These
fears include extinction, mutilation, loss of autonomy, separation, and ego
death."</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">PSYCHOLOGICAL DEATH – Thankfully, there are no
physical deaths in the film but the psychological deaths or ego deaths are
many. Albrecht explains ego death as follows: “… humiliation, shame, or any
other mechanism of profound self-disapproval that threatens the loss of
integrity of the self; the fear of the shattering or disintegration of one's
constructed sense of lovability, capability, and worthiness.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The film’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxFzKVtfUQE" target="_blank">TRAILER</a> shows us some examples of ego
deaths</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Whatever your parents taught you stays at home.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Corporal punishment.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">One's food being taken by the older students.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Why are monos taking window seats?”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A concerned mother asks her son: “What happened to your face?”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Being insulted by those in authority: “Your head is
full of porridge.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I was in high school when the first ever radio
station to play rock music was begun. Perhaps, my experiences in boarding
school helped me to appreciate this music that I had never heard of before.
Bands like U2 with their anthemic songs. Like “Pride (In the name of love):</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Originally Bono wanted to write a song about Ronald
Reagan’s arrogant pride in his military power, which inevitably led to
heightened nuclear tensions during the Cold War. However, after reading
biographies on Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, he decided to focus on the
pride ingrained in the causes of the African-American Civil Rights movement,
and the comparison between the violent and nonviolent approaches each leader
took.” (<a href="https://genius.com/U2-pride-in-the-name-of-love-lyrics">https://genius.com/U2-pride-in-the-name-of-love-lyrics</a>)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Female rock stars like Alanis Morrissette who through
songs like “You oughta know” (1995) made it okay to express dissatisfaction:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And I'm here, to remind you</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Of the mess you left when you went away</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It's not fair, to deny me</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Of the cross I bear that you gave to me</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You, you, you oughta know</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Playful, fun yet thought-provoking pop-rock songs, reminders
that life is complex but life is still good. Songs like Hanson’s “Mmbop” (1997)
and Desree’s “You gotta be” (1994)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You have so many relationships in this life</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Only one or two will last</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You go through all the pain and strife</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Then you turn your back and they're gone so fast</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Oh, so hold on the ones who really care</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In the end they'll be the only ones there</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And when you get old and start losing your hair</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Can you tell me who will still care?</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mmbop…</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In “Mono” we get to see the beginnings of
relationships that may last a lifetime. The beauty of this film is that it has
potential for so many spin-offs: the main characters in their last year of high
school, the main characters in their first year of university, the main
characters as adults, the main characters as old men losing their hair,
recalling their days as monos…</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">One of the characters that stood out for me was the
female literature teacher who positively impacted the monos. She challenged
them without breaking them, chastised them without belittling them. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Listen as your day unfolds</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Challenge what the future holds</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Try and keep your head up to the sky</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Lovers, they may cause you tears</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Go ahead, release your fears</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Stand up and be counted</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Don't be ashamed to cry</i> (Yes, there was a scene where
two monos cried).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You gotta be</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold, you gotta be
wiser</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You gotta be hard, you gotta be tough, you gotta be
stronger</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm, you gotta stay
together</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">All I know, all I know, love will save the day</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Herald what your mother said</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Read the books your father read</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Try to solve the puzzles in your own sweet time</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Some may have more cash than you</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Others take a different view</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My oh my, eh, eh, eh <br /></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s no wonder that the monos respected this literature teacher
so much that they…well, you have to watch the movie to find out! </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166408741985023959.post-6034906095008975552023-12-01T01:05:00.000-08:002023-12-01T01:05:18.284-08:00Interview: Mildred Achoch and Orlando Greenhill of Black History of Rock n Roll<p>On 18th November 2023, I had the great honour of being interviewed by Orlando Greenhill of Black History of Rock n Roll. Below is the transcript of the first few minutes.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>0:01:46 – Mildred Achoch</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I got into rock music through country music. My dad
had an amazing record collection with the usual: Elvis Presley, Charlie Pride,
Skeeter Davis. And then, around 1998, this radio station FM radio station the
first ever in Kenya opened and then it just introduced us to a whole new world
of rock. It was soft rock, it was more pop, but I mean, for someone who had
never experienced this kind of music, I found it amazing. You know, bands like
U2, all those great 90s bands. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> (NOTE: Capital FM begun in 1996)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHabBN7SIbI-8tJBFpGxylJpKBHIZFDYiGsjaQqb8QivF3NUjSyNgLVyIJ02JRMeG2BTGg6mzhX9A3cqe4rQmgdHAWG41GIEjPZzeEslydAnZqlUu7LUxmnX-gKRueCX_Oo3m7yN-NVZmLYpqvopHU3L2IfygZEZFFGLdwqFqHvpH2ttjyjUV2FWTuvMg/s225/capital.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHabBN7SIbI-8tJBFpGxylJpKBHIZFDYiGsjaQqb8QivF3NUjSyNgLVyIJ02JRMeG2BTGg6mzhX9A3cqe4rQmgdHAWG41GIEjPZzeEslydAnZqlUu7LUxmnX-gKRueCX_Oo3m7yN-NVZmLYpqvopHU3L2IfygZEZFFGLdwqFqHvpH2ttjyjUV2FWTuvMg/s1600/capital.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And then, around 2004, I started a Yahoo group.
Remember Yahoo? Yeah, I started a Yahoo group called Kenya Rocks because I just
wanted to connect with other people who like rock music. I thought I was the
only one in this country who loved rock music, because that time the Internet
was very new and so we were not connected to each other. So I started that
Yahoo group and, slowly by slowly, I got to know other rock fans in Kenya. Many
of them actually went on to form bands.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxxULPcRD0ioJl5TCi4ZbkCNU_nwPnWNAjnzYe4jpseEUSu6JexUGnMiIc9AZ0nrWLGGtx3z6aIKGsPrMTWyQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <i>ROFFEKE Conference: Daniel Kobimbo - Blogger at Heavy and the Beast<br />In this session of #roffekeconference Daniel Kobimbo gives an overview of the #Kenyanrock scene beginnings and who inspired him to do what he does today.</i></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I must give a shout out to Rash.
It's a band that came much later, in 2013, but they're celebrating their 10th
anniversary today. They're actually having a show as we speak. So hi, Rash,
congratulations! In that Yahoo group there were also members of Murfy’s Flaw,
Last Year's Tragedy. Last Year’s Tragedy are also performing at that Rash show
today. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTPkTFOHHqb3bbZL76eoz0Xi00KmFwnlYFKFsccJDOfIzxjrc8DSCZccCaxzWLskb0BeJxW8wbiPdqhbI532QdqHkTo1NpkiydHAvoacMgenieEJ7qjI9LVdohiDDTA4Dnz69RAPExbJH32SdGsmzhn9YkeaQihicZZDxx3EbYn2VERiAhQ8J6vHXroys/s1080/Rash%2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTPkTFOHHqb3bbZL76eoz0Xi00KmFwnlYFKFsccJDOfIzxjrc8DSCZccCaxzWLskb0BeJxW8wbiPdqhbI532QdqHkTo1NpkiydHAvoacMgenieEJ7qjI9LVdohiDDTA4Dnz69RAPExbJH32SdGsmzhn9YkeaQihicZZDxx3EbYn2VERiAhQ8J6vHXroys/s320/Rash%2010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And then 2008, Facebook. We all decided to go over to
Facebook and so I stopped, you know, the Yahoo group. I was also going through
some life changes, so I stopped the Yahoo group. But then at that time I had
already gotten this idea for a film festival that showcased rock music so
that's how ROFFEKE came about. It's rock and roll film festival Kenya, but I
pronounce it Rafiki, and the mission is just to promote rock music in Kenya via
film. Because I love film. I am actually a screenwriter by profession and I
love rock music. So it was just natural to combine the two. And that's what
I've been doing for the past - is it 10, 15 years? I enjoy it, it's a passion.
I'm not making loads of money out of this, I'm just passionate about it. And
now I'm intentionally concentrating more about educating people that, you know,
rock music is not mzungu music. Mzungu is Swahili for white man.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wB3tf7Q_Uos" width="320" youtube-src-id="wB3tf7Q_Uos"></iframe></div><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>The African Roots of Rock 'n' Roll - A poem by Diego Serebrennik<br /> <p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">0:05:44</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It's still a difficult thing to convince people of
because the media just shows the white side of rock music. So when you tell someone, no, no, it came from black gospel music
and blues, people don't really connect easily, but it's just a passion of mine.
I enjoy history and music history also. So I'll just keep on doing it. I'll
keep on doing it as long as I can because I love it. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cE0bDjgtw0k" width="320" youtube-src-id="cE0bDjgtw0k"></iframe></div><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Kenya Taifu Letu (Kenya Our Country) composed by Gideon Victor Mwanyigha<br /> <p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">0:09:07</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We are also dealing with the effects of colonialism.
We were colonized by the British so anything that remotely
smells of the white man is usually not accepted readily by some people. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I always say, you don't have to like rock music.
You're actually free to hate rock music, but please hate it for the right
reasons. Just hate it because you don't like it. Don't hate it because you
think it's white man's music or because it's the devil's music or because it's
just noise. Those are wrong reasons. Hate it because it's not your
preference. That's a very valid reason not to like rock music. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So yeah, it's an uphill task but I enjoy it. I learn
something new every day. There’s so much history that I don't know. I thought I
knew but I clearly don't know. And when I check out some of your posts I
realize that well, I mean, it could not be helped because we only had access to
corporate media and we only heard what was in corporate media. But I like what
you're doing because I get to learn about all these other black bands. I saw a
very recent post, I think you posted it today, about a black glam rock band. I
did not know that there was such a band in that particular genre. Yeah, it's
always fun to find out these things. Not to get too philosophical but I think
part of it is healing for us who were colonized and slave trade and all that
stuff. I think it's a healing process just to find out that this beautiful
music, this powerful music, we had something to do with it. In my opinion, I
think it's very healing. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">(Transcript
generated by Podium.page, edited by Mildred Achoch)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You can watch the entire interview <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CzzNcOHJ4ZT/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==" target="_blank">HERE </a></span></p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166408741985023959.post-89729450239539681262023-10-31T01:52:00.003-07:002023-10-31T02:15:56.194-07:00Artificial Intelligence and Horror: A Halloween Reflection<p>I was interviewed by Irene Mugo of the Daily Nation about how artificial intelligence is impacting me as a creative. I mentioned that when it comes to AI, I am an optimist but I am also aware of the drawbacks.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLWNPc5ghyk4WEmClLVQEviOEJNEDP_cPUXDuB1UKTw1ywYnliGGWuHmFXcJnFfkWuJtIzdy25aJSxnhmcJATN7VWT59GKI8jj57fASC9DPntGdZJ8Euwt14Q3mzq5y8VnONJAGzHPTle7DNQ0IqW3zWV4r7AMZZngP7ImofmRIB0sH485cO5bR8DqIpc/s720/Ai%20article1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="389" data-original-width="720" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLWNPc5ghyk4WEmClLVQEviOEJNEDP_cPUXDuB1UKTw1ywYnliGGWuHmFXcJnFfkWuJtIzdy25aJSxnhmcJATN7VWT59GKI8jj57fASC9DPntGdZJ8Euwt14Q3mzq5y8VnONJAGzHPTle7DNQ0IqW3zWV4r7AMZZngP7ImofmRIB0sH485cO5bR8DqIpc/w640-h346/Ai%20article1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Some of my interview answers did not make it to the article so I will share them here. Regarding the drawbacks, I said:</p><p><b>One challenge posed by AI in the creative space is bias. Most, if not all, AI tools are trained on data that is largely Western. This issue is being addressed and corrected but more still needs to be done to ensure that AI tools are representative of diverse cultures, philosophies and aesthetics. Another challenge is the disruption that AI will cause and is causing in the creative space. Many creative jobs will be rendered obsolete or will change drastically due to AI. This presents both a threat and an opportunity. Creatives who upskill and learn to use AI to complement their creative process will be able to ride this AI wave rather than drown in it. I also think there is a big opportunity for educational institutions to begin incorporating topics such as "AI and Creativity" into their curriculum."</b> <br /></p><p>I subscribe to David Shapiro's YouTube channel and in his video titled <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwLsnsp7FF4" target="_blank">"AGI Revolution: How Businesses, Governments and Individuals can Prepare"</a>, he outlines some of the horrors of AI. In the section about "Forever Jobs" (minute 26:14), he points out that even jobs such as "childcare, entertainment, and hospitality" which are deemed "likely to persist due to intrinsic human desire for human-performed services" will not be spared by the AI monster.</p><p>I am a fan of psychological horror, where the monster is invisible and therefore more horrific because our imagination becomes very helpful in filling in the blanks.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhctZpxcGFFhB8egISbOxO1hmOZmtoHFwHwXgGcQ1sp-8iNlEbaUOHflG-nHsh3zYDHrIeP8P9mUDuwAwr5OM21lBEjwsI9PtdcVRRC-AHfhORMzM4kv3LH9Q480LueuoUYMqvxmBEuhKCkcHwbIXbAvqiqawSf6hO6ElaMUHUlCm4CqdDIypbMajtl0V8/s700/Mirrors%20Art%20with%20impact%20Exploring-Representation-in-Horror-Movies-Post-SS-Video-thumbnail-Sanctuary-Space-202223-AWI-1-700x394.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="700" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhctZpxcGFFhB8egISbOxO1hmOZmtoHFwHwXgGcQ1sp-8iNlEbaUOHflG-nHsh3zYDHrIeP8P9mUDuwAwr5OM21lBEjwsI9PtdcVRRC-AHfhORMzM4kv3LH9Q480LueuoUYMqvxmBEuhKCkcHwbIXbAvqiqawSf6hO6ElaMUHUlCm4CqdDIypbMajtl0V8/w640-h360/Mirrors%20Art%20with%20impact%20Exploring-Representation-in-Horror-Movies-Post-SS-Video-thumbnail-Sanctuary-Space-202223-AWI-1-700x394.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Artificial Intelligence is that unseen monster that, according to some experts, may literally end the world.</p><p>In his video (minute 24:28) David Shapiro talks about Emotional Adaptation, "The range of emotional responses people may experience in response to significant changes..." He lists some of these emotions: "uncertainty, fear, anger, existential dread, anxiety, hope and awe."</p><p>One of the interview questions that Irene Mugo asked me was whether artificial intelligence will threaten creativity. I hope my answer to her question will inspire hope and awe in all creatives as we face the wonders and horrors of AI.</p><p><b>As an optimist and as a creative, I do not think AI poses a threat to creativity. Yes, AI can mimic creativity and sometimes can produce creations that are better than what human creatives can produce. However, this in no way is a threat to creativity. The creativity of AI does not take away my creativity. Comparison is the enemy here. I create because it gives me joy, it is a way for me to express myself, to communicate and to create value. There are other creators - both human and AI - who can create things that look or sound better than my creations. However, there is only one me, and no one - whether human or AI - has my unique perspective, experiences, values and beliefs. One could argue that soon, human beings will be able to upload their consciousness to robots and duplicate themselves...but that is a conversation for another time! To quote lines from a song called</b> <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWQYM4tKRMo" target="_blank">“Sons of Robots”</a> by one of my favourite Kenyan rock bands "Rash":</b></p><p><b><i> “with all of their technology, they can feel no more.”</i> </b></p><p><b>I think as long as we creatives continue to feel, we will always be a step ahead of artificial intelligence. <br /></b></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SWQYM4tKRMo" width="320" youtube-src-id="SWQYM4tKRMo"></iframe></b></div><p></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166408741985023959.post-55885957843567463962023-10-07T11:50:00.002-07:002023-10-07T11:50:17.533-07:00The ROFFEKE Chatbot sheds light on ROFFEKE and Experimentation(The ROFFEKE Chatbot was created via chatbase.co)<br /><p class="MsoNormal"><b>ROFFEKE Bot</b>: Hi! What can I help you with?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Mildred Achoch</b>: ROFFEKE and Experimentation</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>ROFFEKE Bot</b>: ROFFEKE values experimentation as part of its
core principles. It believes in the power of trying new things, pushing
boundaries, and exploring innovative ideas. Through experimentation, ROFFEKE
aims to create unique and groundbreaking content in the world of TV, film, and
digital media.</p><p class="MsoNormal">(Below is Diego Serebrennik's reading of his poem, accompanied by a video created by AI) <br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0gLzFXWqsdc" width="320" youtube-src-id="0gLzFXWqsdc"></iframe></div> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Mildred</b>: Tell me more about ROFFEKE and experimentation</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>ROFFEKE Bot</b>: ROFFEKE embraces experimentation as a
fundamental aspect of its mission. It encourages filmmakers and creators to
think outside the box, take risks, and explore unconventional approaches in
their work. By fostering an environment of experimentation, ROFFEKE aims to
push the boundaries of storytelling and challenge traditional norms in the
industry. This allows for the discovery of fresh perspectives, innovative
techniques, and groundbreaking narratives that captivate audiences and leave a
lasting impact. Through its support of experimentation, ROFFEKE strives to
empower filmmakers to unleash their creativity and bring their unique visions
to life. <br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">(Below is Martin's reading of his poem "African Drummer" accompanied by a video of his avant-garde drumming)<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/P0LM3AfBlWk" width="320" youtube-src-id="P0LM3AfBlWk"></iframe></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Mildred</b>: Tell me even more about ROFFEKE and
experimentation</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>ROFFEKE Bot</b>: Certainly! ROFFEKE's commitment to
experimentation goes beyond just encouraging filmmakers to think outside the
box. It actively seeks out and supports projects that push the boundaries of
traditional storytelling and explore new artistic territories. ROFFEKE believes
that experimentation is essential for the growth and evolution of the film
industry.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Through its various programs, workshops, and seminars,
ROFFEKE provides a platform for filmmakers to learn, collaborate, and
experiment with different techniques, styles, and genres. It encourages them to
take risks, challenge conventions, and explore innovative ways of storytelling.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">ROFFEKE also values the feedback and input of its audience.
It recognizes that experimentation can sometimes be polarizing, with some
viewers embracing the boldness of new ideas while others may find them
challenging. However, ROFFEKE believes that through open dialogue and
constructive criticism, experimentation can lead to new perspectives and a
deeper appreciation for the art of filmmaking.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">By embracing experimentation, ROFFEKE aims to foster a
vibrant and dynamic film community that celebrates creativity, diversity, and
the exploration of new frontiers. It strives to be a catalyst for change and a
platform for filmmakers to showcase their unique visions and push the
boundaries of what is possible in the world of cinema.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I hope that provides you with a deeper understanding of
ROFFEKE's commitment to experimentation. Is there anything else I can assist
you with?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">(End of chat)<br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In September, I (Mildred Achoch) experimented with the
platform Heysummit, where I organized ROFFEKE Conference 2023. I found the platform
to be easy to use and support was offered whenever I had questions or problems. Below is a short video of screenshots from ROFFEKE Conference 2023.</p><div aria-hidden="true" class="html-to-copy" data-v-5909ef73=""><div aria-hidden="true" class="copy-container" data-testid="copyThumbnailContentHtml" data-v-0bc673a8="" data-v-5909ef73=""><a href="https://share.vidyard.com/watch/DTqQjPKYcGRxnizJRMKW1Y?" rel="noopener noreferrer" tabindex="-1" target="_blank"><div class="copy-thumbnail-wrapper"><img alt="ROFFEKE Conference 2023" class="thumbnail-image" src="https://cdn.vidyard.com/thumbnails/39290984/NoQ-XkChjlngpcSjph3IPamcgY2R_Mw2_play_button_small.gif" /></div></a> <div class="copy-text-container"><a href="https://share.vidyard.com/watch/DTqQjPKYcGRxnizJRMKW1Y?" rel="noopener noreferrer" tabindex="-1" target="_blank">ROFFEKE Conference 2023</a></div><div class="copy-text-container"> </div></div></div>A big thank you to all the speakers and to Heysummit.com<br /><p></p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166408741985023959.post-4779039993241211322023-08-31T23:46:00.003-07:002023-10-29T12:53:08.383-07:00ROFFEKE Chatbot via Chatbase.co<p>I (Mildred Achoch) created a ROFFEKE Chatbot courtesy of Chatbase.co, using content from the ROFFEKE blog. I then asked the chatbot some questions. Below is a sample of the answers:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>What is ROFFEKE?</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">ROFFEKE, pronounced "rafiki," is a rock 'n' roll
film festival in Kenya. Its mission is to promote rock music in Kenya by
dispelling myths and misconceptions through the medium of film. The festival
showcases local and international rock 'n' roll films and music videos for
educational and entertainment purposes. It also organizes workshops, forums,
and seminars related to various aspects of rock music and the film industry.
Additionally, ROFFEKE provides a platform for emerging and established rock
bands, both local and international.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>What does ROFFEKE do?</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">ROFFEKE has several objectives. Firstly, it showcases local
and international rock 'n' roll films and music videos for educational and
entertainment purposes. Secondly, it organizes workshops, forums, and seminars
related to various aspects of rock music and the film industry. Lastly, it
provides a platform for emerging and established rock bands, both local and
international. These activities contribute to the promotion of rock music in
Kenya and help dispel myths and misconceptions associated with the genre.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>How can I get involved with ROFFEKE?</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To get involved with ROFFEKE, you can consider a few
options. Firstly, you can submit your own rock 'n' roll film or music video to
be considered for the festival. You can do this by visiting the festival's
Filmfreeway.com page and following the submission guidelines. Secondly, you can
attend the festival as an audience member and support the showcased films and
bands. Lastly, you can explore opportunities to volunteer or collaborate with
ROFFEKE by reaching out to their team directly through their official channels.
Remember, being part of the rock community and showing your support for the
festival's mission are great ways to get involved with ROFFEKE.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.chatbase.co/chatbot-iframe/215vzelYj2sWESc8xMBUN" target="_blank"> You can ask the ROFFEKE Chatbot your questions HERE</a><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166408741985023959.post-54756353594631461722023-07-26T00:36:00.000-07:002023-07-26T00:36:40.230-07:00Of Little Wings and Elevator to the Top Floor<p> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">On 14<sup>th</sup> July, 2023 I attended a virtual
event to commemorate World Youth Skills Day, which is celebrated every 15<sup>th</sup>
of July. Later that day, I listened to a podcast that really resonated with me
and that I felt was timely advice for today’s youth who will face unprecedented
challenges…and opportunities!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Below are some of Jason Fried’s thoughts that struck a
chord with me as the Founder, CEO, Chief AI Officer, JEDI (Justice, Equity,
Diversity, Inclusion) Officer, Marketer and Cheerleader of ROFFEKE</span>😄<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Minute 11:38 – “There is no secret sauce here…this is
hard, all of it is hard so you’ve got to find a way to do something that is
going to be enjoyable. In that joy, you find more ease. It’s easier to do
something hard when you like the way you are doing it…the amount of pressure
that’s put on you by other people to do things a certain way, to perform a
certain way, to show results in a certain way is not enjoyable and it doesn’t
bring an ease to the work. It brings stress and anxiety to the work.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Minute 16: 33 - “You have a choice as an entrepreneur
to decide what [business] model you want…but you also need to check your
ambitions a little bit too, grow slowly, grow under control. You have to be
able to handle it ego-wise, that maybe you are not going to have 7 million
customers…it doesn’t matter what your economics are compared to someone else.
What do you need to cover your expenses and generate a profit? If you can keep
your ego in check, then you can recognize that you are not competing with other
people’s egos, other people’s company size, just do your own thing. If you can
get into that mindset, it’s a really wonderful place to be…"</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">[The short film Elevator to the Top Floor deals with
this issue of keeping one's ego in check.<a href="https://kenyarockfilmfestivaljournal.blogspot.com/2020/09/world-suicide-prevention-day-2020.html" target="_blank"> Read the ROFFEKE interview with the director,Litvinov, HERE </a>
Excerpt from the interview: “We had little time to shoot (about two days) and a
very modest production budget. But thanks to the help of like-minded people and
the production company "Potential", we were able to cope with all
this. The shooting was not easy due to my inexperience. Many of the things that
I wanted to see from the actors didn't get to be fully realized. But I'm not
ashamed of the result - it's important."</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Minute 10:48 - “The other thing that’s nice about
staying small is that you can achieve profitability faster. Your overhead is
lower, your costs are lower. This is strangely a forgotten thing in the tech
world; cost. Everyone is thinking about revenue. Cost is important. Hugely
important."</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Minute 10:21 – “…constantly thinking about what really
matters and what doesn’t. It requires you to figure out what not to do…build a
muscle that helps you figure out what not to do. That’s a good habit to form.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Minute 13:54 – “For us we value independence more than
anything else. Do we miss opportunities? I’m sure. We left money on the table?
Absolutely. But we wouldn’t have traded any of it for what we have.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You can<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/2MGA9b39eGujY4OFmeIqlI?si=48c2KI3CQj-3Cc-0Yjauug" target="_blank"> listen to the entire awesome podcast episode HERE</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This episode reminded me of the lovely bluegrass-flavoured
protest song “Little Wings”by Kris Delmhorst:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Now I don't want to be a jet airliner, I just want to
be a little bird</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I don't want to rip the skies wide open, I just want
my song to be heard</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And I don't want to be state of the art, I don't want
to get there overnight</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I just want to be part of all this beauty, want to be
part of all this flight on little wings"</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Tz3QCo-e2aI" width="320" youtube-src-id="Tz3QCo-e2aI"></iframe></i></div><p></p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166408741985023959.post-40486881743406286072023-06-21T14:33:00.006-07:002023-06-21T15:49:58.614-07:00Public Participation Workshop (2023) and ROFFEKE Conference (2020)<p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">In 2020, during the Covid Pandemic, I (Mildred Achoch) organized an
online <a href="https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLd6abM5w6TUmtJx_2tY6Oe-EdOoM-MAjS" target="_blank">ROFFEKE Conference </a>where various players in the Kenyan rock community
shared their triumphs and challenges. On June 19</span><sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> and 20</span><sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">,
2023, I attended a Public Participation workshop organized by KICTANET and
ICNL. The workshop was informative and hands-on and it inspired me to go
back and reflect on the 2020 ROFFEKE Conference in light of Public
Participation principles.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Below is my preliminary attempt. The goal is not
perfection, rather, it is to begin putting into practice what I learned during
the workshop.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></p>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-insideh: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-border-insidev: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184; width: 601px;">
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<td style="border: 1pt solid windowtext; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 180.9pt;" valign="top" width="241">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;">Challenges<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: 1pt solid windowtext; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 3.75in;" valign="top" width="360">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;">Comments/Questions/Follow-up<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: 1pt solid windowtext; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 180.9pt;" valign="top" width="241">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 107%;">“Cost of equipment. This equipment is not cheap…the
cost of insurance is also very high…it is difficult for artists to buy the
equipment, store the equipment, maintain the equipment and pay for insurance…”
- <a href="https://youtu.be/8qSxWKy9aH0" target="_blank">George Gachiri, rhythm guitarist of Kanyeki. Also guitarist of Hybrid
Intuition.</a></span><a href="https://youtu.be/8qSxWKy9aH0" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" target="_blank">(Minute 5:16)</a></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 3.75in;" valign="top" width="360">
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;">Policies about instruments? <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5mx820-4LMQ" target="_blank">National Creatives Summit</a> : review of policies and legal instruments. Progress of policy reviews?<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: 1pt solid windowtext; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 180.9pt;" valign="top" width="241">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;">“The main challenge we face as a band that plays
predominantly rock music is that…you are competing with other genres…If other
genres of music have a larger audience, that means from a marketing
standpoint, you find radio station playing them…” – <a href="https://youtu.be/8qSxWKy9aH0" target="_blank">George Gachiri, rhythm guitarist of Kanyeki. Also guitarist of Hybrid Intuition.</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 3.75in;" valign="top" width="360">
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;">Summit: digital platform for creatives. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;">When? <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;">Process of submitting creative work? <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;">Guidelines to reduce bias and discrimination?</span></li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 3;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: 1pt solid windowtext; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 180.9pt;" valign="top" width="241">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 107%;">“It’s not easy to shoot [music videos] in Nairobi.
Getting permits is a problem. With “Hello Light” we went at night… set up
quickly, shoot and move out before anyone notices anything…if you wait to get
all the permits, it’s just too much of a process.” – <a href="https://youtu.be/m-H9xjFpQUo" target="_blank">Murfy’s Flaw.</a> </span><a href="https://youtu.be/m-H9xjFpQUo" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" target="_blank">Question 5, minute 1:18</a></span></p>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;">Governor
Sakaja: permission for filming to be done in Nairobi. </span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;">Is it actually
safe to do so or will there be running battles with Kanjo? (“Sakaja
waives permit fees for photographers and filmmakers in Nairobi.
September 28<sup>th</sup> 2022, ntvkenya.co.ke) “Sakaja stated that he
was keeping his promise to the creative economy to make a living without
being harassed by authorities.”<o:p></o:p></span></li>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;">“…support or finances to foot the video-shooting
bill.” – <a href="https://youtu.be/C0McUz0Clxo" target="_blank">James, Lead singer of Kanyeki. </a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://youtu.be/C0McUz0Clxo" target="_blank">(Minute 3:11)</a></span></p>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3;">Youth fund?</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;">Film Fund? </span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://www.citizen.digital/news/govt-in-plans-to-establish-film-fund-as-kenya-marks-12th-edition-of-kalasha-awards-n310546" target="_blank">"Gov't in plans to establish film fund as Kenya Marks 12th Edition of Kalasha Awards."</a><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;">Creatives summit: co-production agreement was signed by the CS and that a
Kenya-South Africa co-production platform would be set up. </span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;">When will
this be up and running?<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;">Upgrading of stadia so that they can also cater for the
creative economy. </span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;">Stadia as music video locations?</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo3;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;"> <a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hz3cVQ9LglA" target="_blank">“Wilderness” shot in stadium</a>).<o:p></o:p></span></li>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;">Wishlist: Soundtrack for film and TV. “It would be a
great thing to have bands’ music playing to support the local scene.” –<a href="https://youtu.be/VJC5Ca2Cffk" target="_blank">Cyrus,
Kanyeki drummer. </a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://youtu.be/VJC5Ca2Cffk" target="_blank">(Minute 2:19)</a></span></p>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo4;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;">Creatives summit: free legal services. (Minute 1:10:01 and 1:11:26) </span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo4;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;">Process of accessing legal services?<o:p></o:p></span></li>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166408741985023959.post-19568848819173133082023-06-04T23:45:00.006-07:002023-06-06T07:48:47.963-07:00Interview: Martin H. Samuel - Award-winning songwriter born in Kenya<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Mildred Achoch: </b>We met via allpoetry.com. You commented regarding my contest "The African Roots of Rock ‘n' Roll": <i>'Pleased to virtually meet a fellow Kenyan… I was born in Mombasa, started playing drums at an early age and proud of my band's commemorative brick, 20 rows directly above 'John', in the Liverpool Cavern Club Wall of Fame.'</i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Apart from your memories of being <a href=" https://allpoetry.com/poem/15603161-Monkey-See--Monkey-Do-by-Repercussionist" target="_blank">abducted by a monkey</a> and enjoying the spectacle of flamingos in Nakuru, what other memories do you have of Kenya, especially memories related to music?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>MARTIN H. SAMUEL: </b>Some time after the monkey episode, we visited Lake Victoria where <a href="https://allpoetry.com/poem/15597155-Lake-Victoria-by-Repercussionist" target="_blank">I waded out 'til the water was over my head and my Mother had to rescue me as my Father, who wasn't afraid of crocodiles, couldn't swim!</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">In Nairobi, as we lived nearby what was then known as the Coryndon Museum, I went there frequently and met Mary and Louis Leakey who invited me into their laboratory to show me what they were working on.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">How cool was that!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The couple asked me (and my pals) to collect anything that hopped, skipped, jumped or crawled, which we did, and donated to what was to become the Nairobi Snake Park.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Other than my first gig as a drummer in kindergarten, my musical memories of Kenya have unfortunately faded... except for... when I was in the cubs, one 5th of November, Nairobi-born Roger Whittaker was hired to entertain the pack.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We were seated on the ground around him (having 'dibbed' and 'dobbed') and after each song I would light a coloured firework-type phosphorous match ~ on which he commented.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I may even have started the later trend of flicking lighters at concerts!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Mildred: </b>You started playing drums at an early age. Was that a natural inclination or were you encouraged by a mentor?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Martin: </b>Definitely a natural... I always knew I was a drummer.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Not only do I have as close to perfect time as any man can have, I can play differing tempos with my hands and feet at the same time and keep them in time (or not).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">It's totally useless unless considered some <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6QADfXb7zI" target="_blank">odd form of jazz</a>!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">No mentor per se but, as a kid, I learned orchestration, such as it was, by jamming with the locals who taught me not to 'step on the toes', musically-speaking, of other musicians.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">In other words, play your part, nothing more nothing less, at the correct time, never earlier nor later and, especially, if it's not called for, don't play.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Mildred: </b>Good advice! Did your parents encourage you and if so, how? Was there anyone who discouraged you from playing drums and how did you deal with that?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Martin: </b>No encouragement at all in the beginning... years later, they bought me my first and second drum set.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Being ambidextrous, I set my first drums up right-handed but left-footed!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">When I saw a photo of Ringo behind the drums with The Beatles I thought, 'Something looks odd here' and switched mine to right-footed.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Only to find out, Ringo is left-handed but plays a right-handed drum kit.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">At first, my parents were disappointed in my career choice but, as I explained to them, it's not a 'choice', it's a 'calling'... you either have it or you don't.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Mildred: </b>Why was your band (Heatwave) honoured specifically at the Liverpool Cavern Club Wall of Fame?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Martin: </b>The original Cavern Club honoured every Artist who 'walked the boards' (performed there) between certain years and, having played there for an entire week in 1970, we received our very own personal brick. By coincidence, our lead guitarist was from Liverpool.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyQSrxLY2wglPjzSHpX0Z0vvTWF-HEMU2FrGEUE3gSksOKiV-_Kmx01huP-54TsEkaLXwBcRNHIBynzXuNGwESxbaLNWJpwR4yRMz5EYyQBXOPd7VfNq59tGcRF5IClpyuix-TIzv3nwKz9F9wlDpHIJXySBwDaNItTpmZPZFE94-2Ge0YE0L-gWTo/s1000/Martin%20-%20Cavern%20Club%20Doorway.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyQSrxLY2wglPjzSHpX0Z0vvTWF-HEMU2FrGEUE3gSksOKiV-_Kmx01huP-54TsEkaLXwBcRNHIBynzXuNGwESxbaLNWJpwR4yRMz5EYyQBXOPd7VfNq59tGcRF5IClpyuix-TIzv3nwKz9F9wlDpHIJXySBwDaNItTpmZPZFE94-2Ge0YE0L-gWTo/s320/Martin%20-%20Cavern%20Club%20Doorway.jpeg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKrGg3CK0EqI3eZO2AeC_gr2MxZwnya7yW185jnfb4N0vmFSH8sEcjHGq5-cybl90S51VMIyMaPOvEZf5EjpLwPKOllDH4-tElCA7CdLgsBTeiEy6RHn57X-LHnYATTVa1dOECdwLMuUE/s1000/Martin+-+Cavern+Wall+of+Fame.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="792" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKrGg3CK0EqI3eZO2AeC_gr2MxZwnya7yW185jnfb4N0vmFSH8sEcjHGq5-cybl90S51VMIyMaPOvEZf5EjpLwPKOllDH4-tElCA7CdLgsBTeiEy6RHn57X-LHnYATTVa1dOECdwLMuUE/s320/Martin+-+Cavern+Wall+of+Fame.jpeg" width="253" /></a></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Mildred: </b><a href="https://the-heatwave.bandcamp.com/track/frank-carlyle-paul-kappa-martin-h-samuel-part-1" target="_blank">You were interviewed by Frank Carlyle on the Frank Carlyle Show in 2016</a>. You recounted your experience playing again at the Cavern Club, saying that you couldn't quite remember exactly how the songs went but you gave it your own unique spin and played your version, and that ultimately, it was about having fun. ROFFEKE's motto is "Friendship, Fun, Freedom". In your opinion, how important is it to have fun, not only in playing music or pursuing any other passion but also in life in general?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Martin: </b>The band leader, whom I'd not met before, kicked off every song without telling me what the band was about to play... it may be a tradition as, in my experience, drummers are not considered musicians!</span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgddkzn-7e1bwQIOl_ZNP_49Bbvj8ZDWEseejloz3d0z4aibd3Ns3GHAV4PKgeTCZcv4SVlPEq6IWcDTH_YHmMuXNd2K-AU2R0nHJQtB6IN84EeTQxSHSlekUYaz7fNPymh8sWlOoD-WLTIuspGLetI6UFqehhlvZKxxowQ-U_PlGh9oh3U0fl5DAlB/s425/Don't%20ask%20me,%20I'm%20only%20the%20Drummer!.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="325" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgddkzn-7e1bwQIOl_ZNP_49Bbvj8ZDWEseejloz3d0z4aibd3Ns3GHAV4PKgeTCZcv4SVlPEq6IWcDTH_YHmMuXNd2K-AU2R0nHJQtB6IN84EeTQxSHSlekUYaz7fNPymh8sWlOoD-WLTIuspGLetI6UFqehhlvZKxxowQ-U_PlGh9oh3U0fl5DAlB/s320/Don't%20ask%20me,%20I'm%20only%20the%20Drummer!.jpg" width="245" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I had heard most of the songs and had even played some previously, but it was all so long ago, however, we must have sounded OK as the dance floor filled instantly on every song and even the doorman abandoned his position and came downstairs to listen.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">It is my belief we're all born with a built-in 'Fun Meter' which should be checked fairly frequently as, if we're not having fun, what's the point?!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">One should not expect 'said meter to constantly be in the red (Fun zone) but, if it rarely is, then something needs to be changed for the better.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That writ, I wrote a silly song called '<a href="https://martin-h-samuel.bandcamp.com/track/fun-with-you." target="_blank">Fun With You</a>': </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Also, <a href="https://eclipse-cd.bandcamp.com/track/freedom-is-a-cruel-mistress" target="_blank">a song about Freedom</a>: eclipse-cd.bandcamp.com/track/freedom-is-a-cruel-mistress.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Mildred: </b>According to your LinkedIn profile, you have won many songwriting competitions. What's your secret?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Martin: </b>Dedication, determination, persistence, a way with words (as a lyricist) and a 'good ear'.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhULzFe8opnawdA2-Mfmkv0YDuzZl4jszscdiNlxgwwQ4F_dH44Zt1oAu90j9ONQhvHYvsJu6YFrEecX2tb824Kx7jwZHXeZVfk9yzfRjVQ__YkLr8ZEj0Ybx7FkC9Dyap1oYAqpZY-MssiIif65VLdPIcXwBTXzhl05XJHWZ_Il7z-dJBM-TV67orq/s1076/WSA%20-%20AWARDS.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="701" data-original-width="1076" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhULzFe8opnawdA2-Mfmkv0YDuzZl4jszscdiNlxgwwQ4F_dH44Zt1oAu90j9ONQhvHYvsJu6YFrEecX2tb824Kx7jwZHXeZVfk9yzfRjVQ__YkLr8ZEj0Ybx7FkC9Dyap1oYAqpZY-MssiIif65VLdPIcXwBTXzhl05XJHWZ_Il7z-dJBM-TV67orq/s320/WSA%20-%20AWARDS.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://martin-h-samuel.bandcamp.com/track/tightrope-to-the-moon" target="_blank">Tightrope to the moon</a></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://martin-h-samuel.bandcamp.com/track/man-on-a-ledge" target="_blank">Man on a ledge</a></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Mildred: </b>Any tips for budding songwriters?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Martin: </b>Follow your heart, do what floats your boat (even if you're landlocked).</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">If a composer writes for anyone/anything but him/herself, he/she's doomed him/herself to disappointment... even then, when writing for oneself, there's no guarantee you'll be appreciated or recognised.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Rick Nelson said it best in 'Garden Party'... "You can't please everyone so you got to please yourself."</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Co-writing, as I have done and still do, is a major plus as two, or more, heads and hearts can (sometimes) be better than one.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">e.g., Lennon & McCartney, Bacharach & David, Goffin & King, Gilmour & Waters, Holland–Dozier–Holland, Jagger & Richards, Leiber & Stoller (some of my favourite songwriters).</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">If any Kenyan composer cares to collaborate, I'm always up for co-writing.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Mildred: </b>In your opinion, what makes a great song?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">A lyric the audience can relate to/identify with, or tells a good story and a memorable melody over a catchy beat.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Mildred: </b>What would you say are your top ten favourite songs of all time?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Martin: </b>Aaaaagghhhhh!!!!!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">OK, here's five of mine followed by five by others... in alphabetical order: </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">'<a href="https://martin-h-samuel.bandcamp.com/track/cant-stay-mad" target="_blank">Can't Stay Mad</a>', written/recorded solo and aired on the BBC. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">'<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5izf39w5co" target="_blank">Heart Full Of Love</a>', co-written with and recorded by Lisa Nemzo. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">'<a href="https://martin-h-samuel.bandcamp.com/track/if-love-makes-the-world-go-round-3" target="_blank">If Love Makes The World Go Round</a>', co-written with John Franta, recorded by Brion Bell. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">'<a href="https://martin-h-samuel.bandcamp.com/track/slave-to-the-grind" target="_blank">Slave To The Grind</a>', written about my Father who worked for E.A.R. & H. and my Mother, secretary to the Speaker of the House in Nairobi Parliament, co-written with Brian Hadley.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">‘<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJuy8YnKguU" target="_blank">Be My Rock</a>’, co-written with Renard Cohen, recorded by Ms. Nancy Reed: </span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EJuy8YnKguU" width="320" youtube-src-id="EJuy8YnKguU"></iframe></div></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">'A Whiter Shade Of Pale', co-written by Brooker & Reid (and Johann Sebastian Bach), recorded by Procol Harum.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">'Over The Rainbow', co-written by Arlen & Harburg, sung by Judy Garland.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">'She's Leaving Home', co-written by Lennon & McCartney, recorded by The Beatles.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">'Sultans of Swing', by Mark Knopfler, recorded by Dire Straits.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">'Time', co-written by Waters, Gilmour, Wright & Mason, recorded by Pink Floyd.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Mildred: </b>Your views on artificial intelligence?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Martin: </b>The name says it all... artificial!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">No thank you.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Referring to AI, Alan Turing, 'Grandfather' of the computer, said, "If a machine is expected to be infallible, it cannot also be intelligent."</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I believe the reverse is also true, 'If a machine is expected to be intelligent, it cannot also be infallible.'</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Mildred: </b>Any tips or advice for Kenyan rock bands?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Martin: </b>Draw on local music and make it your own – e.g., if Paul Simon had not visited South Africa, he may never have heard and used their rhythm(s).</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Do it for love, as in a labour of, or don't do it at all.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Links to <a href="https://martinhsamuel.n.nu" target="_blank">me</a> and <a href="https://martin-h-samuel.bandcamp.com" target="_blank">some of my music</a>:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Heatwave: (<a href="https://heatwave.n.nu" target="_blank">Here</a> and <a href="https://the-heatwave.bandcamp.com" target="_blank">Here</a>)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Bright Eye Band: (<a href="https://brighteyeband.n.nu" target="_blank">Here</a>, <a href="https://bright-eye-band.bandcamp.com/album/a-beachn-concert " target="_blank">Here</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Kn2ANWp_u4" target="_blank">Here</a>) </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0Kn2ANWp_u4" width="320" youtube-src-id="0Kn2ANWp_u4"></iframe></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Sunny 'n' the Cut: (<a href="https://sunny-n-the-cut.bandcamp.com" target="_blank">Here</a>) </span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166408741985023959.post-36426894746287638922023-06-01T23:27:00.003-07:002023-06-02T00:02:41.698-07:00Africa Day, Africans Rising, Borderless Africa, Mastercard Edtech event at Ihub, African Diaspora<div class="separator"></div><p>On 25th May, Africa Day is celebrated in Africa and all over the world. I first celebrated it in May 2019, when I attended “<a href="https://events.withgoogle.com/africa-day-2019" target="_blank">Google’s Africa Day Outreach: Creative Bootcamp</a>” at Nairobi Garage. </p><span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLfh09WU1vp0fC0yH-UuDUTYYRR14v5L2dZk_sluuvHxD9g0BimzLvUDAKyjszZyWAcIvGSi-2G6oyy9Am901_mTW7OZB2mqdYnzth9S_z2SRFIhwwYHskvN0r33vIIihmmid-9okte3PnzIuU94TC21B2c0l9zln7AjD3PGDXQczqRETZ8PEHm6lf/s480/61072754_10161715884090641_6243635310140325888_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="270" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLfh09WU1vp0fC0yH-UuDUTYYRR14v5L2dZk_sluuvHxD9g0BimzLvUDAKyjszZyWAcIvGSi-2G6oyy9Am901_mTW7OZB2mqdYnzth9S_z2SRFIhwwYHskvN0r33vIIihmmid-9okte3PnzIuU94TC21B2c0l9zln7AjD3PGDXQczqRETZ8PEHm6lf/s320/61072754_10161715884090641_6243635310140325888_n.jpg" width="180" /></a><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoNjaLLt6Q1Mroml1pRAUxMaNai_w8NaPprOsVCAEQAtyt6A4UmiNTn3mDRvW94-8Nv855HedEAZiCUN3vFCiYdNSW256pBNXRUpk90UDVqkj7sOLjDfrYq0T4vqpLyE-8r9nzeThtQEbqVC5gFLp5gtdyGNTZDrFmKkK4aSsPK2PWoaBvKC0X49Zk/s2048/chrome_screenshot_1685607076047.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1050" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoNjaLLt6Q1Mroml1pRAUxMaNai_w8NaPprOsVCAEQAtyt6A4UmiNTn3mDRvW94-8Nv855HedEAZiCUN3vFCiYdNSW256pBNXRUpk90UDVqkj7sOLjDfrYq0T4vqpLyE-8r9nzeThtQEbqVC5gFLp5gtdyGNTZDrFmKkK4aSsPK2PWoaBvKC0X49Zk/s320/chrome_screenshot_1685607076047.png" width="164" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm in the purple checked sweater.</td></tr></tbody></table></div></span><p>In 2023, ROFFEKE celebrated Africa Day with <a href="https://www.africansrising.org" target="_blank">Africans Rising</a> under the theme of “Borderless Africa”. The <a href="https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLd6abM5w6TUkSu8J9sRjD67jg0rPFvWFG" target="_blank">ROFFEKE Borderless Africa YouTube playlist </a>features short films and music videos submitted to ROFFEKE since 2015, that have been created by or feature Africans in the continent or in the diaspora. </p><p>The Kilimanjaro Declaration 2.0 was adopted on 31st August 2022 in Arusha Tanzania. In the declaration, the 2022 All African Movement Assembly (AAMA) declared that:</p><p>1.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Africa is a rich continent, and her wealth belongs to all her people. We commit to fight for economic justice qualified by socio-political development.</p><p>2.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Africans have a diverse, rich, and powerful heritage that is important to heal ourselves and repair the damage done by neoliberalism to our humanity and environment. Being Africans and embracing African philosophies such as “Ubuntu” are sources of our pride.</p><p>3.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>African youth and women are a critical foundation for building the success of our continent and must play a central role in building the Africa We Want for Unity, Justice, Peace and Dignity. We are committed to building an intergenerational dialogue and strategic collaboration with our elders to advance a shared vision.</p><p>4.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Africa’s diaspora, whether displaced through slavery and colonialism or part of modern-day migration occasioned by political, economic and climate change factors, is part of Africa’s history and future. We commit to ensure that their reservoir of knowledge, skills, resources and passion are part of advancing Africa.</p><p>Also on Africa Day, I attended (virtually) an event titled “The African Diaspora, Trade, and Investment Symposium”. The event’s YouTube video description: “This #AfricaDay, OECD Development Centre and Minnesota Africans United are gathering investors, policy makers and diasporic groups, to share examples of the many ways African #diasporas engage in private sector development to the benefit of both “mother” and “new” home countries.”</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aEJhgFdIHDo" width="320" youtube-src-id="aEJhgFdIHDo"></iframe></div><p>The next day, on 26th May, I attended <a href="https://twitter.com/KidatoSchool/status/1662112132169596928?s=20" target="_blank">Mastercard Foundation’s EdTech event that was held at iHub</a>. In the past, iHub has played a role in helping ROFFEKE achieve its mission of promoting rock music in Kenya via film. In September 2015, ROFFEKE held a screening of short films and music videos at iHub. Read some of the attendees' comments <a href="http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fkenyarockfilmfestivaljournal.blogspot.com%2F2016%2F01%2Fcomments-on-abc-of-roffeke-screenings.html&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw3yuVjp78lK35fNdHYm0T-M">HERE</a>. </p><p>ROFFEKE is passionate about education. On January 24th 2023, ROFFEKE commemorated Education Day with <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.scribd.com%2Fdocument%2F621476343%2FROFFEKE-Celebrates-International-Day-of-Education&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw07dVrY5ITfMIXfFoZJcWdv" target="_blank">a document highlighting the knowledge shared by ROFFEKE alumni from all over the world</a>. On January 24tth 2022, ROFFEKE commemorated Education Day with <a href=" https://www.slideshare.net/missmfa/roffeke-edumental-report-2021 " target="_blank">a report highlighting the hashtag #edumental </a>which ROFFEKE first used at an Education Day event on January 20th, 2020, right before the pandemic. In that report, I wrote: </p><p>“Why is ROFFEKE – a rock film festival – interested in education? There are many reasons but in short, education is part of the objectives of ROFFEKE. Also, education plays a crucial role in the achievement of ROFFEKE’s mission: to promote rock music in Kenya via film by dispelling rock ‘n’ roll myths and misconceptions.”</p><p>The main objectives of ROFFEKE are:</p><p>1.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>To showcase local and international rock ‘n’ roll films and music videos for the purposes of education and entertainment.</p><p>2.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>To organize workshops, forums and seminars related to various aspects of rock music and the film industry.</p><p>3.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>To provide a platform for emerging and established, local and international rock bands.</p><p>The Mastercard Foundation Edtech event was inspiring. I sat through the first few presentations by talented Edtech startups namely Snapplify, Easy Elimu, Funky Science, Silabu, Elewa, Arifu and Virtual Essence. Clearly, a lot is being done by Kenyan entrepreneurs to tackle the challenges of education in Kenya and Africa.</p><p>Later, as I was reflecting on all these events, I could not help but connect the dots. One speaker at The African Diaspora Trade and Investment Symposium, Christopher Brooks, is a venture capitalist of African descent with a passion for Africa. He pointed out that he was on the lookout for projects he could invest in. I strongly believe that the projects I saw during the Mastercard Foundation Edtech event are ripe for this kind of Afro-cenric investment. Christopher said:</p><p>“I have a bias when it comes to this kind of conversation. We invest in tech. We invest in tech specifically because it scales quickly, creates enormous value quickly and then when there is some sort of liquidity event or exit, you can redeploy the gains and it just becomes this ever-expanding economic pie. I’m a big believer in tech. Africa is actually producing right now some of the world’s best innovative technologies. (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEJhgFdIHDo" target="_blank">From minute 49:22 to 49:50</a>)</p><p>At this African Diaspora Trade and Investment Symposium, I was inspired by all that the diaspora is doing to help Africa. However, as an African in Africa who sees a lot of opportunities in the “motherland” I begun feeling uncomfortable with the narrative of Africans always being recipients of aid, even if it is from fellow Africans. I asked via the Zoom Q and A feature: How can Africans also help Africans in the diaspora?</p><p>In the chat, I made a small contribution that challenged the narrative that African youth only want government jobs. While it is true that many Africans look to government jobs due to the stability they offer, many African youth are entrepreneurial, as evidenced by the Mastercard Foundation Edtech event. I pointed out in the chat that many Africans are interested in and are active in the creative economy.</p><p>“The Mystery of Capital: Why Capitalism triumphs in the West and fails everywhere else” by Hernando de Soto was mentioned by Christopher Brooks. He said: “What I learned as I read that book was that talent is equally distributed among the human population but opportunity is not.” (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEJhgFdIHDo" target="_blank">From minute 40: 49 to 41:08</a>)</p><p>I would argue that even this lack of many opportunities in Africa…is actually an opportunity!</p><p>Christopher Brooks went on to say: “Our venture capital firm has the goal of creating a world where transformation capital is accessible to all not just to some so that is how we invest. We find really great entrepreneurs of colour with really great ideas and we deploy strategic capital in the right amount at the right time to help those entrepreneurs scale their businesses and eventually exit their businesses creating brand new economic value." (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEJhgFdIHDo" target="_blank">From minute 42:52 to 43:17)</a></p><p>He also said: “I wanna actually go a couple of layers deeper than the current conversation. When Africans were imported to America as slaves, we were told, we black people, were told that we were not fully human. America told black people that they were three-fifths human, and that meta-narrative of less than human has been indoctrinated in people throughout American history." </p><p>(Check out "<a href="https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLd6abM5w6TUnWZZwZY68E-a8Ti9GRz7sC" target="_blank">ROFFEKE University: Lesson 1 - Slave Trade, The Blues and Rock ‘n’ Roll</a>" and “<a href="http://kenyarockfilmfestivaljournal.blogspot.com/2022/02/of-african-products-and-mzungu-music.html" target="_blank">Of 'African' Products and 'Mzungu' Music</a>”)</p><p>"So one of the things that we must do, we all must, even members of the diaspora, must examine our worldview and ask ourselves, do we really believe that talent is equally distributed across the world, because in many nations, especially developed nations, we’ve been taught that talent is not equally distributed. We’ve taken this darwinistic approach, survival of the fittest, and we’ve basically said that the developed nations are the fittest, the nations that are developing or less developed are not as fit, are not as smart, are not as good, and that is just diabolical and patently untrue. I think the root, the foundation of any solution that has to do with the continent of Africa must be, Africans are brilliant. Africans are capable. Africans are investment-ready. Africans have the best solutions for Africa. If we really believe that, even those of us who are members of the diaspora, we will continue to tap into the genius of the African people that live on the African continent and we will build a better society because it will be deeply informed by those who live and breathe the African air every single day. That’s how we at Brown Venture Group and that’s how I as an individual investor and practitioner look at the world and that’s how I’m approaching the work. The best solutions for Africa come from Africa.” - Christopher Brooks. (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEJhgFdIHDo " target="_blank">From minute 1:06:14 to 1:08:00</a>)</p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166408741985023959.post-36630057907476494372023-05-25T04:52:00.003-07:002023-05-25T04:52:51.564-07:00Artificial Intelligence, Human Rights, Mozilla Festival, Borderless Africa<p>Artificial Intelligence. As a techno-optimist, I feel like a surfer who is looking at the biggest wave ever. Yes, there is the ever present danger of “wiping out”, of the artificial intelligence wave wiping out humanity – or humanity as we know it. More knowledgeable people than I have <a href="https://youtu.be/d4rBh6DBHyw" target="_blank">spoken</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/may/06/writers-strike-historic-importance-ai" target="_blank">written</a> and made <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Her_(film)" target="_blank">films</a> or <a href="https://www.mygreatlearning.com/blog/artificial-intelligence-documentaries/" target="_blank">documentaries</a> about the negative side of artificial intelligence.</p><p>Kenyan rock band “Rash” sung about “Sons of Robots”</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SWQYM4tKRMo" width="320" youtube-src-id="SWQYM4tKRMo"></iframe></div><p><a href="https://www.viddsee.com/video/wearable-android/p331z" target="_blank">Wearable Android </a>(#ROFFEKEOFFICIALSELECTION2015) by Keita Nishida is a fun look at the human-technology relationship.</p><p>Me? I am a techno-optimist. Frankie Valli and The Four Season sung in Walk like a man, “The world isn’t coming to an end” and REM pointed out: “It’s the end of the world as we know it (and I feel fine”)</p><p>In May, I watched a webinar by 6 seconds titled “The Inside Path - Trust and Optimism for the Future”. Artificial Intelligence was one of the things that was mentioned as causing people anxiety. The three sub-topics that were covered in the webinar were: </p><p>•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The role of optimism in creating a positive outlook on the future and fostering hope and excitement about what’s to come.</p><p>•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The importance of trust in building strong relationships and communities that can support us in achieving our goals.</p><p>•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>How combining trust and optimism can create a sense of empowerment and agency in shaping our own future.</p><p><a href="https://www.6seconds.org" target="_blank">6 Seconds</a> is “a non-profit organization whose mission is to increase the world’s emotional intelligence.”</p><p>I am a big fan and student of Emotional Intelligence. I thought Emotional Intelligence was one area that humans would dominate for a long time. Well, I recently learned about Heypi.com from the YouTube Channel “AI News Daily”. The title of the video says it all: <a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=26-_UUGdcfA" target="_blank">"Hey Pi - The Best "Real" Conversation I've Had with an AI Chat Bot"</a></p><p>I tried it out and used Heypi.com to get a review of some sentences from my short story about The Shenganiguns titled “Office Romance”. <a href="https://share.vidyard.com/watch/gtXimdvroiJjbHumkBXt73" target="_blank">Watch it here</a>.</p><p>One of the things that is causing concern about the fast-pace of AI development and deployment is that there isn’t adequate regulation. There is concern that AI will excarcerbate already existing problems like bias. Enter Claude, an AI that takes into consideration the Declaration of Human Rights. I learned about it from this YouTube video titled “Claude: The Quantum AI that Surpasses ChatGPT (AI with a Conscience!?)".</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yoP7XAw3gYg" width="320" youtube-src-id="yoP7XAw3gYg"></iframe></div><p>On December 10th, 2022, ROFFEKE celebrated Human Rights Day with a YouTube playlist of short films and music videos that highlight the declaration of human rights. <a href="https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLd6abM5w6TUnU_sIWW81_uBf7JwMiS-0Q" target="_blank">You can watch it here</a>. Some of the films in the Human Rights playlist are also in the <a href="https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLd6abM5w6TUkSu8J9sRjD67jg0rPFvWFG" target="_blank">ROFFEKE Borderless Africa</a> playlist, which is part of the Africans Rising “African Liberation Week” events taking place between May 22nd and May 28th.</p><p>During Mozilla Festival (March 20th to 25th) my session, titled <a href="https://schedule.mozillafestival.org/art-and-media" target="_blank">“Techno-optimism through ROFFEKE rock ‘n’ roll films”</a> featured the Human Rights YouTube playlist that showcased how tools such as YouTube playlists can help people in the global south participate in closed off or not easily accessible spaces. Mozilla Festival had some AI-themed sessions and even some of the non-AI themed sessions did touch on AI in terms of ethics and mental health.</p><p>So what is my current stance on Artificial Intelligence? Well, I am riding the AI wave with both excitement and caution. Surf's up!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9t3R6PDll0I" width="320" youtube-src-id="9t3R6PDll0I"></iframe></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166408741985023959.post-85281678542481952422023-03-30T01:00:00.000-07:002023-03-30T01:00:31.166-07:00Interview: IVA ("Run" producer/singer/performer) and Camilla Natta ("Run" music video director)<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">1.
Camille, this is your directorial debut as a solo director. What would you say
are the advantages and disadvantages of working as a solo director versus
collaborating with another director (as you did with Erick Zonca on the <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0903627/" target="_blank">Golden Bear nominated feature film
"Julia"</a>)?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This is such an interesting question, because in
film making, everything is collaborative.
You never make a movie by yourself, you rely on an entire team to make a
film, and that's both what makes this medium so exciting to work with because
you are supported in so many ways and it’s also what makes the role of the
director so challenging because you have to choose the right people for each
piece of that puzzle and then coordinate all those voices so that one single
clear vision comes out of this teamwork process. On “Julia”, Erick Zonca was really the main
experienced director and I was getting my training wheels, so I’m eternally
grateful for the opportunity I got to work with him and learn so much during
the writing process, the shoot and the editing.
I was really supporting his vision and I carried that onto the set of
“RUN” by making sure I surrounded myself with the best, most experienced people
I could find. In relying on me, Erick
really taught me how to rely on others when I was at the helm of this project
with IVA — understanding that there is no single person making the movie, but
there is one person who takes on the responsibility for the project and being a
director is really being willing to take on that responsibility.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">2.
<a href="https://ivavoice.com" target="_blank">IVA</a>, what inspired your song "Run" and how much input did you have in
the making of the music video?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Run was inspired by a friend who jogs in the north
of Sweden in the winter when it is dark all day long. I remembered my winter
days of feeling depressed, trapped indoors in dark, cold Sweden and felt this
song was about overcoming what we were all feeling during the pandemic lockdown
in the States. We were not allowed to leave our homes save for grocery shopping
and caring for loved ones, and didn’t have contact with friends and family living
close and further afield. That time was painful for so many. My friend Tracy
reminded me that running in the darkness can help us find the spark of
inspiration that we need in difficult times. I wanted to share that possibility
through this song by showing how the act of running, and its symbolism of
committing to something we love and seeing it through, can help us find our
fulfillment.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Camille had been coaching me on my acting during the
recording of the song, and we decided to turn it into a video. It was a
complete collaboration so I could give as much input as I wanted to, yet
Camille’s vision was well thought-out and I felt in good hands, letting her
take the lead. She had the brilliant idea of making much of it about my eyes,
as they are the windows to the soul. I’ve been through a great deal of loss in
my life and have found a way to make it through with love and strength, partly
thanks to friends and colleagues like Camille. She captures that spirit in the
video.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">3.
Camille, the music video complements the song quite well. There is always a
challenge regarding resources (time, money, etc) so if you had more time and
money, what would you change about the music video? What would you not change?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Our superpower as humans is adapting to
challenge. The most creative part of
being a film maker is figuring out how to meet challenge, so I love that part
of the process. Embracing it is what
makes us grow as artists. I like to remind
myself of the pinnacle moment in Indiana Jones where he faces a bad guy
wielding a saber and just as all seems lost, Indie pulls out a gun and shoots
the guy down. This quintessential moment
filled with humor all came together because Harrison Ford was sick and they
lost a couple days of filming so they had to cut the big sword fight number
from the script and get creative with the scene, and it’s my favorite moment in
the movie. Limited time and resources
force you to get creative. I wanted to
make an "in camera" movie as we were referencing classic 1980s music
video making, so I didn’t want to use any special effects. We shot one day on a sound stage and half a
day guerrilla-style in the streets of LA and through my bathroom window to
create the visual layers. And we used
mashed potatoes to create the effect of snow falling, with my ADs were
furiously sprinkling IVA with mashed potatoes and moving branches above her to
create shadows and the impression of wind.
IVA was very patient with us, getting mashed potatoes in your eyes is nobody’s
idea of having fun! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With more time and money I would have maybe wanted
to tell a more narrative story, that we would have set in snow-covered
landscapes in Iceland for example, but that would have been way beyond our
budget! But with analogue photography
coming back to the forefront, I’m excited we got to work on this project with
old school spirit.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">4.
IVA and Camille, how do you find your inner strength in a world and an industry
that can be quite challenging for women?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CAMILLE:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
I’m excited to see things are changing in our industry, I think it’s an
inspiring time to be a woman in our industry right now. While only 22% of Hollywood directors are
currently women, we’re still making changes faster than other industries like
neurosurgery where less than 10% of neurosurgeons are women. I have made an effort to surround myself with
smart women in my industry (like IVA) who have been so generous in sharing
their experience and supporting me.
Because of the importance of mentorship in our industry, we still have
some way to go. When you consider that
twice as many main characters are male than female and then you break it down
further, you see that in films with at least one woman director and/or writer,
females comprise 57% of protagonists, whereas in films with exclusively male
directors and/or writers, females only account for 19% of protagonists, it
becomes very apparent that, as women, we still have great need of a greater
pool of role models and it’s so important to support each other. I’m grateful to be part of the female
directors who can lead the way for the next generation of filmmakers, I want to
be there for them, to encourage them.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The daily practice of showing up is also something
IVA and I worked on together. We’ve had
a ritual of warming up our voices together every morning for the past 18 months
and it just set us up for success. It’s
kind of like meditation, but we did it together, so it added a dimension of
showing up for another person so you double up on your accountability and also
your sense of achievement as a team.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">IVA:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> We had a beautiful, wild ride creating this
video together, and we have collaborated many times, which made our working
relationship even more powerful on this film, both when things went right and
if things went wrong - like losing a much desired makeup artist at the last
minute or facing a large budget and finding ways to make it smaller while
holding true to the vision. We had inner strength from a mutual trust and
respect for each other’s artistry, and from having each other to lean on.
Camille and I have a very strong friendship. We lift each other up when our
self esteem is damaged by the industry, and help each other navigate through
when life and work becomes challenging. We have a pact to be fully honest with
each other, and we can hash through differences and fight sometimes and then
discuss openly what happened with no hard feelings. As a musician, I focus on
sharing my truth in the most effective way I can, which I find is through my
music, and Camille helped me emanate a deeper, stronger version of myself in
this video. A few years ago I lost my mother suddenly, and was also in a
romantic relationship where I was a victim of domestic abuse for many years. I
was grieving for a long time and felt somewhat defeated, and Camille helped me
feel ready to “Run” with passion again. Camille and I also provided firsts for
each other with this video, she as lead director and I in having the creative
direction of someone of Camille’s caliber and deep knowledge of me as an
artist. I was able to look into the camera with my full being, unafraid of
being seen. That has given me a new perspective on my artistry, and about who I
am. I know most of all that standing together is our strength, and I am
grateful to have a friend and colleague like Camille who gives it to me
straight and loves me with all her heart, as I do her. I hope that as two women
creating this music video together we will be able to reach many more people
and inspire other women to realize their creative visions fully, and as often,
as possible.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">5.
IVA, what advice would you give to musicians who want to make their first music
video?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Find a director that you trust who also has the
skills and vision necessary to make an effective music video. Also be sure to
prepare yourself for the screen as it’s quite a different means of
communication than through music. Most of all, enjoy the creative process.
Camille and I absolutely did, and it was hard work! I have an even deeper
respect now for all those who work in film and feel very lucky to know multi-faceted
artists like Camille (who also did an incredible job editing the video.) And
she respected our budget and did her best to keep things economical, which set
my mind at ease. Also, work with the director to put together a great team who
can help you realize the vision. And, if you can, raise a budget that allows
you to take care of everyone well, making sure everyone has the equipment,
space, and food necessary to do their best work. It makes a big difference for
rapport on the set, and for the film itself.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">6.
Camille, what advice would you give to directors who want to make their first
music video?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Have fun, take the time to experiment. Music videos really allow for a lot of
experimentation. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Also, STORYBOARD.
I cannot underline how important storyboarding is, especially in short
format story-telling. I’m grateful to my
first AD, John Claflin, for forcing me to storyboard the entire video, phrase
by phrase, and really thinking through the musical changes, rather than just
the broad strokes. This was so helpful
when I was editing, so I wouldn’t end up stuck because I was missing one tiny
shot. The moments where IVA is spinning
for example are four different shots for each turn and she had to start and
land those movements very precisely while singing the song and looking
natural. And the layers where multiple
versions of her are floating or flying by her all had to be shot on exact
moments of her singing and timed with the music and lyrics, every single one of
those is a different shot with multiple takes, it you look closely at her lips,
you’ll see none of them is a repeat shot.
All of this had to be precisely calibrated and storyboarded in advance,
otherwise it would never have worked. I
also had to make the decision on set to cut several shots from our shoot day as
we ran out of time and the precise storyboarding allowed me to make the
decision of what cut very quickly in the moment, without compromising the
editing. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The other piece of advice I would give is make sure
you have people on your team who really understand music, because you're
cutting a film to support the music, to enhance the audience’s experience of a
song, so it’s very helpful to have people in your crew who understand what’s
going on musically. RUN is a complex
piece of music. IVA makes it look easy,
but there aren’t many pop artists who have the chops to do what she is doing
musically in this song. She’s a full on
opera singer by training, so her voice and the musical choices are complex and
mature. So it was important to me to
surround myself with a team who could really appreciate the complexities and
challenges of the music.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">7.
Camille, what three things, places, events and/or people stood out for you on
your trip to Kenya?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I was very young, I visited Kenya as a toddler. I know my parents hiked up Mount Kilimanjaro
and I am fond of this picture of me with one of my uncles, clearly excited to
be coming along for the ride. I have
memories of the rain and dancing, and eating ugali and irio — which is dream
food for a toddler as you eat it with your hands ;). I hope to visit Kenya again soon, maybe I’ll
be flooded with early childhood memories.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://youtu.be/VoYCzeF6TJY" target="_blank">Watch 'The Making of "RUN"':</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VoYCzeF6TJY" width="320" youtube-src-id="VoYCzeF6TJY"></iframe></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1166408741985023959.post-74893479453767507022023-03-08T08:02:00.000-08:002023-03-08T08:02:23.603-08:00International Women’s Day, “Run” (Directed by Camille Natta) and “Earn the Day” (Written and Directed by Jane Shepard)<p>Happy International Women’s Day! </p><p>According to <a href="https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/announcement/2022/12/international-womens-day-2023-digitall-innovation-and-technology-for-gender-equality" target="_blank">UN Women</a>, the 2023 theme is: “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality” It is aligned with the main theme for the 67th session of the Commission on the Status of Women: “Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.”</p><p>I subscribe to the e-newsletter of filmmaker <a href="https://theindependentfilmschool.com" target="_blank">Ela Thier </a>and she recently recommended a short film titled <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKD8TQ9uC4c" target="_blank">“Earn the Day”</a>. I watched it then I understood why she mentioned in her short commentary that she was halfway through the film and she was both laughing and crying. After watching the film, I wrote in the comment section: “Funny, fun and so inspiring!”</p><p>The music video for IVA’s beautiful song “Run” was directed by Camille Natta and is her directorial debut as a solo director. “This is an experimental music video about a woman finding her inner strength to run in the cold in the dead of winter in Northern Sweden.”</p><p>I would say that the essence of “Earn the Day” is about the protagonist finding her inner strength to run away from the cold, harsh criticisms of her inner voices. Two powerful images appear both in “Run” and “Earn the Day”: a carefree little girl running freely, joyfully, unencumbered, unashamedly. In “Earn the Day”, the little girl appears when the protagonist is in the flow, when she is being her authentic self, when she has silenced those inner critics, when she has given herself permission to rest. In “Run”, the little girl appears during the chorus of the song, a simple chorus, reminiscent of the chorus in that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CUr0bnDCfM" target="_blank">Sheryl Crow song</a> (“Run, baby, run, baby, run, baby, run, baby, run”) but in IVA’s song, the chorus is made up of one repeated word: “Run, run, run, run, run, run…”</p><p>When we women can reconnect with that little girl, or at least, that little girl’s energy, optimism and hope, then we can be transformed and run further than we ever imagined.</p><p>At the end of both “Earn the Day” and “Run”, the protagonists are transformed into more powerful versions of themselves.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1