L-R Morton Subotnick, Me (yes that is a mullet), Burton Beerman (teacher and mentor), Mark Bunce (dear friend, partner in AMP Recordings) 1989 or 90

“Be really gear agnostic.” “There is no piece of gear that you have to have to make a record.” “It’s not the gear.” There isn’t anything you could buy for even $100 that couldn’t be used to make a great record.”

Well that is great quote and can be applied to all the artisan fields that are effected by and fear the move to DIY. And it helped me frame this little sound project.

Instead of using this as an excuse to go out and get Ableton or Logic with a bunch of new virtual instruments or even hooking up with iRig gear, I decided to create my sound story with just my iPhone and the apps that were currently on it and Garage Band. My phone and Garage Band have nearly if not more synthesis, sampling and recording power than my old rack of gear that included and EMU sampler, a K2000s controlled with a Wavesation EX and WX7 (still have those 2) and several racked effects processors. How's that for DIY disruption (and progress frankly).

The Sound Poem

I have a fair amount of trees in my yard compared to the rest of my street. On my birthday September 1, the 17 year cicada’s winding down their call and response combined with the usual song of crickets chirping really created a sound piece all its own. I went out and sat down and let the sound wash over me. I noticed sometimes though that the stress of the daily grind would come creeping into the peace attained by the sound trance. The sound would waiver and become mechanized and horrific until I could collect my thoughts and relax again.

I wanted to capture that in my piece. So I decided to start recording the sound environment with my iPhone. I manipulated the sounds I recorded with an app I already had on my iPhone, Moog’s Filtatron. I transferred the sounds to my computer and shaped the piece using Garage Band.

To me, this piece wants to be a 6 - 10 minute ambient piece, multi channel played over high end speakers loudly - cuz that’s how I like to experience pieces like this. But this time out I needed to make it short enough so you would listen to the whole piece - most likely on your mobile device. I attempted to master it so that it tells the story effectively through basic ear buds. I strongly encourage you to listen to it on full range headphones. Admittedly it does not work well over mobile device speakers or computer speakers. I offer it as a free download with Creative Commons share with attribution. So, with all this talk I fear it will disappoint. But here it is. Cicada Drift.

Process

The recording app I used is Fire, which has been acquired and is now distributed by Rode Microphones. The app provides an FTP to share recordings. I recorded 3 minutes of ambient crickets and several “close ups’ of cicadas in the yard. You can hear me walking around.

Filtatron has a feature that lets you import sounds to use as samples. I imported both the crickets and the cicada recordings and used them for sound sources to which the resonance filter was applied and used as a control source for filters and oscillators. The app allows you to record your output on the phone and export via FTP.

On the left is the Fire app. A great app I've had on my phone for years dating back to my 3Gs. The rest are screen caps of the Filtatron app, which I love and my wife can't stand, mostly because I tinker with it at times I probably shouldn't.I created a number of sounds to use as the colors for my canvas. Garage Band was the canvas. I brought all the sounds in to Grage Band and listened to each of them all the way through. It took some getting used to Garage Band’s limitations but ultimately the automation of volume, pan and the effects on each track really works pretty well.

Performance ecosystems

A decision framework to take performance to the next level

The paper’s objective is to present a “clearly defined taxonomy” that provides executives “a decision framework to take performance to the next level” using ecosystems.

Now, what does this mean to those currently working in the Learning and Development field? Or even to the knowledge worker/learner? Is this a framework to use in our own departments or is it essential business knowledge to leverage as we move from creating courses to building support networks (ecosystems?) that empower learning in the workflow?

Well that is something we would like to talk about! And by “we” I mean me, Mark, Mike Taylor (@tmiket), Rory Francis (@PDRory), and dropping in for a bit Janet Laane Effron (@jleffron). Learning from our network has become an essential part of our work lives and what better way to wrap our collective heads around this framework than talking it out?

So if you are interested, please read the article and plan to join us for Google + Hangout to discuss. Let me know if your interested and we’ll add you to the circle (first 10 only of course).

We plan to meet and chat for just an hour on Friday, February 15th at 12:00pm EST.

See you there!

Source: Performance Ecosystems (http://dupress.com/articles/performance-ecosystems-which-model-is-right-for-you/)

It has been a (long) while since I have written in this space. This is my attempt to get back into writing for myself as a practice of sense making and reflection - learning.

Creativity and innovation are understandably big topics for both business and the campus. Seeking the new, taking risks, being willing to fail and learning from that failure in order to create something original and/or of value are all keys to innovation. These are also all keys to the creative process.

That's me prepping for the premiere of my piece "Three Sketches" for trumpet, flute and interactive electronics. That's an Apple IIe and DX 7. The piece also included synched slides. 1986. The analog boards on the floppy drives blew just before the concert. We went with the 2 "sketches" that didnt use the computer. "Should of just used tape" Naw - I got it performed a few months later.I guess you can say that I have a “creative” background. My degrees are in music composition and in the past I was a somewhat active composer. Much of what I think are the best qualities that I bring to the table when helping to provide “solutions of value” for businesses, wether through media, marketing or learning development, I developed through my “creative” background. I have to admit that I thought I had the notion of creativity all buttoned up. “Dude - I gots degrees - I know creativity” (Those pesky silos, ya try break them down, but yet they sometimes creep back into the psyche)

But a series of tweets from what is a Social Media life time ago really got me to thinking and reflecting on the nature of creativity, fostering creativity and being creative on a daily basis and what that means for me now.

Here is an excerpted Twitter convo with Aaron Silvers - a thinker and an instigator, one of many that I connect with and am better for it.

Meaning-making is at the heart of creativity. Meaning is how we hold things in mind: constancy of representation.

— Aaron Silvers (@aaronesilvers) March 18, 2012

The meaning that you give to something is the performance that you live. Perhaps changing performance requires changing the meaning.

— Aaron Silvers (@aaronesilvers) March 18, 2012

@audioswhite it's a convergence of energies. I'd argue that with meaning comes creativity. Many more can perform than do so with meaning.

— Aaron Silvers (@aaronesilvers) March 18, 2012

Now these represent a brief interaction most likely long forgotten by Aaron, but for some reason it stuck in my brain and I have been ruminating on it for quite some time. This is not an attempt to define creativity. I am not looking to quantify it or subscribe to a particular theory.

For me the creative act, the drive to write, compose, sculpt, paint, draw, scribble, film, code and so on, is a Need. It is an itch that must be scratched. It is not always a pleasant or or joyful process trying to satisfy that itch. It can lead to mania and be frustrating, lead to tears, deprivation.
It is a quest. A search.
It is why when I was younger I would sometimes go 40 hours without sleep searching for that right solution, that "something" - the just-right filter on the just right sampled-string sound, the perfect image to evoke the right question, whether in your mind or in the participants mind (Art requires participation ya know - another discussion). To me, that is the search for meaning. And the creative act is a journey to attain meaning both for the creator and the participant - and thus my quick response to Aaron’s provocation.

But here is where this little exchange got me to thinking.

My description above I think is more a description of artistic drive born of the quest of the masterpiece.  This is different than creativity.

There is no doubt in my mind that creativity is born of the quest to solve a problem. This includes being able to frame a problem and then search for a path or paths to a solution. Searching for the right filter settings on that string sample was a creative act, a step in the ultimate quest. After a little sleep, a revisit to that sound would reveal that it wasn’t The Sound*. A failure. So started the tweaking - what was good about it, what was bad about it, and then remake it until it was right - or abandon it if it wasn't the right fit.

That, I think, is an example of creativity.  The daily search and resulting epiphanies that lead to value.

And here is where meaning comes into play. I was thinking of the artist searching for the big meaning behind their quest, their search, the answers at the end of an artistic vision. But, the quest for vision is their meaning. The purpose behind their “convergence of energies”. That meaning, the one where what you do makes a difference, brings a change and moves you, your team, your network forward.

So now we get into the context of creativity in the work place.  

If the meaning in one’s job is simply to be present between certain hours, and complete tasks through rote process, there is likely less of a chance that they will be creative in their work. If there is meaning to what one does, the more likely I think they will be to take the risks to seek the new or original solution that provides real Value. This of course ultimately leads to increased performance. Isn’t that how we want to approach what we do? Isn’t that how we want the people we team with to approach what they do? To feel comfortable and be willing to seek the paths to solutions, without fear of failure?
We are now in Dan Pink’s territory for sure.

But environment and culture alone are not the sole incubator for being creative or working creatively. There is a responsibility of the individual to make necessary changes to perform at their creative best. It can be easy to fall into rote processes to push items out the door and get to the end of the day.  I have experienced this. Culture can be an obstacle to creative productivity. In this case, as hard as it may be to not just blame “them” or “they”, it may be necessary to create and foster your own meaning, or seek to change the culture. Working with meaning despite obstacles makes a huge difference in creativity, productivity and satisfaction.

Understandably, many seek this satisfaction outside of the job, playing in music groups, photography, gaming - you name it. And that is great. But a key I think is to seek that satisfaction in your work. In our ever growing flattened and networked business world where work is learning and learning is the work, it is also true that work is creating and creativity is the work.

So after some months of thinking and reflection, I think that I am in agreement with Mr. Silvers; “The meaning that you give to something is the performance that you live. Perhaps changing performance requires changing the meaning.”

What do you think? Have you considered creativity and the role it plays in your everyday life, your work?

*Music Tech Geeks. I wish I had that sound to link and play here. I am looking through old DAT tapes and floppies (if they are any good). At the time I was working with the Emulator III and an old Digi program Turbo Snyth.

Besides, what about The Long Tail?

The concepts of The Long Tail figure significantly in the operation of our "micro - niche" label. We are taking advantage of the read/write web using blogs, social networks etc. to find our niche, to capture the attention of our potential listeners and to invite their participation in our music product. The Long Tail has allowed our music products to be available at music retailers like Amazon as well as digital retailers such as Itunes and eMusic.

The Long Tail seems to be emerging in the eLearning world as well. John Seely Brown and Richard P. Adler tackle the implications of The Long Tail on learning admirably in their article in Educause Review, "Minds on Fire: Open Education, the Long Tail, and Learning 2.0" The article is an excellent and informative read. I came to it by way of Tony Karrer's eLearning Technology blog. Tony has has a great article covering his take on the Long Tail in corporate learning "Corporate Learning Long Tail and the Attention Crisis"

All of this is heady stuff, especially when I often  deal with organizations still trying to figure out how use their 5 year old LMS. I  think social learning networks and the rise of niche learning is an inevitability. People who learn socially tend to retain more information and learn - well - better. There is research to back that up, but I know it from my teaching assistant days. A professor of record and 2 teaching assistants taught a freshman level music theory class with an enrollment of 121 students. The class was a lecture class held in a large recital hall. To assist the students in absorbing the material, the other assistant and I (who is now my wife by the way) set up small learning groups of 15 to 20 students. The sessions were very informal, we often had doughnuts, coffee etc and had the students participate in running and even devising exercises and games so we could ensure the students could resolve their augmented sixth chords. The students who took advantage of those small learning groups invariably either had the highest grades or improved their grades.

Today, this can be handled by creating a social learning network online, using maybe a blog or a wiki where the students participate in and even generate the learning content. And with bandwidth, storage etc. costs constantly falling in price, more and more knowledge and learning niches will populate the Long Tail.  Of course, as with most everything along these lines, if you build it, they may not come. A culture needs to be developed to encourage the learners to participate and share.

Anyhow, that long tail is a slappin me around, in music, to some degree in our music instrument and recording gear retail business and in eLearning.