IMAGINE ANNIE

One last quick one before the final reflection came to me as i was editing the YOUTUBE entries and remembered back to the class discussion we had regarding the short attention span, clip obsessed culture who by way of access to choice get more and more emboldened to enforce their choices and/or impose their tastes upon others. I have had the argument many a time with all sorts of different folks about the nature of personal choice versus something that serves the group dynamic. I have very eclectic tastes and realise that when i play music for people it should have a degree of universality, well the attempt is made, like its hard to miss with the BEATLES.

Reminds me of when a friend of mine obsessed with punk and alternative music was dragged practically kicking and screaming one night to a hip-hop club and brought his ipod with him.

In defiance of the group and selfishly proud of his own convictions he played his music while everyone esle respected the DJ (who was a fiend of both me and ipod man by the way) and the atmoshpere of the place. This was a while back but sticks with me because i have seen it reccur in the form of mobile phones that project like old ghettoblasters, as people obnoxiously assume their musical tastes gel with all around them on public transport. Now i like 2PAC as much as the next hip-hop fan but the grandmother taking her two kids shopping may not so much appreciate 'bitches aint shit' to the same degree.

Sounds like a rant but there is a point that comes from a story my brother wrote (IMAGINE ANNIE) which relates to an evolution of this idea but on a more discreet level. The idea was that people while their music is playing in their headphones overtly project the music they are listening to onto a sort of digital billboard that others can see or access, tune into like a radio station. So ultimately everyone within set radius becomes a kind of insular DJ and people can opt in or out based on their tastes. The connection is one made by tastes and inclinations and certainly has a future i feel as i always wonder what the person who really is enjoying their music is listening to and personally can't help but bop when i get a track i really love pop on.


NEXT: Final Reflection...