Is There A Music/Intelligence Correlation?

I just received this link via twitter from @FanFound.

After reading the short article, my first instinct was to laugh and go on about my day. Then I decided to write about it because I do personally believe there is some truth to it, although it may be a bit exaggerated.

My first issue on credibility has to do with the fact there are no stats on the survey taken to write the article and the link provided for a graphic chart doesn't work. With all that said, I still tend to partially agree with the overall premise.

We all know that music effects each and everyone of us mentally, physically, and emotionally. We all know that kids who learn to play instruments in school and have some kind on music lessons do better in math and science than kids who don't. We all know that music can effect the brain on various levels. So why would it be so hard to believe there may be a correlation between the music you listen to and intelligence?

We've all seen them... the rude, ill-mannered, loud, attention seeking pre-teens, teens, and young adults. And we wonder, WTH is the problem? And then we think, I would have gotten my teeth kicked in if I acted like that in public. And then we suck our teeth and walk away.

The one common denominator in all of these groups of kids is usually the music. Now this article states that "Urban" music listeners are at the bottom along with fans of certain "Rock" bands. So I went a little further and picked out the repetitiveness of the music listened to irregardless of music genre. I think that is a much stronger argument and keeps the focus on the music and doesn't let it bleed into other areas that can dilute the initial statement.

So, when you think about the repetition in the music, there is an argument to be made. When you listen to a 3 minute song, and there are little to no changes in the music it makes the music dull, boring, and mind numbing. Put 10-15 of these songs on an album with lyrics that are just as repetitive and you have the perfect intelligence sucking cocktail. The lyrics don't usually paint a picture, tell a story, or say anything of any importance. This completely allows the listener to disengage and not unconsciously use their brain when listening.

For example, "Single Ladies" by Beyonce. One of the most repetitive songs in the history of recording. Can you remember the verses or just the chorus? When you hear or read the lyrics, can you paint a picture and interpret the words the way you see fit? Does that synth in the background in the entire song drive you batty after 1 min or do you even notice it?

Yes, it's a fun song for clubbing or passing the time away in traffic for most, but imagine 12 more songs just like it on one CD and listening to it 24/7. Now what? You're ready to jump out the nearest high rise window right? Thought so.

Another example, "Lions, Tigers, & Bears" by Jazmine Sullivan. I personally don't care for this song, but it does create unconscious imagery, a feeling of emotion, and it's relatable on multiple levels. If this song does all that and I don't even like the song, which do you think I'll listen to if forced to choose between the two.

Now remember all of the songs you consider classics, songs that will still put a smile on your face and bring back good memories when you are 50, 60, 70, 80 years old. Remember the greats in the music biz. What category do they fall in? Think of songs that are still relevant 30 and 40 years later? Then think of the people who grew up on those songs and listened to those songs and still listen. Are they more intelligent then most people who listen to repetitive music today? For me the answer is more often then not, YES.

Now this again is cross genre. Repetitive music of any kind... metal, punk, dance, rap, r&b, pop, emo, etc. Repetition breeds stupidity. But it is curable. If you like the repetition but want to save your brain cells, read a book, write, do some kind of art, don't ONLY watch reality t.v., become a part of your community.

Not saying repetitive music sucks, which it does, just sayin'... enough already.

Graphic Hacks

I've been a freelance designer for almost 8 years now. Over the years, I've seen my work become more and more devalued by more and more graphic hacks flooding the market.

Now what's a graphic hack you ask? Well this is only my opinion of what a graphic hack is. A graphic hack is someone who knows their way around a computer and various software programs with novice to intermediate skill. Someone with no formal training in design,layout, color theory, and typography. Some who can go to ebay, use the "Buy It Now" function and buy a butt load of web templates and start advertising their services as a graphic artist at slave wages.

However a trained and experienced graphic artist can spot a graphic hack's work a mile away. They are usually cookie cutter templates that the hack has replaced a few images. The fonts are usually over sized and not pleasing to the eyes. The layout is botched and the colors aren't appropriate for the product or message being sent. And when you point these things out, you're called a hater. Really? Seriously?

I run across graphic hacks all day long on Craigslist.org and other freelance marketing sites and I even know some personally.

So here is my problem with graphic hacks. They will build a 5 page site for $200 or design a flyer for $25 or business cards including printing for $40. This has become so rampant that clients now expect these rates as the standard going rate. Well, I'm so sorry to disappoint you cheap ass people who need graphic services,but these are hack rates. These hacks could never be employed in an ad agency, with corporate firms, with movie houses, or any other legitimate company that needs graphic artists because their work is substandard.

Now I went out into the freelance world because I could make more money and have more control over my time and spend more time with my family. But those days are vanishing quickly thanks in part to the graphic hack plague. When I have to spend most of my day bidding on jobs and losing 98% of them because someone says they'll do the job for $10 an hour on a 30 hour job, I start to wonder why am I still doing this.

I've lost the joy I use to have in my profession. I've lost the pride I use to have in calling myself a designer. I'm loosing my creativity cause I spend most of my time trying to compete with low ballers and not enough time creating.

So with this, I'm deciding to find a new career. I won't have my wages undercut because I'm competing with sub par work from sub par wanna be designers who are willing to work for minimum wage. I didn't work my way through school for that.

Have fun graphic hacks and for all the clients using them... you get what you pay for.

I'm just sayin'... OMG WTF, I'm better then minimum wage.

AI... Yes I watch AI...

All-be-it mostly in fast forward from my trusty DirectTV DV-R :) Is there any other way to watch reality TV. Besides, why watch it live, turn the channel when an atrocious singer cries out out-of-tune, risk missing something of huge embarrassment and not having the opportunity to rewind because it wasn't recorded on the DV-R... yes I know...GEEK!! And I'll have you know, I'm perfectly ok with that label :P

Ok back to AI (American Idol). If you watched last night, then you know it was Diana Ross "The Boss" night. How, oh how could these young aspiring singers manage to mangle this night. After all, there are so many classic songs to choose from that are timeless and just need to be re-sung in your key of choice, right? WRONG! Oh soooooo very wrong.

Most were average karaoke performances. The two standouts, as usual, were great and did just what I mentioned above. The Jordan kid is cute, but not on their level but above everyone else(for the time being). Now let's get to the meat of my annoyance. DO NOT, and I repeat, DO NOT remix, update, rearrange, or do anything else along those lines to a CLASSIC, TIMELESS Motown song you fracken morons. How hard is it! Hello!!! Do you not understand the terms Classic and Timeless. If not, grab your nearest dictionary (either online or in the physical) and look it up. But just in case you have problems comprehending the written meaning, I'll help you out. In terms of music,classic and timeless means being able to hear the original recording in present day and the song is still flawless and touches your soul. No matter if it's 10 years later or a thousand years later. In other words, DON"T TOUCH IT YOU FRACKEN POMPOUS, BRAINLESS MEDIA WHORE!!

I must add this, I don't totally blame the arrogant twits that took it upon themselves to remix and mash-up their song of choice. I blame the current entertainment atmosphere they were and are raised in. The one that has no value for classics. We've all witnessed the horrendous remakes of motion picture classics, that for some reasons the thought of just re-releasing the original to expose it's greatness to a new generation, somehow escapes the movie-pusher Gods' tiny minds. So it only seems natural that these little peons regurgitate the same bad judgments they've been exposed to.

Either way, I have just one suggestion. Listen to, learn, and feel the meaning and soul behind a classic song before you put your grimy little hands on it. If you do this, and truly do this, you will probably hold this classic song near and dear to you as many of us who understand the pricelessness of the classic song do.

I'm just saying... Stop rewriting the past and learn from it.

All HIP-HOP HEADS need to see this....

Last night I had the honor to attend a screening of what could be an extremely important documentary about the current state of hip hop music and the role it plays in the black and latino cultures.

Is the impact positive or negative?

Does it reinforce stereotypes that blacks and latinos fight so hard to over come on a daily basis? Does it do more harm to the image of black and latino men and women in the minds of the average white American?

Who is responsible for what is portrayed in the music and the videos? Is there only one culprit or a collective culprit?

These were just some of the issues raised in the documentary and during the Q&A session that followed the viewing.

The truth is, there is no easy, cut and dry, black and white answer. However, there is an underlying driving force that seems to blind & drive most involved in the making and distribution of these songs and videos. That force, no matter how you look at it, is the all mighty dollar.

The music industry, is after all, a company who's sole purpose is to make a return on their investment. The artist is trying to attain wealth and fame to make his/her life more comfortable in their eyes. The lawyers, video directors, account execs, etc are all people who are trying to make a living off of the artist and the music industry. So common sense and good business sense tells all involved, make what sells and brings in the most money. And before you even finished reading that last sentence, you already knew what the answer was. SEX & VIOLENCE.

So one may ask, why even make the documentary? Why try to find a culprit? Why question an industry who's sole purpose is to provide entertainment to the masses?

Why? Well I'll tell you why. Because in the black and latino communities, these sex and violent images are shown in a disproportionate amount. There is no balance. You can watch 8 hours of TV and see more blacks and latinos waving guns, shooting at people, treating women as objects to be used at will, fighting, stabbing, and rolling through the ghettos in their expensive cars and blinging from head to toe. Now in those same 8 hours, you may see only a handful of positive images of black and latinos doing something constructive and useful. So in that context, the positive images look like the exception while the negative images look like the rule.

If we lived in a society where people used their common sense and were able to decifer fact from fiction and not let what they see on tv form the opinions of how they view people in reality, there would be no need for this article or documentary. But we all know the truth. There are a lot of people from all walks of life that believe what they see on TV to be fact. Especially after they've been bombarded with these images on a daily basis, month after month, year after year.

Now I'm not blaming anyone or pointing fingers. What I am doing is stating a fact. The negative to positive images are out of balance and need to be balanced out. And no we can't expect the music industry or the entertainment industry to do this for us. We have to do it our selves thru indie music, movies, books, and videos. By networking with one another to provide other outlets to obtain these positive images. By working with the kids in the schools and communities to show them life is not about sex, drugs, gats, and money.

Sounds good, you say, but how? Well that question I'm still working on. But to start, watch this documentary and maybe it will inspire you to do something about the situation. Get the mind wheels turning. Come up with some ideas and hopefully spark some movement to put those ideas into action.

I can go on and on forever, but I'll stop here. This documentary got me going and I'm putting some ideas into motion as we speak. Maybe it will do the same for you.


Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rymes
By Byron Hurt
Preview the doc here:http://itvs.org/outreach/hiphop/preview.html


View it on:
PBS
Independent Lens
Feb 20, 2007
http://www.itvs.org/outreach/hiphop/index.htm

I'm just sayin'... OMG check it out if you love hip hop

Ever Wonder Why Other Countries Hate Americans???

I've just receive this bulletin from a myspace buddy and had to post it so others outside of myspace could see and hear about this BS!!

This clip from Scarborough Country highlights how Bayer knowingly dumped medicine that was known to be contaminated with AIDS virus on the Asian and Latin American markets after it killed people in America.



Then we wonder why other countries hate us???

Here’s a link for more on the story, worth reading:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/05/22/health/main555154.shtml

I think it’s the FDA that should share the blame as well. In fact I’d probably blame them more.

I’m in a bit of disbelief on this still, as I’m sure many of you are, it’s just too cruel, nuts, and too damn heartless.

However, anyone who’s done any research into Bayer is probably not surprised.
Mainly because of their history of working with the Nazis. Read about it.
(Just a little info: Bayer executive Fritz ter Meer, sentenced to seven years in prison by the Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal, was made head of the supervisory board of Bayer in 1956, after his release. WTF?!?!)

The things people do for the love of money....
------
Thanks for the info Aspect1

Now for my two cents...

I'm sorry but there is no F--ing way that this can be swept under the rug. We as human beings should not let this slip under the radar and be quietly hushed by greedy corporate moguls and dirty paid politicians. ANY and ALL who had something to do with this heartless deal needs to pay and be held accountable for their role.

Money, under no circumstances, should ever trump human compassion. There is no question about the fact that Bayer and it's board members, the FDA, and certain members of our government knew that this medication was contaminated with the HIV/AIDS virus and still allowed it to be sold overseas to unsuspecting, ill people looking for medicine to treat their hemophilia. What kind of BS is this? What kind of person can sleep soundly and go about their daily lives knowing that they've just killed hundreds of people with a single dose of that contaminated medicine. And for what? Just so they can keep their profit margin up and give out larger bonuses?

GIVE ME A F--ING BREAK PEOPLE!!

Keep a close eye on this story and do everything you can not to let it get swept under the rug and go away quietly.

I'm Just Sayin'....OMG WTF!!!