The 1975

Today, it is disconcertingly common to hear repetitive, unimaginative music. This is largely due to the growing power of both the music and the entertainment industry in the world economy. Increasingly, the music that people are inundated with on a daily basis is inspired by corporate greed instead of real, artistic vision. It becomes almost impossible for the average consumer to sort through the layers of red tape that separate the artist from the work that they produce. For example, record companies often use confusing legal jargon when describing an artist’s or groups’ processes, motivations, etc. Illusions are purposely created to hide the fact that many artists are acting as a pretty face onto which the record company can project something that is guaranteed to succeed monetarily. It goes without saying that this environment is not conducive to artistic ingenuity. It is, therefore, the job of the industry outsiders to push music as a whole forward by taking artistic risks. 

Enter the 1975. The Manchester-based four-piece is a band that uses its incredible artistic talent and unwavering passion for the craft to create meaningful music about a wide range of topics. The band explores the the the concepts of art, religion, life, love, and debauchery as these themes relate to the lives of modern youth. Lead singer and songwriter of the band, Matty Healy, describes the 1975’s self-titled debut album beautifully when he says 

“It’s everything that I know and every single song on the album, at some point, has been the most important thing in my life. I’ve spent my adult life working towards this album. It’s literally everything I am.”

Clearly, the 1975 makes music deeply rooted in personal experience. However, what really sets them apart is their respect for the art of musicianship and the artistic integrity that they embody throughout the creation of their music. Undeterred by the fast-paced nature of the modern music market, the 1975 spent almost 10 years creating music, playing gigs, and touring together before releasing an album. During this time, they experimented with every part of their identity; from their sound, to their aesthetic, to their name. The purposefully slow pace of their early career prove that the band members care more about the process of creating music than about the celebrity that can come from it. The incredible level of respect for the process of creating that the band members exhibit is hard to come across in today’s music scene. Matty Healy articulates his motivation for creating the 1975’s music in the below quote:

“We said ‘we’re not desperate to be famous, we’re not desperate to be in a massive band, let’s do it our way, on our terms, and make sure that our projection of ourselves is controlled by us’.”

It was important to the band that not only their music, but also their aesthetic appearance was completely under their control. The 1975 keeps their aesthetic simple, as to allow their music to be the star of the show. However, through their creative use of imagery and typing style on social media, the band has certainly made a unique and iconic aesthetic. 

In his article “Accept Defeat: The Neuroscience of Screwing Up”, Jonah Lehrer discusses the need for creatives to think divergently and come up with many solutions for a problem, even though this will cause a lot of failure. This way of thinking is definitely evident in the way that Matty Healy and bandmate/co-songwriter George Daniel create the music for he 1975. The duo are constantly creating new content and trying out new sounds. Perhaps this is why the records that do make the final cut are so dynamic. In a way, the 1975 owe all their success to those years of creating songs that weren't “good” enough to see the light of day. Now they tour the world sharing their music with countless fans. Matty’s passion for the final part of the process was clear when he said:

“People need to get on board with what we’re doing and see that we’re for this generation. I want our music to be a part of people’s lives, properly.” 

He has certainly succeeded at that.

Ruido Fest - The Latin Lollapalooza

This past July marked the third annual Ruido Fest in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood. Also known as “noise” fest in Spanish, this three day music festival brings some of the coolest artists and bands from Latin America to Chicago. Think Lollapalooza, but with headliners from Chile, Peru, México, Colombia, Puerto Rico and Venezuela. Turning away from the traditional cumbia, salsa and merengue music of their parents, this festival caters to a new generation of Latin American listeners. Marketed as “Latin American Alternative,” Ruido fest features artists playing punk, hip hop, electronic, reggae and everything in between. This new generation of artists defy cliches and stereotypes in Latin American music and culture, allowing them to make music that is new, creative and exciting.

While Ruido Fest is a relatively young festival, it has gained a large following over the past three years and has even become a household name among many Latinos in Chicago. I believe that this rapid growth and acceptance of the festival is indicative of the immense cultural need for an event like this.

Ruido Fest is a solution to a cultural divide in U.S. Latino culture. It creates a much needed space for Latinos who feel as if they don’t fit in with mainstream Latino culture (salsa music, reggaeton, telemundo, etc). Minorities are often told that they have to culturally stick together to be able to survive in this country. That there is not room for minorities to be complex or divided. That diversity and subcultures are only reserved for white Americans. But this type of thinking only dehumanizes groups of people and turns them into stereotypes. Ruido Fest challenges this by allowing Latinos to express themselves in diverse ways.

Ruido Fest also addresses a divide in American youth culture, where black and white voices are often heard, but those of brown or Latino youth are rarely given an opportunity to speak. While Lollapalooza features little to no Latino artists, Ruido Fest creates a space where those voices are put first.

The creator and mastermind behind Ruido Fest is Eduardo Calvillo. Calvillo is a forty-something radio DJ and event organizer based in Chicago.

Calvillo has hosted Rock Sin Anestesia, a Spanish-language radio show featuring Latin American Alternative music, for over twenty years. The show airs weekly on WLUW (Loyola’s Radio Station!) In the twenty years of hosting this show, Calvillo has interviewed countless artists from Latin America and spoken with many Chicago listeners calling in to the show. Through this method of informal research, Calvillo learned a lot about the Mexican American and Puerto Rican communities in Chicago. With this information in mind, Calvillo started curating and organizing shows with Latin American bands for Chicago audiences throughout the late 90s and early 2000s. These would be some of his early creative accomplishments, while Ruido Fest is his career’s greatest product.

Calvillo’s creativity lies in the research and curation of events - knowing what the Latino communities in Chicago want and also how to get it done. Ruido Fest is going on it’s fourth year now and according to an article in the Chicago Tribune, “it is here to stay.”

The success of the festival can be seen in its replication in other U.S. cities over the past 3 years. In 2016, a music festival called Rock Fiesta popped up in Quartzsite, Arizona, and this past summer witnessed the first Los Dells Latin Music Festival in the Wisconsin Dells. Both of these festivals are sonically and aesthetically very similar to Ruido Fest. Ruido Fest has also been praised by peers in the field. Alt.Latino, a National Public Radio show revolving around Alternative Latin American culture, covers the festival every year and applauds its curation and design.  

The next Ruido Fest will be taking place in July 2018, and all Loyola students should definitely check it out for themselves!

Sources:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/ct-ott-0707-ruido-fest-20170706-story.html

http://www.npr.org/sections/altlatino/2017/07/27/539710899/latin-alternative-music-fests-heat-up-the-summer

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruido_Fest

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150710/near-west-side/riot-fest-team-brings-first-ever-ruido-fest-near-west-side-this-weekend

http://www.rocksinanestesia.com/

http://wgnradio.com/2017/07/02/ruido-fest-2017-preview-with-eduardo-calvillo/

You See Me Rolling...

Have you ever been strolling through the park after a beautiful refreshing spring rain? The birds are chirping, the air is crisp and clean, and you are absolutely enamored by the beautiful vibes that comes with a revitalizing spring shower. You realize however midway through your stroll that your feet are getting tired and you want to rest for a bit. Now you could go inside somewhere but you still want to enjoy the blooming outdoors. You find a park bench at the top of a grassy hill that perfectly overlooks a group of lush trees surrounding a small pond. As you approach the bench you can’t believe your luck; your senses are overwhelmed by the beauty. However, when you arrive at the top of the hill, you discover something that ruins your entire day. THE BENCH IS SOAKED. Now if you’re a regular person you’ll exhibit behaviors that indicate a disappointed or frustrated disposition.

That was not the reaction of Sung Woo Park, a South Korean manhwa (comics) artist, who had a brilliant flash of creativity. Park took inspiration from this common daily occurrence in rainy environments to invent a bench that would have a fail-safe just in case you ever wanted to sit down and enjoy a the weather after it rained. As distinguished in the Smith and Ward article, there are two different types of problem solving. Park displays creative problem solving because he did not follow any known algorithm to solve his problem. He was the first human to develop this type of bench, rather than modifying an already present design. It can also be categorized as an ill-defined problem because there are multiple hypothetical solutions to this problem. Park decided the most practical solution was to create a bench that can be rotated if one side is wet. The benches are made of wooden slats that can be rotated with a crank at the side of the bench. An extremely practical solution for an extremely practical problem, or so it seems. Despite how often you have faced this problem in your life, has it ever occurred to you that a rotating bench would be the solution? I bet it hasn’t. And that’s exactly what makes it creative: despite its perceived simplicity, it hasn't been done before. In his article, Sternberg defines creativity as the ability to produce work that is novel, high in quality, and appropriate. While Park may not display "as much creativity" as Gardner's 5 creatives, I believe the bench he developed meets all these criteria: it is original, it is a high quality product, and it is very appropriate for this day and age. Any further studies into the creativity of Park would be challenging because as Viskontas and Miller state, it is nearly impossible to measure creativity due to the many variables that should be taken into account. Although there isn't much public discourse regarding this invention, it certainly has not taken the world by storm just yet. With few exception in Seoul, South Korea, this bench isn't widely manufactured and distributed around the word. This can be taken as a sign that the world's urban planners are hesitant to adopt such a style for their parks. New innovations such as the Rolling Bench as changing the world one seat at a time.

Sources:

http://www.coroflot.com/sungwoopark/The-Rolling-Bench

http://www.yankodesign.com/2008/01/31/the-dry-side/

The King of The Teens

At first glance, up-and-coming rapper Lil Yachty (sometimes known as Lil Boat) seems to be just another average Millenial overly indulged in modern pop, rap, and hip-hop culture. To many, particularly those who may not be as used to the genre, the lyrics to his music may appear shallow and even offensive. His songs may appear to carry the same messages as countless other rap and hip-hop songs - getting women and money, partying, etc. Many people who have heard his music have promptly written him off as just another self-absorbed rapper, but his recent success is undeniable, and part of the reason for his success is his genuine sense of creativity.

Lil Yachty, originally named Miles Parks McCollum, was born August 23rd, 1997 in a town outside Atlanta, Georgia called Mapleton. His father was a photographer who worked with some of Atlanta's most popular music artists, and he introduced young Miles to many different artists, genres, and songs. Lil Yachty grew up listening to a diverse range of music, from Coldplay to Soulja Boy, and was particularly inspired by artists that tended to deviate from the norm and explore their own unique sound. He was intrigued by the instant success stories of some artists as well as the sheer creativity and artistry of others, and his exploration in the world of music eventually led him to pursue his own interests and explore his creative talent.

Lil Yachty’s nautical aesthetic actually derives from a small group of aspiring rappers and artists he and a few of his coworkers formed during high school. The group called themselves “The Yacht Club” and later “The Sailing Team”, and this inspired him to take on a kind of nautical persona. It was around this time that he also opted for his signature bright red hairstyle, profoundly expressing his individuality. His eccentric nature actually inadvertently led to a rough start to his career – after getting relentlessly made fun of in his first few months of college, he decided to drop out and pursue his dream of making music once and for all. However, the time he spent alone in his dorm room was well spent as he worked tirelessly perfecting his music and his image. Upon leaving college, he decided he was going to be true to himself despite the fact that he knew he didn’t necessarily “fit in”. He was eventually noticed by his current manager, Coach K, who noted his originality and genuine confidence in himself, saying, “[he’s] got this freakish look, but he’s not scared of who he is. He’s wearing it with pride. Instantly I said, ‘This is it.’”

The rest is history. Lil Yachty’s success happened seemingly overnight following the release of his hit “One Night” as well as his collaboration with D.R.AM. in “Broccoli”. His musical style is unique - softer and more “chill” than most other popular rap songs – but is still relatable to most of today’s youth. Lil Yachty’s ability to relate to people his age allows him to maintain a larger audience and following, and his creative and original spin on this popular genre allow him to stand out from his competitors. These two factors have largely contributed to his popularity. Even other successful groups have expressed interest in collaborating with him, particularly the clothing company Nautica, who were understandably interested in his nautical moniker and named him a creative designer for the company earlier in 2017. Not only does he use his popularity to model and promote the clothing brand, he uses his creative talents to contribute to the designing of products that will be sold to people around the world.

Through his perseverance and confidence, Lil Yachty is a classic example of a creative individual not letting the conventional expectations of others stand in the way of finding success through staying true to oneself. He shows that creativity isn’t just about coming up with completely new ideas, but also using one’s talents to add diversity and originality to things people already enjoy, such as music in his case. Though many people may be hesitant to give him credit, Lil Yachty has undoubtedly prospered through his ability to connect to his target audience in a way that not many artists have done before.

References:

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/09/fashion/mens-style/lil-yachty-rap-atlanta.html

http://michaelmccrudden.com/before-they-were-famous/lil-yachty-famous/

https://www.spin.com/2017/01/lil-yachty-is-named-creative-designer-for-nautica-for-2017/

http://www.highsnobiety.com/2017/03/22/lil-yachty-urban-outfitters-nautica-spring-2017/

Master of Languages, Master of Middle- Earth: Tolkien as a Creative

Is it even possible not to consider a master of languages, creator of his own languages, and writer of legendary fantasies as creative? I think not. Is it even possible to not consider a creator of new worlds, new time periods, and new creatures as creative? Definitely not. Is it possible to use the own meaning of your name as an oxymoronic occasional writing pseudonym and not be creative? Um, no. Was J. R. R. Tolkien a creative? Absolutely he is. Born as John Ronald Reuel Tolkien in 1892 in Bloemfontein, South Africa. Both sides of his family were English down to every last drop of blood, and after the death of his father in 1896, his mother and younger brother returned home to England.

The earliest recorded beginning of Tolkien's creative journey begins as a school aged boy when he saw coal trucks passing by his home with names of destinations that he found fascinating. After his mother tragically died from diabetes when Tolkien was 12, him and his younger brother were helped greatly by a family friend, Father Francis and later moved to be raised with their aunt. By this young age, Tolkien had already become a master in both Latin and Greek and was learning a myriad of other both ancient and modern languages as well and making up his own languages based on his knowledge of others.

Fast forward to 1917, after Tolkien had served in war and was now married, he continued his creativity into real life as well, considering him and his wife to each be a character from an early story of Tolkien's "Beren and Luthien." Tolkien then took on several roles as assistant and main professor at the University of Leeds and Oxford University, respectively. These universities are where he began to collaborate, much like Stravinsky did in creating his and ballets and other masterpieces. While his academic career was not marked with such legend as his storytelling career, he did publish several articles and lectures that changed the way readers viewed certain subjects, such as his essay called "English and Welsh" which is still used today.

What we all know Tolkien to be wildly famous for is the "Hobbit" and "Lord of the Rings." This man was so creative that his entire journey through founding Middle Earth began while grading students' exams on which on student left a blank page and for no reason, even curious to himself, Tolkien wrote the words, "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit."

I need not say much more about his works involving Middle Earth, and if you don't know them, you probably are not a friend of mine, nor do I want you to be. But to tie this in with another well known creative, not only was Tolkien similar to Stravinsky in the way that he collaborated with colleagues to create the best outcome, but only to his own liking, Tolkien was also not accepted by many of his colleagues, the English Literature establishment, or even by his readers. But in my opinion, if you cannot at the very least appreciate the works of either of these creative geniuses of men, you do not have a creative bone in your own body.

https://www.tolkiensociety.org/author/biography/

"All Monsters Are Human"

             Have you joined the Cult? No, I do not mean the creepy clown cult that follows innocent families around as seen in the current season of American Horror Story.  I am referring to the extensive fan base of the hit TV show itself.  The national phenomenon is filled with thrilling suspense, award winning actors, and recognizable villains.  However, the layout of the show is extremely unusual in that each season appears unrelated to the previous one.  Behind this seemingly odd approach is the imaginative mind of producer and co-creator Ryan Murphy.

            The Indianapolis native was born to two book publishers, so story writing and fiction were basically a part of Murphy’s upbringing.  He graduated from Indiana University as a well-read and well-educated journalism major.  Murphy worked as a reporter for a while before moving on to the television industry.  Murphy’s earlier career successes include Popular, Nip/Tuck, and most notably Glee.  After finishing the upbeat sitcom about a high school glee club, he decided to turn his attention to something darker and more complicated.  This is when he teamed up with Brad Falchuk to create American Horror Story. Throughout his life, Murphy has always had a special love for horror films and the sensation of fear.  He is particularly passionate about Halloween, which is reflected in the Halloween specials of American Horror Story.

           

            The television show is unique in that each season tells a different story while still starring reoccurring actors and even recycling some characters in minor ways.  Murphy has attributed this unique formula to his desire to reinvent the structure of the common television series.  Murphy has indicated that, although the tales of each season vary, they are all somehow interconnected.  One popular hypothesis is that each season represents one of the Circles of Hell depicted in Dante’s Inferno.  If this theory holds true, Murphy is effectively marrying the familiar idea of the Circles of Hell with a new and contemporary presentation of a television show.

            For example, season one’s premise is “Murder House.”  It chronicles the story of a family who moves into a mysterious Los Angeles home and learns of the terrible fates of those who encountered it.  It is speculated that “Murder House” represents the First Circle of Hell, Limbo, because of the souls that seem to be tied to the House itself.  Similarly, the fourth season, “Freak Show,” follows a struggling circus named “Fräulein Elsa’s Cabinet of Curiosities,” where many characters are striving for individual fame and fortune.  Because of the prevalent selfishness and emphasis on materialism, this season embodies the Fourth Circle of Hell, Greed. So far, the other five seasons have followed in suit, reflecting one of the Circles of Hell while still telling a distinct story. 

            Murphy also incorporates notorious American criminals into the series, calling on viewers’ memories of the infamous individuals.  He adopts the malevolent personas into the show, hinting at their inspiration without explicitly identifying them.  They are written seamlessly into the storylines, becoming a part of American Horror Story.  Some of the most noteworthy fiends featured in the show are the Axeman of New Orleans, who remained anonymous and only spared those who played jazz music from their homes; John Wayne Gacy, the professional clown who abducted and killed approximately 33 young men in the Chicago area; Gwen Graham and Cathy Wood, two nurses who opened a nursing home and chose their victims based on their first initials, so they would spell out “MURDER;” and H.H. Holmes, the physician who built a hotel with secret passageways and gas chambers, specifically designed for torture. 

Through references to Dante’s Inferno and the hints at infamous American murders, American Horror Story focuses on the notion that human vices lead to downfall and destruction.  One of the television show’s main themes is that humans themselves are the sources of evil.  Murphy takes this recognizable notion, reinventing into an anthology series.  He is able to draw the audience in close to a humanized character, encouraging them to identify with a lonely sociopath or a hypocritical moralist.  However, the series’ unique format does not ensure any characters’ safety or happy endings.  American Horror Story is able to explore surprising, outrageous, and thought-provoking outcomes without regards to viewers’ attachments to specific characters, all thanks to Ryan Murphy’s creative mind.

Sources:

            https://www.biography.com/people/ryan-murphy-20874367

            https://www.inc.com/walter-chen/the-radical-philosophy-of-emamerican-horror-story/em-should-inspire-your-bus.html

            http://www.tvguide.com/news/american-horror-story-1038255/

            http://mentalfloss.com/article/86942/7-real-life-horror-stories-behind-american-horror-story

Speaking Out, One Poem at a Time

Spoken word poetry, or slam poetry, has been all the rage since it was created by Marc Kelly Smith in 1984. In his words, slam poetry is "the remarriage of the art of performing and the art of writing." It is an art form used by hundreds of young people to shed light on prevalent issues in our world today. I am personally a huge fan of slam poetry--I find it incredibly moving and inspiring to listen to. One of my favorite slam poets is Olivia Gatwood.

Olivia Gatwood

Olivia Gatwood is a 25-year-old slam poet originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico. As a Title IX Compliant educator, she tours the nation teaching workshops on sexuality, social justice,  sexual assault prevention and recovery, healthy relationships, and gender equality at high schools and colleges all over the country. She is an active slam poet, and her work has been featured on Button Poetry, Huffington Post, HBO, and other platforms. Olivia and another spoken word poet, Megan Falley, cofounded SPEAK LIKE A GIRL, a national feminist spoken word poetry tour. She has recently published a collection of poems, entitled New American Best Friend, that explores themes of girlhood, relationships, and growing up, among others.

"Ode to the Women on Long Island" by Olivia Gatwood

The Creative Process

When creating her poetry, Olivia starts with memories from her childhood that stand out to her. From there, she builds a narrative, weaving in her opinions on contemporary issues like feminism, rape culture, gender roles, classism, and misogyny.

Olivia's creations are unique to the world of slam poetry because she manages to combine her own personal experiences with real-life issues in such a way that they turn out to be "simultaneously universal and also deeply specific to [her] own life."

To put Olivia's creativity into the context of this week's reading, "Most creative persons are very passionate about their work, yet they can be extremely objective about it as well...Without the passion, we soon lose interest in a difficult task. Yet without being objective about it, our work is not very good and lacks credibility" (Csikszentmihalyi, 72). It is clear from watching any of Olivia Gatwood's performances that she is incredibly passionate about both poetry and the issues she writes about. However, I believe her ability to take her personal experiences and generalize them to more broader concepts is demonstrative of her ability to be objective in her writing, making her work both credible and immensely meaningful.

"Being a poet, I think, has something to do with illuminating both the beauty of the mundane and the enormously huge."

Sources:

http://www.marckellysmith.net/about.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbt-4Ooj6Y8

https://www.oliviagatwood.com

https://vagabondcitylit.com/2017/08/23/katie-clark-interviews-olivia-gatwood/

http://culture.affinitymagazine.us/slam-poet-olivia-gatwood-talks-poetry-and-her-creative-process/

http://cmcforum.com/life/09292015-interview-speak-like-a-girl-with-megan-falley-olivia-gatwood

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1996). Creativity: Flow and the psychology of discovery and invention. New York: Harper/Collins, Chapter 3: The Creative Personality

Unless. Unless.

The title is purposefully vague.

I am fully aware I am a young adult white girl writing about Lin Manuel Miranda. Its cliche and you probably wouldn't have clicked on it unless I tricked you but here you are so you should probably just continue.


Let's start out by saying Miranda is extraordinarily creative and has created a revolutionary piece of work.  Its doubtful, you have not heard of it but if you haven't he is the lyricist, composer and playwright for the Broadway smash hit Hamilton.  He also originated the title role, Alexander Hamilton.  Other credits include, composer, lyricist and book writer for In The Heights, composer and lyricist for Moana, and much much more as composer and performer.


Despite having run for nearly 3 years and opening a second show in Chicago and a touring show, Hamilton tickets remain one of the most difficult and expensive tickets to secure in New York City, Chicago and the cities in which it is touring.  Hamilton broke records being nominated for 16 Tony awards and taking home 11.  It has enjoyed almost universal acclaim, with Even then President Barack Obama remarking, "Hamilton I’m pretty sure is the only thing that Dick Cheney and I agree on."

So in a Broadway world of movies turned musical, old "classic" revivals and large tap numbers with fluffy and insignificant plot lines where does someone come with rap battles between founding fathers?


 The idea originated in 2009 while Miranda was on his first vacation from In The Heights.  Miranda decided to pick up Hamilton's biography and was immediately enthralled by the possibility it brought to a musical format.  The combination of musical, founding fathers and Hip Hop was solidified when Miranda read Hamilton got himself off of a disaster ridden St Croix with his writing.  This combination is crucial to Hamilton's success.  Musicals about the American past are plenty and historically unpopular.  Musicals that are hip hop inspired are commonly underdeveloped and again unpopular. 
 

Miranda is forthcoming and upright about his inspirations.  He speaks about general life experiences to a specific trope he used for Lafayette he calls the Police Academy Rule.  After winning his Tony Award for Hamilton, Miranda explains he finds inspiration in all aspects of his life and many times the source needs to be pointed out to him afterwards.  One unique (and exciting to me) source of inspiration was from a podcast called My Brother My Brother and Me(MBMBaM).  However, he recalls a specific cadence being written in the song "We Know" that was directly linked to the same cadence of the McElroy Brothers on MBMBaM.

This set of words is of course "Unless.  Unless." and was often used as a way to add a twist to a joke on the McElroy brothers podcast.  

Regardless of his journey to get to Hamilton, it shows no signs of stopping anytime soon and has certainly altered the concept of a musical. Shedding light on America's past, while recognizing black, immigrant and female lives were a part of that narrative is a powerful and approachable message for an enormous number of Americans.  While we are all waiting our turn for a ticket, Miranda just might be on the beach developing the next revolutionary "New American Musical."