This past Tuesday the PBS series Frontline broadcast a fascinating look at teenagers who have grown up with the Internet. The program focused on a small New Jersey town about an hour’s train ride from Manhattan. It looked at a different families and shared stories about how being on-line 24 hours a day is shaping these kids’ lives.

Among the things I learned is the following: Young people don’t have the time to read. The go to Sparknotes.com and read that. My favorite quote, “If I had 27 hours in a day I would read the book, but I just don’t have the time.” As a result teachers teach with the understanding that the students aren’t reading the text, just the sparknotes and teach to that. That’s sad.

Other items of interest:

The reach of both MySpace and Facebook. If a high schooler doesn’t have a page on those sites they aren’t anyone.

Cyber bulling. One boy was bullied via the internet and developed an on-line relationship with another boy who convinced him to kill himself. There is a website which teaches you how to hang yourself. Another website which helps you figure out the “coolest” way in which to kill yourself by giving you a questionnaire. Sort of the “Cosmo Quiz” for the suicidal. This 13-year old boy hung himself.

A group of high schoolers took a train into Manhattan and spent the night partying- and documenting it with their cell phone cameras. It wasn’t long before their pictures of their night out was on the Internet and their parents found out. The kids weren’t upset their parents learned about the partying- they were upset that the parents thought it was such a big deal.  (Note to self- make sure all pictures of me at the Kentucky Derby 1985-1987 have been destroyed.)

It was a fascinating program and very unironically you can watch the whole show on-line at PBS.org.

Also on Tuesday the actor Heath Ledger died. I was in class when the news broke, but my computer was on and I received an e-mail and a text message telling me the news. At the end of my class I was talking to a guest speaker who came to another class. I asked him how it went, he said fine, “But when news of Heath Ledger’s death came on-line we had to stop and discuss it. I thought they were taking notes with their laptops not surfing the net.”

Kids today.

PeterH

… IS COLLABORATION.

All artists collaborate in one way or another, you must in order to succeed, and the most successful artists instinctively know how to work with others. More importantly they know their work will be better with the input from other people. Collaboration frees you up to do what you do best.

This brings me to guitarist, musician, artist David Broza who performed at Flashpoint Academy yesterday afternoon. Broza believes his gift is creating music not writing lyrics, so over the course of his 30-year career, he has actively sought out collaborators to write the words set to his music. He works with writers, poets, finds stories from current events he wants to sing about and has someone else write the lyrics for his songs. And I forgot to add he works in three languages- Hebrew, Spanish and English- and he is a self-taught guitar virtuoso.

A student asked him how he goes about finding these people to work with, and the short answer is that he picks up the phone, makes the call and asks. It’s easier now for him of course because he is famous, but it is the same method he has used since the 1970s. This is an important lesson to all of you eager artists out there- ask for help, especially if you are passionate about your work- you will find that simpatico person.

In the meantime check out David Broza and add some of his music to your collection.

David Broza’s Website

PeterH

In June of 2007, Mix Magazine published a great article titled Bring Down the Noise, advocating hearing protection and awareness for anyone in the audio industry. I brought that article to the readers of this blog, primarily my students and folks who can’t shake loose audio idée fixe, for one simple reason: Your ears are the most important tool you have as an audio professional and damaging them is irrevocable.

I thought it was crucial for the Rec Arts students at Flashpoint to understand that so we began the program last September with a guest lecturer, Michael Santucci, president of Sensaphonics, Inc., a Chicago-based hearing conservation company that provides audiophile-quality in-ear monitoring for hundreds of high-profile musicians and protection for anyone with a few bucks to spend on a lifetime of hearing safety. Now, a new group of students have started at FP and it seems appropriate to once again bring to the fore hearing conservation.

Stand on any street corner in the Loop and you’ll hear the roar of the city in which we work and live. Move from point A to point B using the city’s mass transit and you’re likely to encounter loudness levels exceeding accepted OSHA standards. Take a look ahead and behind and you’ll see a world of iPod users, donning earbuds that can produce sound pressure levels at particularly important frequencies well beyond what would be considered safe practice. Go to a club to “hear” a show and it’s almost a certainty you’ll need a day or two for the ringing to stop. The list goes on. And on. What it all adds up to is a recipe for disaster if critical listening is a job requirement. And if your hearing isn’t what puts food on your table, then at least consider quality of life.

The bottom line is that unlike just about every other major organ/part in your body, your hearing system comprised of the outer, middle, and inner ear does not repair itself if damaged. Ever. And very much like the things we as humans often seem to do even though it’s nearly effortless to avoid them, protecting you’re hearing isn’t that intrusive. In fact, it’s downright pleasurable to go to a show with -15dB earplugs in.

It’s really pretty simple. If you need them, protect them.

HEARING HEALTH RESOURCES
Sensaphonics, Inc.
Online Simulator – What Hearing Loss Really Sounds Like 
OSHA’s Occupational Noise Exposure Guidelines
American Tinnitus Association
House Ear Institute

Flashpoint, the Academy of Media Arts and Sciences hosted a high profile party during the 2008 Sundance Film Festival to celebrate the best in independent filmmaking in Illinois. Held on Friday, January 18, 2008 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the SKY360º by Delta—Park City venue at 449 Main Street, Flashpoint Academy brought out the movers-and-shakers from the Illinois film and entertainment industries to rub elbows with the Hollywood indie moviemaking elite. The event recognized the Illinois Film Office and honored the festival premiere of “The Merry Gentleman,” filmed entirely in Illinois.

With Paula Froehle, Dean of Flashpoint Academy as hostess, the entire producing team of “The Merry Gentleman,” along with the writer Chicagoan Ron Lazzeretti attended the pre-reception to their critically received movie. With this being his directorial debut, actor Michael Keaton was welcomed by both Froehle and Betsy Steinberg, Managing Director of the Illinois Film Office, to a frenzy of flashbulbs before heading to the movie’s screening.

Actor Jimmy Jean-Lewis of the hit NBC show HEROES, stopped by the party to support the growing motion picture community in Illinois along with countless others from the Hollywood film industry. Chicago was also well represented within the 300 guests that were in attendance with the likes of Ereka Vetrini, co-host of In The Loop with iVillage and Billy Dec, President and Partner of Rockit Ranch Productions along with the film’s cast and crew all making the trip from the “Windy City to Park City” for the Illinois independent film festivities.

As guests arrived they were treated to a darling pre-recorded introduction from Howard Tullman, President and CEO of Flashpoint Academy and Froehle followed directly by an entertaining and informative clips about the Academy on the eight plasma screens throughout the venue.

LINK FOR VIDEO BELOW

YouTube.com

The evening wrapped up with thanks from Froehle and Steinberg followed by a raffle prize of a weekend stay at the Peninsula Chicago, Keaton’s resident while shooting “The Merry Gentleman,” awarded to none other than one of the film’s producers and co-stars Tom Bastounes.