Pink...

 

Listen: Pink.Mp3

104/365

Andy

Pink, the official color assigned to women from before birth. Even into adulthood the color just says 'girl.'

Austin

The idea of gender identity is more or less what's at play here, inspired by Andy's photo. I have no explanation for why or how the musical vocabulary went in the direction that it did. I just know that it's ambivalent in its "masculine vs. feminine" qualities, at least to my ear.

Free - Part 3

 

Listen: Free - part 3.Mp3

103/365

Austin

Part three of singer/lyricist Lisbeth Scott's and violist David Walther's journey into the world of self-contradiction ...

Andy

Part 3, y'all. Enjoy!

Democrats

 

Listen: Democrats.Mp3

102/365

Austin
Part 2 of our examination of American contemporary politics ... I guess I wasn't quite yet done with my cynicism for 2010. I suppose the central thesis of these two pieces is that it doesn't really matter which of the two you listen to. It's all more of the same. However, as with everything else, it's the inherent contradictions and by-definition paradoxes that intrigue me. That must be why I torture myself each night watching the infantility that is our news ...

Andy

Paul Simon put it best when he called it the myth of finger prints. I have seen them all, and man, they're all the same. There is plenty to be annoyed by with the two big American political parties, and a lot of closed mindedness. Because whether you wear a tie or board shorts, you's a person.

Free - Part 2

Listen: Free - part 2.Mp3

101/365

Austin
Part two of six featuring Lisbeth Scott as both singer and lyricist, and also introducing David Walther on the viola. The dance of contradictions continues ...

Andy

Contradictions that seem quite cyclical. As if we maybe put ourselves on these emotional rides. To represent this, the spokes of a spinning wheel, fading in and out.

Republicans

Listen: Republicans.Mp3

100/365

Austin
I go way out of my way to avoid cynicism and negativity in life, but if there's anything that can virtually instantly make my blood boil it's politics. Yet (perhaps out of masochism) every night I end up glued to the TV, alternating among Fox News, MSNBC and CNN (capping it off, of course, with The Daily Show and Colbert Report). It doesn't seem to matter which side of the aisle you find yourself on: our elected leaders seem to have long ago forgotten the term "public servant."

Ok cynicism quota filled. No more this year.

Andy

I hate wind. It is wretched and the enemy of lighting equipment. That being said, today's photo (arriving late in the afternoon) is one half of a whole. 

Facebook - 2

Listen: Facebook - 2.Mp3

099/365

Austin

Part two, again ambivalent, but more focused on Facebook's less readily obvious effect: complete and total isolation. It never feels overtly lonely, but yet for me it inevitably leads there. After a while, all those status updates and tagged photos and notes and whatever else feel like a stream of code with absolutely no humanity on the other side. Eventually the consolation is felt in its perpetual state, that 24/7 omnipresent pulse. As with yesterday, the alto flute solo is performed gloriously by Sara Andon.

Andy

The real face of facebook.

Facebook - 1

Listen: Facebook - 1.Mp3

098/365

Austin

Today and tomorrow are my rather mixed-bag look at the world of Facebook. While both pieces are somewhat ambivalent, today's is my take on the more celebrated side. It connects you with long-lost childhood friends, high school sweethearts and estranged family members. It brings people together and keeps everyone in the loop of what's going on in life. It creates a forum for public discussion on pop culture and politics and everything else. It truly makes the world smaller. An alto flute (played by Sara Andon) sings over the omnipresent, 24/7 pulse that is Facebook ...

Andy

I've been doing a lot of dark backgrounds recently. Mainly because I haven't bothered cleaning and well this is easier. I'll break away from that once it's consistently warm out and I can comfortably shoot outside. I've had enough of freezing my fingers off until autumn. I also edited out the Dell logo from my laptop. They don't deserve my endorsement.