Concerned Citizen - Visiting senior citizens when they have no one else

https://soundcloud.com/nathanael-king-1/160420-concerned-citizen/s-1TcSz

When presented with this assignment, one of the first people that came to mind was my dad. Since I was about 13 or so, he would take me and my sisters to the local nursing home to visit with what we affectionately called "the old ladies." I was really impressed to see my dad get so excited about visiting them, and see how the visits uplifted him- it made him happy to see that he was able to bring some of these really lonely and abandoned people happiness.

Even though I didn't always appreciate what we were doing, I really do think what my dad is doing reflects both a personal desire to do something good and a wish to see the system in our country change when it comes to how we treat our parents when they become old and broken. It is really sad when you think about how these people who had lives just like ours are reduced to such a low status and live in such loneliness when they're put in homes. Its also scary too, to think that the same fate awaits you too.

I decided to approach this project with Trevor by interviewing my dad over the phone. On his end he recorded himself with really good microphones that also picked up me and Trevor speaking with him over the phone. It was nice to have a partner on this assignment who could approach the topic with a fresh perspective, since I've been privy to see my dad in action and even participate in visits with him. Most of my questions were leading, since I know my dad really well and know what to ask to get a good response. This worked well for the interview since I got the answers I knew we'd need to complete the assignment. But if that was all that happened during the interview, I'm afraid it would have been missing something since my partner, who never met my dad, was able to ask more insightful questions and be able to approach the topic with a certain curiosity that I was incapable of having.

Putting together the final mix in Audition was challenging. We had about 45 minutes of us talking, and I had to choose the most significant snippets and rearrange them in a way that masked the fact that my dads words were being edited and rearranged. Ultimately I was satisfied with the end result- I was able to put some of my dads best insights on display, and we even included Trevor talking about his own perspective on the situation and get really insightful responses from my dad. I think that was beneficial to the piece because it showed that this was a dialogue, not just my dad's perspective. I think it made it clear too that my dad wasn't the only one witnessing old people suffering (this is obvious) but acknowledged that this is an issue that we all must confront. Its inevitable- we grow old and fall apart, and end up relying on others to support us. I think thats really the essence of why my dad makes such an effort to involve himself in the nursing home- he would want the same for himself when he grows old, and wouldn't we all?

Fire Side Chat - The Magic of The Beach Boys and Brian Wilson

 I knew from day one of TMA 112 that when the fireside chat would come around that I would talk about Brian Wilson and the way his music has influenced my life. I’ve always felt like sharing my thoughts and feelings about his music, but in my classes I’d never have a chance to go on and on about how I feel about his music in an appropriate context.

So when the Fireside Chat did come around, and I had to think about how I would communicate my feelings about his music in four minutes or less, I decided that it would be best to have some of his songs playing as I discussed how his music changed my life. I felt that if I was just talking I would not be able to get the point across.

Before I decided which tracks I would use, I first had to formulate my thoughts in an organized and coherent way such that my words could still stand on there own and wouldn’t necessarily need music to at least make my perspective clear. I decided that I could best do this by simply telling my story about first listening to the Beach Boys because it made me happy, and then move onto my experience with overcoming depression and bonding with my dad through Love & Mercy and The Pet Sounds Sessions.

So, from there I had to decide which songs I would play, and how to coordinate that music with my thoughts. I decided that I would first play In My Room, since I would start by talking about how his music was always something I could relate with, even before I discovered the true beauty and genius of Wilson’s music. In My Room is particularly relatable because when I was growing up I always felt safest all by myself in my bedroom, where I could listen to music and spend time with myself.

When I shifted my discussion to my depressive episode and how I pulled myself out of it, I chose the backing track to one of my all time favorite songs (ever)- Wouldn’t It Be Nice. As I explained during the fireside chat, I felt that by choosing a track from the Sessions the song would speak for itself in terms of the beautiful instrumentation accompanied by the backing harmonies, without the leading vocals. This song is also significant because it was when this song played during Love & Mercy that my dad and I shared a special moment for the first time in years. So, in terms of accompanying my verbal thoughts, it worked really well.

Something unexpected also occurred while this song was playing. My classmates spoke with me after the fireside chat and had some really nice things to say about how the music itself (not just how it worked with what I was saying) complimented the emotions I was putting on display in front of everyone. It is hard for me to formulate how I myself experienced that, which I think explains why one of my classmates said that he wished someone had filmed my part of the chat so I could see what they meant. I suppose that is part of the magic of these fireside chats, and about what we’ve talked about film in the class over the semester- how what we share with each other can impact others in unexpected ways that can’t really be anticipated or planned. It made me really happy to see that, and it really spoke to me about why we share art with each other in the first place- to uplift, expand perspectives and share spontaneous magical moments.