Fireside Chat

I was very surprised and pleased at how my Fireside Chat all came together. I was really struggling for a while about what I would talk about and how I would talk about it. The first thing I thought about doing was rapping, but I wasn’t quite sure on how to make it special. I wanted to do something original. However, I then remembered our discussion on how everything we create is informed by something else. I remembered that I had discovered that we’re never going to be original so we should just stop trying. At the moment I realized this, I was driving my car and listening to Careless Whisper and the wheels started turning in my mind. I started to combine several types of media I had been consuming. I combined my desire to rap with the fact that I had been jamming to Careless Whisper with my roommates and also added elements of beat poetry, which were heavily inspired by the film, So I Married an Axe Murderer. It all came together in a strange hybrid that I feel presented elements of my personality to the audience. The next thing to determine was the subject matter of my chat. This was another thing that I had been thinking about that just kind of worked out perfectly for my chat. I have been frustrated and saddened at the discourse that I have seen on Facebook and in the media in general regarding controversial topics. I feel that people are more concerned about speaking loudly than actually understanding the issues. As someone who tries to seek the middle ground and understand both sides, sometimes I feel like I am weaker and that the opinions I do have are not as important as those who speak loudly. However, deep down I have a sincere hope that we can improve and speak appropriately. I also feel that we need to not get so caught up in what’s happening around the world that we neglect to address the issues around us and participate in our own community. As I put together my fireside chat, I thought it was extremely appropriate that this was my last assignment in this class. I feel that my experience creating this was truly the culmination of everything I have learned. The things I learned from remixing existing art, the importance of contextualization, and who I am individually as an artist were all important elements in the creation of this performance. I feel that this was one of the most meaningful things I have created in a while, and I truly felt that this performance was “me”. The creation and performance of my fireside chat have inspired me with lots of other ideas to create and continue to develop my identity as an artist, and for that I am very grateful.