This is a piece full of energy and as Aubrey is a sound professional this is in large part due to the sound design. The concept of "growing up, again" speaks to all freelancers and artists who find themselves taking a day job with a bunch of college kids or reading the "room for rent" ads. The stereotypical time-line for being grown-up is different. People used to follow the plan of getting married, buying a house, having kids... you knew you were grown up by where you were in this life cycle. "Growing Up, Again?" speaks to that confusion. How do we measure where we are as grown ups when the template is no longer the size of your house, how many kids you have, or how many years you've been vested in your 401-K? This piece does not answer that question, but simply hints that it has something to do with being at peace with yourself: sitting by a fire playing cards. Ironically, the end of this piece leaves the narrator wondering if he may have to buy his own house in order to do this.
Comment for
"The Labyrinthine Subway Game" (deleted)
I love the idea of "the Labyrinthine Subway Game". This is a project in which I would be interested in participating. However, as a radio piece this was a little disappointing. The minimalist music certainly sets a contemplative tone, but there is too much air between the narrative sections. A huge improvement to this piece would be to hear some examples of what sorts of messages people left on the phone line to be included in the podcast.
Moving closer to the style used in a promotional video for this same project would make this piece much more entertaining. In the video, we hear some examples of people talking about their subway experience as well as a montage of voices in different languages. I was disappointed to find that the website appears to be defunct. There was no material available there to download.
The quality of the narrative voice is engaging and pleasant to listen to, but upon finishing this piece I felt confused by its purpose. It describes the idea of this game, but I couldn't tell if it was meant to document a previous run of the game or if it was meant to inspire a new beginning to the game. In either case, I was left wondering what my next step could be as a listener.
Comments by Jodi Eichelberger
Comment for "Growing Up, Again?"
Jodi Eichelberger
Posted on February 11, 2008 at 11:37 AM | Permalink
Review of Growing Up, Again?
This is a piece full of energy and as Aubrey is a sound professional this is in large part due to the sound design. The concept of "growing up, again" speaks to all freelancers and artists who find themselves taking a day job with a bunch of college kids or reading the "room for rent" ads. The stereotypical time-line for being grown-up is different. People used to follow the plan of getting married, buying a house, having kids... you knew you were grown up by where you were in this life cycle. "Growing Up, Again?" speaks to that confusion. How do we measure where we are as grown ups when the template is no longer the size of your house, how many kids you have, or how many years you've been vested in your 401-K? This piece does not answer that question, but simply hints that it has something to do with being at peace with yourself: sitting by a fire playing cards. Ironically, the end of this piece leaves the narrator wondering if he may have to buy his own house in order to do this.
Comment for "The Labyrinthine Subway Game" (deleted)
Jodi Eichelberger
Posted on February 01, 2008 at 10:25 AM
Review of The Labyrinthine Subway Game (deleted)
I love the idea of "the Labyrinthine Subway Game". This is a project in which I would be interested in participating. However, as a radio piece this was a little disappointing. The minimalist music certainly sets a contemplative tone, but there is too much air between the narrative sections. A huge improvement to this piece would be to hear some examples of what sorts of messages people left on the phone line to be included in the podcast.
Moving closer to the style used in a promotional video for this same project would make this piece much more entertaining. In the video, we hear some examples of people talking about their subway experience as well as a montage of voices in different languages. I was disappointed to find that the website appears to be defunct. There was no material available there to download.
The quality of the narrative voice is engaging and pleasant to listen to, but upon finishing this piece I felt confused by its purpose. It describes the idea of this game, but I couldn't tell if it was meant to document a previous run of the game or if it was meant to inspire a new beginning to the game. In either case, I was left wondering what my next step could be as a listener.