|Reflection 1: But Is It Music?—Inside the Electronic Music Debate

Like any other art form, music must contend with advancements in technology. And like any other artists, musicians must decide what to embrace and what to reject. In the case of electronic music, battle lines were quickly drawn between "legitimate" musicians and those willing to forge into new territories. In the 70s and 80s, the objects of scorn were often Disco (e.g. Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder) and New Wave (e.g. Duran Duran, Yaz, Depeche Mode, New Order). Though often acclaimed today, these records were routinely derided for their reliance on computers, drum machines, and synthesizers. In the 21st century, the debate continues. This time, it is primarily over Electronic Dance Music (EDM). In an era where DJs command as much attention as singers and musicians, many rebuff EDM as "electronic noises you’re trying to pass off as music." Whether its Synth Pop, Electronica, Trance, House, or Techno, will electronic music ever achieve full critical acceptance? Must music involve an instrument and a player to be legitimately considered music? Finally, who gets to decide what is and isn't music?

Include at least two of the following in your discussion:

• "Bleep So Hard: A Staunch, Unironic Defense of EDM" (Bullett Media)
• "Dave Grohl: His Grammys Speech about Electronic Music was Bullshit" (LA Weekly) 
• "EDM sucks. But why?" (Conductr)
• "Is EDM a Real Genre?" (Noisey)
• "Forgive Us Our Synths–How 80s Pop Found Favour Again" (Guardian)
• "Are DJs musicians? They certainly need talent ..." (Sound On Sound)

Required:

• MLA Style
• Works cited 
• Two full pages in length

Due: Fri 9.15

|Multimedia Presentations

As you know, this semester you and a classmate will be responsible for a 10-minute multimedia presentation. 

Requirements: 

• The work distribution is up to each group, though it should be somewhat equitable
• The presentation must be approximately 10 minutes in length—everyone must present at least part of the time 
• There should be 10-12 slides, including at least one video clip (no more than 2-3 minutes in length) 
• On the day of your presentation, email your presentation (or a link) to me at dhdelao@gmail.com. 

You may utilize any presentation program you like (e.g PowerPoint, Prezi, Keynote). However, please sort out any technical issues before your presentation date (our room's projection system can be found throughout campus). Groups may be docked for a lack of preparedness. 

The best presentations will: 

• Have an introductory slide which contextualizes the topic—very important 
• Use words economically Include visually interesting illustrations—gifs are also acceptable
• Avoid a heavy use of animation and effects 
• Have a style that complements the subject matter and strikes the appropriate tone 
• Engage the class through a conversational style, utilizing questions and/or activities 
• Embed a relevant video or audio clip (e.g. YouTube, SoundCloud)—ad blockers are time savers
• Conclude with a slide that summarizes the topic—also very important 

This is an opportunity to be creative, so feel free to have fun with the visual design of your presentation. 

Lower scoring presentations might: 

• Begin without an introductory slide and/or fail to offer any context upfront 
• Be thinly researched 
• Allow visuals to overrun their content or lack a cohesive style 
• Fail to engage the class in any meaningful way—this is often achieved by reading an entire presentation 
• Lack multimedia 
• End without a concluding slide 

Remember, you must provide your own laptop. Also, Macs will require an Apple-specific adapter to connect to the university’s projection system. Newer model PCs with HDMI-only connections will also require special adapters. 

Presentation topics:

1. Cybersex: The Fusion of Technology and Sex
2. Obsolete: Five Professions that Will Soon Disappear
3. Welcome to Earth: When We Make Alien First Contact
4. Drones in Everyday Life
5. Frankenfoods: The Rise of GMOs
6. This Used to be My Playground: Understanding Gentrification 
7. Colonizing Space: What Will It Take?
8. Inside the Megacities of the Future
9. In the Era of Designer Babies
10. How 3D Printing is Changing Everything
11. Make Haste: Five Places to Visit Before They Disappear
12. Millennials: Five Defining Characteristics
13. Resurrection: The Science of De-Extinction
14. Cozy: Embracing the Microhome Revolution
15. Wading into the Dark Web
16. Welcome Aboard: The Future of Commercial Space Travel
17. When Will America Get Its First Female President?
18. How Technology Rewires Our Brains
19. Thanks, But No Thanks: Living Off the Grid
20. No Place to Hide: Is Privacy a Thing of the Past?
21. Inside the Virtual Reality Revolution
22. Home Base: Living in the House of the Future
23. Understanding Universal Basic Income
24. Here and There: Inside Quantum Teleportation
25. Hacking 101

Schedule:

Week 5: 9.22- Wangi L. | Kaith E.- Wading into the Dark Web

Week 6: 9.29- Matthew R. - Obsolete: Five Professions that Will Soon Disappear; Jennifer G.d.A. | Romy B. - Thanks, But No Thanks: Living Off the Grid

Week 7: 10.6- Tracy D. | Nicole H. | Rasha A. - Home Base: Living in the House of the Future; Joanna C. | Ashley E. - How Technology Rewires Our Brains

Week 8: 10.13- Justin S. | Veronica O. | Nina L. - No Place to Hide: Is Privacy a Thing of the Past?

Week 9: 10.20- Xuanyu C. | Justin A. - Cozy: Embracing the Microhome Revolution

Week 10: 10.27- Kish V. | Stephanie L. - Inside the Megacities of the Future; Robert B. | Teresa A. - Frankenfoods: The Rise of GMOs

Week 11: 11.3- Mikayla P. | Jeffrey L. - Make Haste: Five Places to Visit Before They Disappear

Week 12: 11.10- Thalia T. | Mona H.  - Inside the Virtual Reality Revolution

Week 13: 11.17- Cristina A. | Pallavi J. - How 3D Printing is Changing Everything

|Week 2: 9.1

Week 2: 9.1
Class: DIAGNOSTIC ESSAY; Presentation sign-ups; PowerPoint: “Building a Better Multimedia Presentation: An Annotated Look”

Upcoming:

Week 3: 9.8
NO CLASS

Week 4: 9.15
Class: Reading Discussion; Multimedia presentations; PowerPoints: “Crafting the Essay: Writing as a Process” and “Inside the Narrative: Burke’s Dramatistic Pentad”
Due: REFLECTION 1

|Future News 8.26

• Mercedes looks back to the 30s for its latest 21st century concept car (Inhabitat)
• AI follows sophisticated Bitcoin trail to find sex trafficking captives (New Scientist) 
• Tesla's new big rig to have a range of 200-300 miles per charge (CNET)
• Is a male contraceptive finally on the horizon? (CNBC)
• First look at Russian military's combat exoskeleton (NextBigFuture) 

|Week 1: 8.25

Week 1: 8.25
Class: Syllabus review; Introductions; Watch: Excerpts from Electric Dreams (1984)

Upcoming:

Week 2: 9.1
Class: DIAGNOSTIC ESSAY; Presentation sign-ups; PowerPoint: “Building a Better Multimedia Presentation: An Annotated Look”

|Welcome to ENGL 2