Excellent class today. Very grateful to the Residents for sharing their thesis stories. It was great to get an overview of their individual processes, especially for someone still stumbling around at this stage. Aside from learning about the progress they made in their own projects, and the similarities and differences in their stories, it was really helpful for me in terms of broadening my thinking around thesis ideas while at the same time narrowing it down.

– The performative aspect of Carrie’s project really struck me as a great example of what a thesis project could be, and opened me up to consider different ideas and areas of performance as part of an installation or project. Whether I explore “performance art” per se, or art about performance, it reframed my previous entry’s notions about drawing from my experience rather than trying something completely new. I wouldn’t just be taking the easy road or playing to my strengths: I’ve devoted most of my life and career to entertainment, the arts, nightlife and events in some capacity or another, and there must be a reason why. I need to explore this as a theme.

– Chelsea’s project reminded me to look into the possibility of tactile, more physical project, which is something I have a natural ability for: building and making. Lately I’ve been exploring the world of 3D printing and desktop prototyping, and while there’s a bit of a learning curve (and financial investment) involved, if I can tie it into the project in some capacity, it would be a great way to explore my practice in design/engineering. I also have access to the scene shop at work, so fabrication along the lines of what Ruta needed for her project would be easier for me than most.

– Another aspect of Chelsea’s project overlapped with the performance element of Carrie’s thesis, namely the way we consume art & entertainment and how it affects others’ enjoyment and consumption. For people who work in live entertainment like myself, using your phone during someone’s performance is deemed rude or thoughtless at best, a mortal sin at worst. We’ve all experienced it to some degree (and been guilty of it as well): bright screens and audible conversations at the movie theater; a loud ringer goes off at a play; and of course the countless viewfinders held overhead at concerts. Aside from the very valid conversation it provokes about the ills of social media, it shows a devolution of what I call “public entertainment” and how it taps into greater discussions of civility and the social contract. It may seem terribly old-fashioned to get dressed up to go see a show, but it was an expression of decorum and the high regard in which we held entertainment and events, and while a jacket and tie are no longer expected for a night at the theater, some conventions remain even if solely as the last vestiges of the “rules of shared experience”

– Another idea, which admittedly might be a very localized phenomenon – is someone listening to music on their speakerphone or a Bluetooth speaker, instead of headphones. This one deals with more complex aspects like socioeconomic factors and cultural norms, but is another riff on the theme of “public entertainment”, perhaps turned around as “private entertainment in public”. Like reading to yourself out loud, it’s frowned upon socially – but technology always revolutionizes the way we listen to music (not to mention how we create and distribute it) and much in the same way the cassette made music portable, the boombox made it public and the Sony Walkman made it private, now smartphones make it a shared experience again whether we want it or not.

Variations on a theme, yes – but now I feel like I’ve got some sort of momentum.