Final Montagnard Project

As the year ends, I am proud to say I have completed Digital Media with a Montagnard Documentary style video.  My video is about the language of the Dega People.  In addition to Vietnamese, there are over 30 dialects spoken in the Montagnard community.  I think that language is such a rich part of a persons culture because it is the actual means of communication between people.  I think the sounds of the language of the Dega people are also beautiful.  To get the interview from Khin, the amazing woman in my video, I went to the Montagnard Dega Association located in Greensboro, North Carolina to ask her some questions about her language.  I also was fortunate enough to be able to sit in on part of an ESL class and talk to students learning English.  The experience was extremely humbling, because it made me realize how difficult it is to come for a foreign country and immigrate to the United States, and not speak the language fluently.  I believe that all of the Montagnards are very strong people who have the courage to come to America.  The students who I spoke with in the ESL class were truly trying to learn English in order to better their lifestyle in the United States. When I reflect on this, I think about the millions of Americans who only speak one language.  I do think it is important to at least dabble in multiple languages.  Since America is known as a "melting pot," and a country full of people with many different descents, I think if we tried to understand each other language we could be more understanding of people with different beliefs.  Though its a small step, it is a step.  As more and more people immigrate to the United States it is important to speak different languages.

Video Remix: The Art of Drug Use

DRUGS.  This word very often has an extremely negative connotation. And, I am not talking about medical drugs prescribed by a doctor. I am talking about the type of drugs that altars a persons state of mind so inherently that a person hallucinates.  The dictionary definition of a drug states, "a substance that has a physiological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body." Though this denotation is used to describe both medically prescribed drugs and street uses of drugs, many people fear the word because of its reputation. The use of Ecstasy and LSD at music concerts has grown substantially as a way for teens and young adults to experience music, and yet hallucinogens used to be used to see God.  This is a short video related to a traditional verses contemporary usage of drugs and how the use of drugs have evolved from use for religious experiences to a social over usage. 

Is Digital Media Bad for Us?

A world without technology nows seems like an oxymoron. A world without technology is like living in a world with no rain. To start, I think digital media is an imperative aspect and asset to the current society we live in. Before attending University of North Carolina School of the Arts, my mother previously worked for the Los Angeles Times. During the duration of the time she was employed with the newspaper company, newspaper sales began to heavily decline. This was due to the rapid increase of distributed information that was being provided for on the internet. The Los Angeles Times distribution ratings declined from 15% to 8.7% last year. Though many people fear that the internet would make people apathetic so that they would be too glued to their electronic screens to get up and take to the streets, the internet has become a primary news source. Democracy Now!, an "indie" web news source is a great site to find out about what is really going on around the world. The use of blogs sites gives provides a place for people to discuss the issues of the world. 

Many age groups use blogs as a means of communicating reactions to political and personal issues. This usage is sometimes taken advantage. Many kids find themselves in dangerous positions where because of online predators. In addition, the number of people engaged in Facebook phenomena is amazing. Become addicted to the internet is a possiblity, but that does not mean that the internet is "bad." It is still a fast way to connect people around the world and communication information faster than ever expected.  

Google is one of the fastest and most used search engines in the world. When you type in key words in Googles search engines it picks sites, according to other searches, that Google thinks would be most helpful to finding the information you are seeking. In Nicholas Carr's article, "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" studies suggests that the internet is changing the way we see and think. Our generation is constantly searching for efficient and immediate information. The internet is succeeding at this. Though the depth of the information is limited, the internet is succeeding at providing fast and useful information to society. 

Although the internet is providing fast information and though I don't necessarily believe that digital media is bad for us, I do think it is important to provide a balance between spending too much time browsing on the internet and also having real-life socializing. I wrote a paper for Joe Mills Critical Perspectives class where this issue was discussed.The constant use of cell phones and the Internet are posing new challenges to the focusing and learning abilities of students. Instead of using the Internet for study and academic purposes, Facebook has become the number one site visited on the web (Google AdPlanner Compiled Data: “The 1000 Most-Visited Sites on the Web). Needless to say, it has become an addiction. There are more than 500 million active users registered on Facebook. 50% of Facebook users log on to Facebook in any given day. People spend over 700 billion minutes per month on Facebook. (Facebook Press).Similarly to the outrageous statistics of Facebook, 47% of US teens say their social life would end or be worsened without their cell phone. Nearly 6 in 10 teens (57%) credit their mobile device with improving their lives (Statistics from CTIA: International Association for Wireless Telecommunications Industry, Dedicated to the Expanding of the Wireless Frontier). Responding to a new text message or posting a new status on Facebook has become a priority for many students. With more than 1 billion text messages sent each day, studies have shown that text messaging is replacing talking.  With these statistics, I feel it important to monitor the use of technology. Though it can be helpful in relating useful information, it can also be a burden that is overused. 

Remixes and the Beauty of Music

From personal experience, remixes are an important part of my life.  Though original songs are good, it always seems that when an artist creates a remix of a song, the remix is infinitely better.  Maybe it's because most remixes are better to dance to or because I'd listen to the original too many times on my ITunes and I needed a new sound.  According to the Wikipedia page about remixes, "Remixing has become very prevalent in heavily synthesized electronic and experimental music circles."  I love electronic music.  I first started getting into electronic music through one of my friends who was interested in light shows.  Light shows are performed with gloves that have tiny lights attached to the finger tips.  I have provided an example where electronic music is used to display movements using only hands.  Some electronic music I am interested in are the Bloody Beetroots and Deadmau5.  

As technology is growing, digital media is increasingly enhancing the music phenomena.  Apple products are creating more and more apps for all instruments.  I think it is incredible that Atomic Bomb created a whole song using "I-products" and Apple Applications.  Though it is amazing that technology can produce instrumental sounds without the actual instruments,  I still think there is magic behind the sounds of instruments.  

In the midst of a digital era, artists such as Issa are trying to preserve this magic of music of which I am speaking.  NPR's article entitled, Issa Reinvents More Than Music Sales, speaks of her reasoning behind her mission to of selling her music for what she calls "self-determined pricing," meaning she sells her music for whatever price her fans would like to pay, including free.   The article states, "The rebirth of Jane Siberry as Issa, as she tells it, is not just about clearing away the glut and clutter of modern life. It's also about reinventing the way musicians sustain themselves in the Internet era."

Though it is a gamble to leave it up to her fans to determine the worth of her music, I feel this would encourage music lovers not to download music illegally.  Due to copyright laws, it is illegal to download music that is not directly distributed from the artists themselves, according to the U.S. Copyright office.  According to an article on slate.com about american lawbreaking, "Copyright is the nation's leading system for subsidizing the creative industries, especially film, television, and book publishing."

Disney is getting ready to sue the new Disney remix sensation Pogo.  I personally love Pogo.  I love his Alice in Wonderland series of remixes.  I think its ingenious how he uses sounds from the movie to create music.  It shows that music is really everywhere and a collection of sounds really can create something beautiful.  Though I understand the copyright laws involved in a case like this, I must side with team ART and hope that he is allowed to post the videos for the sake of music.  

What is Digital Media

As an Drama major living in the "digital media" age, I am realizing it is becoming more and more prevalent to understand the technology available to me.  I am coming to understand there are multiple definitions to digital media.  One definition focuses on the difference between an analog signal and a digital file.  An analog signal is a continuous signal, or one file.  A digital file being a file that has been broken up into different tiny pieces, or discontinuous.  The next type of technical definition are the devices that can now amplify digital context.   Historically, digital media is organically producing and operating mechanical images produced by numbers, meaning each color or number being projected through a technological device is produced by a unified base line of numbers.  

Though these definitions make sense, the definition of digital media that impacts my view of digital media the most is the ontological view, defined by McLuhan.  McLuhan views digital media as an electric media.  It is the nature of all industrialized media.  All media has the nature of electricity and the currents connect all things.  What makes this so powerful is that even humans have electrical currents running through our bodies.  As social networks continue to grow in popularity, this idea that digital media is the glue that holds us all together becomes an increasingly important concept to understand.  

As artists, I feel digital media directly influences the creativity levels of artists.  As a student studying the art of acting, I always feel inclined to study the nature of human behavior on a world-wide level.  Essentially, (Like Bob King) I also am a student of cultural studies.  Though that may not be the exact title of what I am studying here at UNCSA, I feel its an important part of acting.  Like Steve Dixon suggests, the theater arts have evolved in using digital media, in order to enhance productions.  From the introduction of gas, and later electric, lighting effects, to the modern use of the computer to control lighting, sound and set changes, technology has been used in ways that have created incredible visual and auditory effects. Though the theater arts has evolved technologically, digital media has also influenced the creativity of the actors. For example, Fuerza Bruta, a show running on Broadway, is the perfect example of a show using technological advances in lighting and special effects.  

John Lethem's article, The Ecstasy of Influence: A Plagiarism, begins by recalling the story of Lolita.  Reflecting on this tale is a lot like reflecting on the influence of digital media.  When a cultivated man becomes so intimate to something and charms him, he becomes completely influenced by it.  This is what is happening with the digital community.  More and more people are beginning to see digital media as an essential asset. 

Like Bob King's intrustor audio content stated, I think it is so important to study digital media because it is the glue that holds things together.  By viewing digital media on a global scale, you see that media is everywhere in the creating and thinking processes.  Digital Media Changes Everything!

DMA: Project Brief (Montagnards)

Language and Literacy:

I am most interested in learning about the many languages of the Montagnard people.  There are more than 30 distinct Montagnard languages. The most prevalent languages spoken in North Carolina are Rhade, Jerai, Koho, and Mnong. Of the Montagnards who settled in Greensboro, North Carolina, Rhade is the most common language in the Greensboro area.  Many Montagnards speak five to eight languages.  Though this seems unfathomable, many of the linguistic trends of the distinct Montagnard languages are quite similar, therefore making it easier to pick up many Montagnard languages. 
Montagnards who came to the United States in 1986 and 1992 usually spoke a minimal amount of English as a result of working with the U.S. military during the Vietnam War.  However, most of the 2002 arrivals were village farmers without English language skills.  Though it is easier for the children of the Dega people to learn English, there is usually little to no motivation in the household.  This is because it is harder for adults and older children to learn English.  Most elderly are unable to learn English.


I think it is important that in order for these immigrants to learn desire to learn English, Americans try to understand the language of their culture.  Though native English speakers don't think of English as a hard language to learn, it is an extremely complicated language which has little to no relation to the languages of the Dega people.  Language is an exchange of words in order to communicate.  We might as well use language to be caring and helpful, instead of forceful.  In order to help the Dega people be motivated to speak English, let's take a walk in their shoes and try to understand how difficult it truly is to learn a new language.  I know it would be incredibly difficult to learn Rhade, but by showing that I am interested in their culture, I think the Dega would be more interested in learning my native language.  Compassion!

"Montagnard Dega, or Degar, Are They Different Group of People? | Montagnard Foundation." Welcome to Degar Website. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. <http://montagnard-foundation.org/wp/faq/montagnard-dega-or-degar-are-they-different-group-of-people>.

"MONTAGNARDS - Their History and Culture." Center for Applied Linguistics. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. <http://www.cal.org/co/montagnards/vlang.html>.
"Montagnards: PDF File."

"Transparentia." The Special Forces Association, Chapter 57 Website. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. <http://www.chapter57sfa.org/MHCAP/who.html>.

"UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights | Montagnard Foundation." Welcome to Degar Website. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. <http://montagnard-foundation.org/wp/un-declaration-in-degar-language/un-declaration-on-the-rights-of-indigenous-peoples>.

I still need to learn more about the linguistic trends of Rhade and English.  I would like to understand how words are formed and how languages are passed down through generations of people.

I would also like to meet with a current ESL teacher who is teaching the Montagnard people and understand her struggles and ideas to best motive her students to learn English in order to succeed in the U.S.  I'd also like to talk to some Montagnard people and learn a few words in their language.  

Framing

"Language always comes with what is called "framing." Every word is defined relative to a conceptual framework. If you have something like "revolt," that implies a population that is being ruled unfairly, or assumes it is being ruled unfairly, and that they are throwing off their rulers, which would be considered a good thing. That's a frame."

-George Lakoff

Through people such as George Lakoff, it has become obvious that concepts such as "framing" are extremely important and relevant concepts as the world continues to grow and shift.  Through Lakoff's definition of "linguistic framing" he reminds humanity of how language can be used to shape and sculpt public opinion.  Many people are vulnerable and unaware about how they are being influenced by language.  Commercials are a perfect example.  While watching television, millions of people's minds are manipulated to the views of commercial products.  The world is becoming dependent on commercials to create their views instead of mastering the capabilities of technology and creating their own views.  Bruce Mazlish, the author of The Fourth Discontinuity, directly speaks about humans relationship with technology.  If we could truly get our minds around how inseparable we are from our tools and toolmaking practices, it becomes much easier to understand why people are so interested in, worried about (at times), seemingly dependent on, computers and related media. Mazlish helps frame his concepts by suggesting that to connect with the world, humans must be separate from the machines we build.  This connection in the 20th century has turned us all into "cyborgs."  Cyborgs is a concept invented by Donna Haraway, a cultural theorist and commentator with a background in History of Science and Biology.  She describes cyborgs as hybrid of machine and organism.  Cyborgs are dependent on machine.  I think Haraway brings up many good ideas.  In today's world it is incredible how dependent we are on cell phones and computers in particular.  Our cell phones have become our computers, creating instant access to other people and an endless supply of virtual information.  Though the internet and cell phones provide instant access to other people, it is not face-to-face interaction.  Texting and e-mailing have provided a way to communicate with people without actually having to hear the sound of someone's voice or see a facial reaction and expression.  It is through promotion of this type of communication that has made it so poplar.  It is without linguistic framing, without using our words, that has become such a popular means of interaction.  

I can proudly say I have lived in my lifetime without a cell phone or Internet access for five weeks.  During my six-week intensive at Interlochen Arts Academy I was forced to remove myself from the technological world.  Interlochen Arts Academy is the world’s first art boarding institute for high school students.  During the summer, the Academy welcomes young artists from around the world to learn and create art alongside leading artists and instructors.  At the beginning of the summer, the school strongly enforces a cell-phone and Internet free lifestyle.  Interlochen strongly prides themselves on the philosophy that, “Interlochen Arts Camp is a busy and intense program of a quality that is best experienced without the distraction of cell phones; we strongly recommend leaving them at home if they are not needed while traveling” (Interlochen Arts Academy Website: Frequently Asked Questions).  When I first arrived at Interlochen, I did not take the request seriously that I would go through an intensive drama program without my cell phone.  Unfortunately my cell phone was confiscated on the sixth day of camp.  Not only does my cell phone provide me with texting abilities, but more importantly, Internet capabilities. Facebook was just a click away on phone.  Infuriated, I was hesitant to continue the program not realizing what a secret blessing it was for my phone to be taken away from me.  Without the constant burden of my cell phone and Facebook, I learned to stay present at camp.  I focused on truly becoming a better actor.  It was that summer that I made the decision to study acting in college.   

Though it is important to learn how to exist without the constant involvement of technology, technology is also a primary tool used to extend important ideas.  Marshall McLuhan's ideas directly relate to the power art can have on the world.  The medium an artist uses helps create a message.  Whether using paint, song, or film to create a message, the involvement of technology should enhance and extend the capabilities of human beings.  Technology should help inform and involve and audience to understand create innovations.  

(In a quick relation to the Dega people, it is incredible how images and music on a youtube video help inform and catch my interest in the culture and lifestyle of the Montagnard people. )