Do difficult times make for better art and music? Brian Eno discusses the future of
creativity, against a backdrop of the post-2008 banking crisis.
Lesson aims:
To build awareness of cultural topics and terms.
To consider the arts in a social and economic context.
To focus on the use of adjectives in discussing contemporary arts.
To engage in a speculative discussion around future art forms.
Lesson aims:
To build awareness of cultural topics and terms.
To consider the arts in a social and economic context.
To focus on the use of adjectives in discussing contemporary arts.
To engage in a speculative discussion around future art forms.
1. Before watching:
Read and think about the quote in the picture. Why is Eno saying this? And why now, in these times? Do you usually think of an artwork as an object or an experience? Does it make a difference what sort of artwork?
Think about these genres of music:
Hip Hop, Blues, Punk, House, New Wave, Hard Rock, Jazz, Classical, Baroque, Soul. What sorts of audiences originally adopted these styles? How do they reflect the social context from which they emerged? How have their audiences changed over time?
What genres of music do you enjoy? Do your your tastes reflect your social class, level of education, social background etc?
What genres of music do you enjoy? Do your your tastes reflect your social class, level of education, social background etc?
2. Watch only the first 5 minutes - the introduction and profile of Eno:
Click the link below:
Click the link below:
Which big names has Eno worked with?
What makes him different from other music producers?
What sort of music is he currently developing?
3. Watch this part again. Check the meaning of the adjectives below. Listen for these adjectives and put
them into order:
lateral
misunderstood
grim
wild
maverick
seminal
inseparable
cryptic
convulsed
Finished? OK. What nouns (if any) were used with these adjectives? (Watch again to check.) Which adjectives were used to describe arty or cultural things? Which were used for other, less arty things?
4. Discuss these excerpts. What do the parts
in italics mean?
"It’s Nick Clegg’s one time adviser on youth issues, back in his own salad days."
"His outfits were enough to catch your eye,
or even have it out."
"He’s a little maverick genius burrowing around on the fringes of rock
’n roll."
"Seminal American outfit Talking Heads."
"As to how Brian Eno makes music with U2 and
others, we sense it’s not by turning all
the knobs up to eleven. He’s been known to issue his musicians with cryptic little notes."
"Coldplay released an Album helmed by Mr Eno at the time of the
banking crisis. That’s the last banking crisis. Hmm. Have we hit a snag with the theory that troubled
times bring forth great music? (What does the speaker think of the Coldplay
album?)"
Match them to these synonyms: band / led / digging and searching / former / youth / poke it out / making a bigger noise / give or provide / run into a problem
NB: "turning all the knobs up to eleven" is actually a reference to a 'mockumentary' film about a fictional (and incredibly daft) heavy metal band called Spinal Tap. Watch the famous "these knobs go up to eleven" clip here:
Spinal Tap
This is a good example of how popular culture can become 'proverbial' or part of common language.
Match them to these synonyms: band / led / digging and searching / former / youth / poke it out / making a bigger noise / give or provide / run into a problem
NB: "turning all the knobs up to eleven" is actually a reference to a 'mockumentary' film about a fictional (and incredibly daft) heavy metal band called Spinal Tap. Watch the famous "these knobs go up to eleven" clip here:
Spinal Tap
This is a good example of how popular culture can become 'proverbial' or part of common language.
5. Now watch the interview (from 5 min in)
What new art forms is Eno interested in?
What does he say about how we should think about new art forms? What comparison does he make?
What is one of the problems for a young artist today and how does this differ with Eno's own experience?
How does the idea of "open source" change the idea of the artist for Eno?
What does he mean by musical seeds?
Do you agree with Eno's idea that it's more interesting for artists or musicians to 'share' the creative process rather than work more individually? Could there be any negative aspects to this model of creativity?
What are the advantages of artists exercising more individual control over their work?
Does artistic leadership mean the same thing as artistic individuality?
Is it necessarily a good thing that the "distinctions between art forms" such as music and visual arts are disappearing in new art forms such as app art? Can it sometimes be a good thing that a particular art form such as painting or music is kept distinct from others?
7. Watch the interview part again. Pre-check the meaning of these adjectives and then watch and order them. Also note which nouns (if any) were used with them.
conventional
comfortable
app-based
primary
porous
worthwhile
shareable
alarming
collective
8. Eno used the word "palette" a few times. What was he talking about? Where does the word originally come from and what object did it refer to? Can it still mean that in English? How has Eno changed the meaning of the word? Do you know any other french words used in the context of the arts?
9. These are verbs that use prepositions. Can you remember how they were used? What seeps out? What is scrambled up? What breaks down? etc? Watch again.
seeps out
scambled up
break down
collage together
bind together
emerge from
Finally, if you liked Eno, here's one of his most groundbreaking albums, done in 1981 with David Byrne. Remember this was done before digital sampling and all that.
My Life in the Bush of Ghosts
Finally, if you liked Eno, here's one of his most groundbreaking albums, done in 1981 with David Byrne. Remember this was done before digital sampling and all that.
My Life in the Bush of Ghosts
