BEST. FALAFELx EVER.
TABLE TALK PAGE 3B.
HOW TO DEAL WITH THE MORNING AFTER PAGE 3B.
B
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
NOVEMBER 2, 2006
Presenting:
the art of
the mix
ou like music. She likes
music.Youlikeher. She likes
music. What do you do?
Make her a mixtape, of course.
It's an ages (OK, maybejust since
the advent of the cassette tape) old
matingritual common to nerds and
romantics alike. When done right,
your mixtape, or, in this day and
age, mix CD, might actually give
you a shot with that mysterious,
arty girl you're struggling to get to
know -
but done
poorly
it can
come off
creepier
thanthat
dudethat
takes
pictures LLOYD H.
with his CARGO
camera
phone in class. There are but a
few simple rules that'll hopefully
help you walk that proverbial line
straight to her heart.
Expand yourselection. Check out
the music library on North Cam-
pus, or find a friend with a killer
record collection. As familiar as
you are with your own music, the
variety you can find with someone
else's collection might prove more
inspirational.
Pick a theme. Don't just look at
the "favorite music" section of her
Facebook profile. In fact, don't
look at it all - pick a theme for
your mix, like soul music or flow-
ets or nighttime, and stick to that.
It won't matter if it's not neces-
sarily the music she's most into as
long as it's well done. In fact, it's
probably more impressive when
you can make a mix that intro-
duces new music. That's why it's
Si upgartant to ...
Be obscure. Not so obscure that
&e traklist looks totally inacces-
w le. but kbcure in that maybe,
you don't pick the most clich6 Bob
Dylan track. It's not bad to have
familiar artists, especially amid
a sea of esoteric songs, but if you
go with obvious tunes you run the
risk of prior associations getting in
the way. Do you really think you're
the first dude who's gotten laid to
Astral Weeks?
Spend a lot of time sequenc-
ing. Rough drafts aren't just for
papers. It might seem excessive,
but burn yourself a copy first, lis-
ten to it a few times and then make
another one. You're bound to find
some harsh transition or mood-
killing track that has to go. The
first and last songs are incredibly
crucial. This is also a good time to
reevaluate the message your mix is
sending.
The infallible law of non-lit-
eral lyrics (except emo, which is
grounds for a restraining order.)
Yes, what the songs actually say
in them will, for better or worse,
generally be regarded as what you
are trying to say. If every song you
pick is about unrequited love, your
message will likewise be as literal.
This absolutely doesn't mean that
you ought to pick songs based on
what they do or don't say. Switch it
up a little bit so that while you can
still convey a mood or message,
the person won't be searching for
secret meanings. Ignoring this
tenet is the fastest way to a creepy
mix, and an incredibly awkward
conversation the next day.
Make it look pretty. The packag-
ing is almost as important as the
music it contains. Take a little bit
of time and some colored mark-
ers to make the CD look nice. Be
a bit crafty and make a personal-
ized booklet for the jewel case, and
don't even think about giving it to
her in a plastic sleeve or folded up
in a piece of paper.
See CARGO, page 2B
mLST
Nov. 2 to 5
The Daily Arts
guide to the
best upcoming
events - it's
everywhere you
should be this
week and why.
Meet
Detroit's
newest
museum
By ANDREW
SARGUS KLEIN
Managing Arts Editor
Although Frank O'Hara's poem "Meditations in an Emergen-
cy" serves primarily as a reflection on his love life, the new
Museum of Contemporary Art in Detroit has adopted the title
for its first exhibit, which runs through April of next year. While not
intended to imply that every work on display is a literal meditation
on an emergency - the emergency being Detroit - the title is more
than strong enough to unify the wonderfully diverse selection of art-
works under an umbrella of social awareness.
After its grand opening this past weekend, Wednesday marked
the museum's first "normal" day of business. But its journey from
brainstorm to the abandoned car dealership on 4454 Woodward Ave.
is by no means complete.
Danielle Auburt, a graphic designer for MOCAD, described the
early beginnings as "abstract for a while. There were many off-site
meetings. We were waiting for the construction to be complete."
Several of the exhibit's installations were completed just days
before the opening, such as Nari Ward's "White Flight Tea Bar"
and Jonathan Pylypchuk's "Press a weight through life and I will
watch this crush you." But the plywood front desk, great ventilation
machines vying for floor space and cavernous ceilings only add to the
SHUBRA OHRI/Daly
MOCAD's "Meditations in an Emergency." FROM TOP LEFT: Globules of red rubber by
Roxy Paine, Nari Ward's "White Flight Tea Bar," Kara Walker's "8 Possible Beginnings
or: The Creation of Africa-America, Parts 1-8, A Moving Picture."
museum's youthful charm and promise.
Driving down Woodward past the Detroit Institute of Arts is an
appropriate prelude to MOCAD. The beautiful museum, with its ago-
nizing renovation and wide range of artwork, is an excellentcounter-
point to MOCAD, where contemporary artists will be exhibited. The
former is a resplendent work of marble and wrought iron, and could
not diverge more from MOCAD's facade - a full-scale piece of graf-
fiti spelling out "Amaze." What looks like the artist himself dangling
from the roof doing touch-ups with a can of spray paint is actually a
life-like machine, which has caused no small amount of alarm from
concerned passers-by; it has also appeared on ABC's "Good Morn-
ing America." The mood is established immediately: The viewer is
expected to be fully engaged before even entering the building.
In fact, the viewer was meant not only to be engaged, but also per-
sonally involved prior to the museum's own opening. Beginning Oct.
24, the museum distributed "Art Arrow" stickers which instructed
users to put them next to whatever they felt to be art and send in
a photograph documenting their work. The results were assembled
and displayed as a collage with an accompanying plaque, which read:
"MOCAD's mission is to engage the public and fuel collaboration and
See MOCAD, Page 5B
AT THE PIG
Sunday might be your only chance
to see Ivri Lider stateside for a while
- andit's for a good cause. The Israeli
pop sensation comes to The Blind Pig
this Sunday. Lider has received sev-
eral major and national "Male Singer
of the Year" awards in Israel, and has
also composed for film soundtracks
and dance ensembles. Tickets are
only $7 for the concert, and all pro-
ceeds go to help the Darfur crisis.
Doors are at 7:30 p.m. and Amazin'
Blue will be the opening act.
ON SCREEN
Shared skis! Japanese direc-
tors! Free film screenings! As part
of the CJS film series "University
of Laughs," Askwith Auditorium in
Lorch Hall will shows "Ski Jump-
ing Pairs: Road to Torino 2006" 7
p.m. tomorrow. The movie "proves
that there can never be too much
of a good thing," especially when it
comes to, uh, skis built for two. The
buzz-heavy mockumentary received
an award at the 2005 Toyko Interna-
tional Film Festival.
OUT LOUD
Renowned LSA Prof. Ann Carson
will give a reading in Room 1324 of
East Hall on Church Street tonight at
8 p.m. The poet, translator and essay-
ist will read from her new translation
of classic Greek tragedy. Aside from
reading, Carson will also sign cop-
ies of her collection, "Grief Lessons:
Four Plays by Euripides," which
brings together Alkestis, Hekabe,
Herakles and Hippolytos. Admission
is free and the event is sponsored by
Shaman Drum.
ON STAGE
Members of The Royal Shake-
speare Company production of "The
Tempest" will give a talk tonight as
part of the School of Art and Design
Penny Stamps Lecture Series. Titled
"Designing Shakespeare," the lec-
ture will feature director Rupert
Goold, stage designer Giles Cadle,
sound engineer Adam Cirk and light-
ing engineer Paul Anderson among
others. The event is free and will
take place at the Michigan Theater
at 5:10 p.m.