The Michigan Daily - michiganclaily.com NEW STUDENT EDITION Tuesday, September 6, 2011- 3D TEDx events inspire students to get creative By LUCY PERKINS Daily Arts Writer April 9, 2011 - TEDxUofM "Encouraging Crazy Ideas" was one of the most inspiring events I've ever been to. The confer- ence was basically an entire day of talks given by smart, fresh and inventive students, profes- sors and professional minds of the University. When I walked into the Michigan Theater, the excite- ment and passion that the coor- dinators exuded was palpable. It hit me like a wall. Here are these students, just as busy as everyone else, who have put all their energy into organiz- ing something that all culmi- nated in one day. They thought of everything: How to make the event waste-free, what music will be played at lunch and so many more things it's over- whelming just to think about. Anyway, after I was handed a cute TEDx lanyard and pro- gram, I found a seat in the the- ater. The stage was adorned simply yet thoughtfully with red and black decor (the TEDx colors) soon to be filled with "crazy ideas." The first speaker was actu- ally brilliant. Parag Patil, a neurosurgeon, talked about the innovations of brain-machine interface, something I had never heard of before, and hon- estly still can't- quite compre- hend exactly how it works. But I understood parts of it, and his talk really set the tone for the rest of the day. He talked about something so innovative and complex that it's no wonder a lot of people may have original- ly thought it was a crazy idea. But he spoke so clearly and with such certainty, I'm pretty sure the entire room would trust him with their brain if needed. I didn't stay for all 20 speak- ers, but I saw quite a few of them, and everyone had some- thing different and equally bright to say. There were authors, scientists, musi- cians, filmmakers, lawyers and explorers. And each one of them brought an idea just crazy and dazzling enough to stimulate the world. But even though each talk was different, there was a common theme. These people are living testaments - who are right here in Ann Arbor - who have shown us that achieving the impossible isn't as hard as it seems, and that the results of a crazy or impossible idea are sometimes unimaginable. Usually when I go to events that are so jam-packed with tal- ented people, I feel pretty insig- nificant and dull. But that didn't happen at TEDxUofM. Because these people - the students who organized it and the people who talked - all committed to doing this for one reason: They knew that a crazy idea can come from anybody. cOURTESY OFSTARCASMNET fow Rebecca Blacks label sells fleeting fame By ARIELLE SPECINER Daily Arts Writer March 24, 2011 - They say those who can't do, teach (and those who can't teach, teach gym). So what about those who don't make it on the Disney Channel? They sign with Ark Music Factory. Ark Music Factory has been the buzz around cyberspace since 13-year-old Rebecca Black became a trending topic on Twitter and serenaded us via YouTube with our favorite days- of-the-week song, "Friday" (you know, today is Friday, tomor- row is Saturday and Sunday comes afterwards - that song). But what really constitutes this house of fake Mouseketeers that we keep hearing about? Ark Music Factory is a record label to which young teens and pre-teens sign in order to make ridiculous songs with equally ridiculous music videos only so they can become "viral stars." At the moment, eight artists - - -- - . -- ___ - ---- -- YiaiC) -V -. i.'Re are exclusively signed to the label, ranging from the Auto- Tuned pipsqueak Madison Bray (who sounds like she's 21 when in reality she's 11) to the much more mature Ishraq, whose pro- file photos on Ark's website are more sex than sing. Arkcallsitselfan"indierecord label," but the "stars" it produces are not what most would call indie. I mean sure, technically they are "independent" - being new and undiscovered - but what this factory really pumps out are pure Bieber-esque pop wannabes with over-indulgent stage mothers and a sad life ahead of them. I'm not saying that these kids aren't talented - they probably are - but they just seem like the Mickey Mouse rejects who weren't wholesome or perky enough to be the next Hannah Montana. The main difference about this record label is that the company doesn't pay the artists - the artists pay the company. Rebecca Black's mother paid $2,000 for a package that con- sisted of pre-written songs for her daughter to sing. Talk about selling out. This is an absurd and unrighteous way to show- case talent. Sure, there's no such thing as a free lunch (or in this case, a music career), but seri- ously - who would ever think we'd live in a society where people pay for their stardom? I know some celebrities are low enough to stage their own paparazzi shots, but to pay for a terrible song just so they can become a YouTube star - that's crazy. Maybe, I'm just naive, but is the 15 minutes of fame really worth it? Take for instance our new viral friend Rebecca Black. She claims she wants to be as popu- lar as the beloved Justin Bieber. To start, she does not have the hair. Secondly, the company is doing it backwards. Usually, as in Bieb's case, he put him- self out there and then signed a record label contract. He was an unknown who generated a lot of views and popularity from the videos he put up, which then got the record exec's attentions (yeah, I saw "Never Say Never" - judge me, it was awesome). What this company is doing is signing these hopefuls with the promise of making them stars. You can't push popularity like that - that's what makes people push back. That is why Rebecca Black has generated so much hatred. It's not that her song sucks - alot of songs suck - it's that this company is trying to force YouTube stardom. Ark Music Factory is a revolu- tionary type of record label. It's not looking for the next Grammy winner or chart-topper, it's look- ing for the next artist who can gain a million views on YouTube in 24 hours. The rise of this type of record company truly shows that times are changing. People don't even want to be pop stars anymore, they want to be You- Tube stars. Oh, and we already knew that Sunday comes after Saturday - thanks. IS IT FRIDAY, FRIDAY? Follow @michdailyarts on Twitter.