The Michigan Daily - michigandaily:cam

Wednesday, September 24, 2014 -7A

The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Wednesday, September 24, 2014- 7A

Karady to depict
transition from war

Why does our
generation shy from
classical music?

New York artist to bition will debut at the Institute of
New ork rtis to Humanities on September 25 and
exhibit project that run through the 28th.
The process was collaborative,
recreates veterans including extensive interviewing
and planning with the veterans to
memories bring to life a specific memory of
war in the context of their civil-
By GRACE HAMILTON ian lives. Karady hopes to portray
DailyArts Writer how war manifests itself back in
the civilian world.
Photographs, as snapshots of "Soldiers come home from war
time, can tell stories - uplifting deeply changed and they kind of
stories, tragic stories, simple disappear into the civilian world,"
stories and Karady said. "They look to us
complicated The institute like civilians, not soldiers, even
ones. Pho- though they are in their heads
tographs of Humanity and minds still that. These pho-
can paint 'Gallery tographs are attempting to make
histories, of that visible."
places and of Hosts Many of the photographs
people, cap- Soldiers' include families and friends,
turing the Stories From highlighting the way in which
singularity these students' memories and
and intrica- Iraq and feelings "ripple through the
dies that Afghanistan people around them, families,
define them. friends and communities."
For the Sept.25-28 The photographs will be
past eight 9 a.m.to 5 p.m. accompanied' by sound stories
years, Jen- from the veterans. More record-
nifer Karady, 202 S. Thayer ings will be available in a listen-
a New York- Free ing room, designed to feel like a
based art- soldiers' bunk when inside. The
ist has been sound component adds a greater
working on Soldiers' Stories from level of intimacy to the project.
Iraq and Afghanistan, a project "I have to say that that is a
that recreates veterans' memories really courageous thing to do,
from war in their home environ- revealing vulnerability," Karady
ments with staged photographs. said of her participants.
Last year, Karady brought her "The duality about how sol-
creative vision to the University to diers think about war and their
work with student veterans over a experiences at home," Karady
period of three months. The exhi- said, was striking. She was sur-

prised and interested to notice
the intensity of this contradic-
tion in her first interview.
"He said 'I would go back
there again in a second.' He's
dying to go back, he would love
to go back. So -there are a lot of
conflicted emotions about their
experiences."
The photographs, meticu-
lously composed over the course
of a month or so, are intended to
convey this.
For this particular exhibit,
student contribution played an
integral role. Aside from the stu-
dent veterans, Karady worked
with sound engineers and a
group of art students. The art stu-
dents helped in the planning and
execution of each photo shoot, in
addition to location scouting.
"The thing about this project is
that it's really interdisciplinary,
so that it's going to appeal to lots
of different kinds of students,"
Karady said. "It was interest-
ing to talk after interviews about
impressions, and I had never let
anyone into the interview process
before," Karady.
The project offers a bold and
fresh exploration of war and
its significance to society. A
theme that is almost exclusively
revealed to us through news
and media will be addressed
in an intimate light. The inten-
tion is that "some eyes might be
opened," Karady said. Surely,
with appeal to such broad inter-
ests, Soldiers' Stories will do
just that, and likely more.

ast Thursday,
Beethoven's music was
given new life by the
Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra
and Andre Watts for the Hill
Auditorium's Beethoven Festival.
Watts, a
German-
born pianist,
is truly a *
modern-day-
classical
music
superstar, a -
child prodigy KATHLEEN
turned DAVIS
virtuoso
performer,
who has maintained relevance
in the classical community
for decades. The press geared
towards students for this concert
was mostly lost amongst the
announcement for Schoolboy
Q's upcoming show and the
Pussy Riot Stamps Lecture, both
incredible events, but ones that
left Beethoven's music out on the
fringe.
Like manyyoungadults my
age, I do not mention classical
music when.I'm asked what
kind of music I like, or what my
favorite songs are. It's a genre
that for me has fallen to the
wayside, discarded amongst
wrapped mint candies, dentures
and the geriatric.
All musical genres take cues
and inspiration from their
predecessors. Modern rap
evolved from funk, blues and
spoken word poetry; country
music has come from western
swing music and bluegrass;
EDM draws from disco and '80s
techno.
This Andre Watts visit made
me wonder- how did classical
music, once considered the
highest form of entertainment,
become nearly irrelevant to this
generation? If we're to believe

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andparents (at least mine), butI know I'm not alone. Many of
people once flooded my childhood friends who played
t halls to listen to wordless classical instruments in their
onies and sonatas. Even youth, mostly coerced by parents,
)m likes to listen to some dropped it as soon as they found
n while she cooks. Why a way out. It's a time-consuming
such of our generation just hobby that can easily become a
re? drag if your heart isn't into it.
personal relationship Gettinggood ataclassical
lassical music has been instrument isn't easy. In fact,
icated. Starting at seven it's really fucking hard. It takes
old, my parents enrolled me years, even decades to master
sical piano lessons with a a classical instrument, with
y-sweet old woman who I hours of practice a day. It could
invinced was no younger easily be argued that classical
00 years old. Her papery musicians are the hardest
'as magnified significantly working and most talented
her enormous glasses, her performers of any genre. The
smelled like cigarettes average member of the Detroit
e kept mint Lifesavers in a Symphony Orchestra has a
r bowl on the piano, which salary of $98,000 a year. Last
d eat out of pity and then year, Katy Perry made $39
diately excuse myself to million.
throom where I could spit Why does our generation
)ut in the sink. Nonetheless, shy from classical? It's not like
as far too talented to be we get bored from the lack of
ng incompetent elementary words - wordless electronic
ers scales and chords for music artists have become
tirety of her day, and I music festival headliners and
uedtakinglessons withher influencers. I'd saythe answer
he passed away in 2009. lies somewhere between our
association of classical music
with our grandparents and the
not like genre's lack ofadaptationto
S 'v e satisfy millennials' ears.
b d m The truth is, classical music
a is beautiful and universally
ck of words. considered so, and I would argue
that a lot of'this beauty comes
from the fact that the same
pieces were considered beautiful
e's the thing: no matter a couple hundred years ago, and
weet Mrs. W was or how are stillbeautiful now. The Ann
kept it up, I really did not Arbor Symphony Orchestra's
aking piano lessons. At 2014-2015 season runs until April
ppreciated the fact that my 25th, and I'm making it agoal for
s could afford to send me myself to immerse myselfin this
after week, I liked making beautiful culture a couple times
andmother happywhen this school year.Join rte?
ked me to playasonatina,
eally didn'tunderstand Davis is being a cavalier
he big deal was all about. millenial. To join her, e-mail
rse I feel guilty about this, katjacqu@umich.edu.


King Tuff's weak 'Spell'

FoX
Summer camp just got a lot less interesting.
FOX begins to implode

By NICK BOYD
Daily Arts Writer

I

Netiwork SiiffPr.

the schedule find their footing,

the show's ratings are crum-
frOm laCkluster bling and taking those nights
with it.
ratings "Utopia" isn't the only fail-
ure on the Fox schedule this
ByALEXINTNER year. The aforementioned hos-
DailyArts Writer pital drama "Red Band Society"
scored only 4 million viewers
This summer, FOX's president and 1.3 million in the key demo.
of entertainment Kevin Reilly The show did very well with
"resigned" from his position, young women, though, finish-
After promising a new way of ing Wednesday as the top pro-
doing business and develop- gram among females between
ment at the network, and some 12 and 17. Those numbers
disagreement with his boss, will also rise significantly
he left, and Gary Newman and when viewers who DVR-ed
Dana Walden were brought in the show are factored in. It
to turn the ship around. also maintained the majority
Their jobs, however, just got of its "Hell's Kitchen" lead-
a little more difficult this week in, which was 4 million view-
because they're starting with ers and 1.4 million in the key
a schedule that's imploding - demo. Still, a series led by
early premieres for FOX have Academy Award Winner Octa-
been as close to disastrous as via Spencer should have a big-
you can get. ger draw.
It all started with the poor Fox's Tuesday comedies
initial results of the new real- also suffered losses in their
ity show "Utopia." Back in May, premieres, with "New Girl"
Reilly described the show as opening to its lowest-rated
one that would be "very noisy season premiere (3 million,
and the most exciting new entry 1.7 key demo) and "The Mindy
in unscripted for quite some Project" failing to improve on
time." It's been everything but its low numbers from last sea-
that. After an NFL-driven Sun- son (2.7 million, 1.3 key demo).
day premiere, the show settled "New Girl" is one of the big-
around 2.4 million viewers and gest DVR gainers out there,
1.0 million in the much sought- and both shows improved
after 18-49 demographic for its upon their "Utopia" lead-in,
Tuesday episodes. In its most but those numbers are still
recent Friday broadcast, only low.
1.5 million viewers tuned in, Despite all of the misfires,
fewer than the "Red Band Soci- it's not worth calling FOX's sea-
ety" repeat that aired before it. son a loss yet. On Monday, the
Instead of helping two nights of network will debut the drama

it has the most investment in
this year: "Gotham." The net-
work has been significantly
promoting this show and it
could be one of the biggest hits
of the season. Fox also has its
surprise hit from the previous
year, "Sleepy Hollow," return-
ing the same night. "Sleepy
Hollow" has been off the air for
nine months, and it remains to
be seen whether it can keep the
momentum it built last season.
Even if the show simply match-
es its numbers from the previ-
ous year it'll be considered a
win for Fox.
While the Monday pre-
mieres should create some-
thing to build upon, the rest
of Fox's schedule is collapsing.
The question going forward:
Does Fox exhibit patience with
"Utopia" and "Red Band," or do
they pull them in favor of some-
thing else? It has a lot in the
pipe for midseason, but I'm not
sure how many of those shows
could be ready to premiere in
the next six weeks. Fox has a
ringer in "Masterchef Junior,"
but, that show being a legiti-
mate triumph in its Friday slot,
it seems an unlikely play. The
network has a history of such
moves (it moved "Bones" off
Friday right as it was starting to
build momentum); "Masterchef
Junior" could be used in the
same fashion to save its sched-
ule.
Whatever Fox is going to do,
it's going to have to do it quick-
ly. If it's not careful, it'll turn
into a smoldering pile of dust.

It's hard to tell whether King
Tuff doesn't care or if he's just
trying too hard. Since releasing
his last self-
titled record
in 2012, Kyle
Thomas (aka Black
King Tuff) has
radicalized
his persona King Tuff
and it shows
on his latest Sub Pop
release, Black
Moon Spell.
Tuff offers a blend of original
style and influence in his latest
work, sounding like an unlikely
mixture of Frank Zappa, The
Shins and Billy Corgan of The
Smashing Pumpkins. Black Moon
Spell possesses some impressive
moments, transporting the lis-
tener back in time to other eras of
rock. However, at its worst, the
album is a giant cluster of low-
fi, whiny, ironic self-indulgence
that leaves the listener wonder-
ing if even Tuff himself likes the
end product.
At its strongest points, Black
Moon Spell delivers a refresh-
ing garage rock vibe that defies
the current trends in alterna-
tive rock. The title track deliv-
ers some crispy, distorted guitar
licks that exemplify King Tuff
at his musical best. "Black Moon
Spell" doesn't take itself too seri-
ously, like any other Tuff jam,
but the musical quality doesn't
suffer anycollateral damage. The
lyrics are fairly uninspiring, but
it's a pretty enjoyable mindless
journey speckled with impres-
sive retro guitar solos that leave
no doubt about Thomas's tech-
nical prowess. "Magic Mirror"
and "Rainbow's Run" also strike
a successful balance between
Tuff's tireless drive for satire and


Lifeeeee, bruh

his mu:
Onc
quality
suprem
shit. "I
Ugly,"
from
belong
an autt
not tos
or that
athum
ous lyri
Hell" t
fortabl(
lication
musici
laughl
disjoin
momen
in pro:
full H
over w
of "Ba
several

sical ability. dimensional, and coupled with
other parts of the album, the low-fi garage rock sound,
is subservient to Tuff's the entire record becomes a bit
ne goal of not giving a monotonous. It is a struggle to
Headbanger," "I Love You listen to the entire album.
"Madness" and "Demon Black Moon Spell is the kind
Hell," sound like they of album that Pitchfork gets off
in Tenacious D more than to - I'm sure it will get rave
hentic rock album. That's reviews from hip young writers
say that TenaciousD is bad everywhere. That's because the
Tuff fails in his attempts album is less about the music
or - thereare some hilari- and more about King Tuff's
ical gems on "Demon from Persona, making it a perfect
hat I don't even feel com- candidate for a Pitchfork rave
e quoting in a polite pub- review. Black Moon Spell is too
- but the moments when "hip" for its own good. At some
anship is sacrificed for a points, King Tuff seems des-
leaves the album feeling perate to establish himself as
ted and severely boring at a musical outlier, unconscious
its. "Headbanger" begins of mainstream pressures - but
mising fashion, but goes I think the tracks suffer in his
indenberg before all is exasperating search for a char-
-ith an ingenious chorus acter. It's a shame, because you
ng your head," repeated don't need to listen too long
I times. to realize what an incredible
musician Thomas is. However,
unlike other goofy guitar gods
o hipfor his from bygone eras like Zappa,
Tuff is struggling to form a
D) nflo d coherent musical identity that
balances his own carefree per-
sonality and musical abilities in
the right ratio. If King Tuff had
n though King Tuff concentrated more on his tech-
s up the pace and style nical talent and less on postur-
'hout Black Moon Spell, ing, his album would have lived
hiny vocals are one- up to his potential.

To

Ever
change
throug
his w

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