Welcome to our podcast! In this week's episode, we decided to mix things up and have a little fun. So, we're having a music battle! I, Sharn, and Andy will be sharing our favorite songs and showcasing our different tastes in music and approaches. Join us as we take turns playing our favorite tracks and see who comes out on top in this friendly competition. So, sit back, relax, and tune in for some great music and friendly banter. Let's get started!
But first, the news.
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It’s Monday 3rd April 2023, and this is news with Sharn:
In Web3 and tech new this week:
In a move that has caught many off guard, Disney has laid off its metaverse team, resulting in fifty job losses. The next-generation storytelling and consumer experiences unit had been working on the company's metaverse strategy since mid-2022, with Polygon being chosen as Disney's blockchain of choice. Despite ramping up their efforts with specialized job postings for NFTs and DeFi in September of that year, Disney's metaverse plans remain unclear as the company-wide staff reduction continues.
Tech leaders and prominent AI researchers have signed an open letter calling for a six-month pause on 'out-of-control' AI experiments to assess the safety risks to humans. The signatories, including Steve Wozniak and Elon Musk, suggest that a break is necessary to allow people to adjust and ensure that the benefits of AI systems are distributed fairly. The letter, published by the Future of Life Institute, emphasizes the importance of care and forethought in deploying advanced AI technology, which, if ignored, could have serious consequences for humanity.
Moving now to the world of Publishing:
Australian independent publishers have received valuable advice on how to get their titles into libraries. The Getting indie books into public libraries event was initiated by the APA’s Independent Publishers Committee and featured an online panel discussion, followed by networking with Australian library suppliers. The panel provided insights into library acquisition trends, procurement processes, and the role of library suppliers, while offering advice on how indie publishers can get their titles in front of suppliers and libraries, with emphasis on the importance of quality metadata.
An update now on the Internet Archive's copyright case. In a ruling that could have far-reaching implications for libraries and digital books, a US federal judge has found that the Internet Archive infringed the copyrights of four plaintiff publishers by scanning and lending their books under a legally contested practice known as CDL (controlled digital lending). Judge John G. Koeltl granted the publisher plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment and denied the Internet Archive’s cross-motion, stating that their fair use defense does not have any legal support. The decision, which came after three years of legal wrangling, could have serious implications for the digitization and lending of books by libraries.
And that my friends, was news with Sharn.
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Into the episode now, and let's talk about Music!
First up in the battle, what are your favorite genres?
Sharn: Folk Pop, Pop, Lo-fi ChillHop, PopHop, Classic Rock, Classical Music, Celtic, Broadway
Andy: Hip Hop & Rap (90’s is the best), Modern classical/cinematic (Movie soundtracks etc), LoFi/Chill Hop, Metal, EDM. So most things.
What do you look for in your music?
Sharn: Catchy/good beat, and I want to be able to sing along to it. Or if it’s classical, lo-fi chillhop, or Celtic, I want to relax and be transported to a tranquil plane of existence. Or I want the music to change my mood somehow.
Andy: I am looking for an emotion or a state change. I want music to give me a certain feeling be it excitement, relaxation, confidence etc.
How do you enjoy your music and do you use it for any other purposes?
Sharn: Listen while working, while cooking, driving, gardening, or to set a mood at home. We often put on themed playlists that sync with the dinner we’re having. I use music to tune out the world, or to change my mood.
Andy: Alright so I use music more like a tool then I do anything else. Please let me explain in great detail.
Pre podcast or at the gym or when I feel like getting hyped it's all 90’s hip hop like Ice Cube, Dr Dre, Snoop, X etc.
When i am making dinner at night it has to be a EDM Tomorrowland style mashup of EDM/dance music
When I am walking the dog or hiking (if i'm not listening to an audiobook or Podcast that is) it's modern classical or a movie score of some sort.
When I'm doing non creative tasks like socials or Invoke work etc i like to get around the LoFi or Chill Hop tracks. But depending on the time of day, sometimes I like some future garage, deep house or chillstep.
When I'm riding my skateboard I need some more upbeat chill hop if it's summer or some east coast 90’s Hip hop if its winter. That piano with the beats and chachunk chachunk is a beautiful sound.
I also use music as a trigger: for example i listen to the exact same song before the gym everyday and a different one when i'm finished to physically change my mind and attitude.
Where does your music come from?
Sharn: Spotify for me. I also use it for dance teaching so make lots of playlists I use in class, or just save off songs to choreograph to.
Andy: I think I would say 30% Apple music 45% Youtube and the reaming 25% all the other platforms (soundcloud, spotify etc)
Where do you listen to your music?
Sharn: At home, in the car, while writing/editing, or sometimes even at work. Family also has a compulsory dance to the trailer music on Friday family fun night.
Andy: Everywhere. I don't do it now but back in the day I would bring my CD player into the bathroom and listen while I showered.
Let’s now discuss your favourite music.
Sharn what some are your favourite songs or pieces of music of all time:
I don't have favourites. As I said, music is very emotional and I'll jump around depending on mood. Some highlights lately are Experience by Ludovico Einaudi, Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy, Closer The Corrs
Andy what some are your favourite songs or pieces of music of all time:
Old Friends (Howard Shore, The Hobbit/LOTR), Nothing Else Matters (Metallica), Drive (Incubus), Nessun Dorma (3 Tenors live in concert: Guaranteed tears every time), Still Dre by the Doctor himself.
Alright Let's talk albums:
Sharn, what are some of your favourite albums of all time?
Spotify playlists - Happy Folk Pop, Best Classical Music, Hits of 2023; Babel - Mumford and Sons, Coldplay (Rush of Blood to the Head and Viva la Vida), The Corrs (Forgiven Not Forgotten, and Talk on Corners), SpiceGirls, Aqua, Enya, Triple J Hottest 100 CDs. Nina Vox - The Secrets of You.
Andy, what are some of your favourite albums of all time?
Ride the Lightning (Metallica)
Fellowship of the Rings Soundtrack
Curtain Call Eminem
Three Tenors live in concert
Roots Sepultura
Chocolate starfish and the hotdog flavoured water - limp Bizkit
Hybrid theory - linkin park
The sickness - Disturbed
Soundtrack to The adventures of Priscilla Queen of the desert & The Blues Brothers
Sharn in this day and age do you still listen to whole albums?
Not really.
Andy in this day and age do you still listen to whole albums?
Nope. its all playlist these days. unless i chuck on the Hobbit or LOTR for a long dog walk.
Talk us through all your playlist you have on your phone right now.
Sharn: My favorite songs (it’s pretty eclectic everything from Lizzo, to Boney M, Vance Joy, Hilltop Hoods, Alt-J, The Living End, and songs from Eurovision); kids favorite songs, Best Classical Music, Sci-fi Ambient Celestial Music, Jazz dance songs, lyrical/contemporary songs, Jazz dance class, Lyrical/contemporary dance class, Musical Theatre, and song to choreograph to.
Andy: Form the top:
AJ Rock
AJ Heavy
Chill Skate
Epic
Anime
Latin
Lord of the Rings
New Rap
Old Rap
Socials
Star Wars
Have you had any special music moments (concerts, performances etc)
Sharn: I haven’t been to many music concerts or festivals. Peter Combe, Groovin the Moo, Mumford and Son accompanied by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Coldplay, Hanson, The Corrs (in Oct this year).
Andy: I am not really a concert guy myself. As I said, I use music like a tool. But my BFF growing up was a clarinetist so we went to watch the Canberra Symphony Orchestra play a lot and I remember; The Planets by Holst was amazing. It had a big screen and special effects. And the other one was I saw Sepultura in 1999 at the ANU refectory. It was a small gig with like only 300 people there (even though Sepultrira was massive) but everyone there was 1000% a massive fan so the vibe was next level! Last one would be Crowded House’s first farewell concert outside at the opera house in 2016. Weather Fireworks, Aussie AF!!!
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It’s now time to enter Andy’s Imagin-asium
Welcome to the Imagin-asium!- Work Out of the week number 3
This week's workout is going to push you a little harder than last time to help you make those creativity gains!
The track for this week is: SoothSayer (instrumental) by Zach Hemesy
Your workout is as follows:
Get the music ready on your device.
Get outside and go for a walk, preferably somewhere nice and safe. But if you can't get comfy under your blanket of choice.
Listen to the music and follow the below workout:
In this week's workout I have a specific task for you. I want you to picture your Main Character (or yourself) waking up after sleeping all day. You put on your jeans,boots, leather jacket, and favourite tech accessories. You then head downstairs and head out the front door of your apartment block in Mega City 1. Que music. I want you to imagine what you see in this futuristic city. Is it a cyberpunk style city, is it more of a Utopia, you tell me. Follow along with the music as you adventure through the city. Just a heads up there is a quieter down tempo part in the middle of the track before it builds back up… why would that be the case in the scene you have created?
As always add all the layers to your little narrative with your different senses and feel free to do it a couple of different times.
And finally, hit me up on twitter(@AndyMacCreative) or Bards (@Invokecrations) up on Twitter and let me know what you came up with 🎧
And that's your Imagin-asium workout of the week! Remember to stay hydrated and stretch throughout the day ;)
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As always, we have a lot to do and a lot more to learn. Hope you all have fun following along as we improve our understanding and knowledge!
You can find this podcast episode (and all our other episodes) here: https://anchor.fm/invokecreations , or directly on your favourite streaming services.
NOTE: Everything discussed during the podcast is simply our own interpretation of information we come across as we research topics, or is commentary based on our own personal experiences. We highly encourage everyone to conduct their own research into topics of interest as information, especially in the technical space, changes regularly.
Music track featured this week was titled Sunset Glimmer and can be viewed/listened to here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_Oe4x-Inqw
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As always, we’re off to put our bums on seats and do some work, so until next time stay dangerous!
Byeeeeeeeeee!