Generators vs ReplicatorsA New Perspective on Performance

By Colette Silvestri

Derry Township School District

© 1999

Some Fond Memories…

Hated Freshman Writing Class

Was shy in class as I wasn’t sure of my work

Was failing Music Theory

Despised doing work in school and couldn’t focus.

Spent hours writing plays

Could not shut me up outside of classes

Composed music at night

Became almost obsessive about my work. (Again worked into the night)

Four things…

IBM came to CMU’s music department looking for composers.

The Creative Child – basically the Manhattanville Music Project class

Remembered that the only buildings open at night at CMU were the Fine Arts and Computer Science buildings.

WWII’s Enigma Code

Learning how to Play…The Scotch’n’Soda Story

In 1996, Carnegie-Mellon University had just completed and was ready to dedicate a new student activity center on their main campus. The Board of Alumni decided to open the new building with an assembly of alumni who had succeeded in producing “hit” plays at the university. When they called the Drama Department, however, they discovered that the major musicals such as Pippin, Godspell and Where Do We Go From Here were actually

created by a “renegade” school club called Scotch’n’Soda. The club consisted of computer hacks, engineers, and drama/music hopefuls. They met across campus in a dirty sub-basement room of the Margaret Morrison building. Launched in 1938, S’n’S’s unmonitored “fun” continued unabated

for 58 years with an understandable lapse between 1943-1945. The objective of the group was to write & produce an original musical.

“No, I was not Drinking!!”

Scotch’n’Soda was (and still is) a student-run theatre organization whose initial intent was to create and produce original musicals.  No teachers were involved and everything was produced by students. However, due to declining student interest in writing original musicals over the past decade, the group has primarily been performing professionally published works. 

During Its ‘original’ heyday its alumni included Stephen Schwartz (Wicked), Iris Dart (Beaches), Frank Gorshen (Batman), Biff Liff (William Morris Agency) and Barbara Feldon (Get Smart). At one point, many S’n’S members could be found on the executive boards of CBS, ABC and NBC.

Playing to Learn

The WIREWorks Story

In 1995, a project called WIREWorks was presented to the Harrisburg Opera Association. Based on the Scotch’n’Soda model, the intent of the project would provide the community with a new way of looking at the arts and education. Also, compared to S’n’S, the WIREWorks students strictly utilized computers for their composition of plays, music and even set design.

Instead of the students simply “running off” to write original musicals into the night, a few volunteer teachers were added so that students could ask questions pertaining to structure, construction and marketing. Much like Scotch’n’Soda, the pace of WIREWorks was dictated by the students themselvesand not via “lesson plans”. In this manner they ran ahead as fast as they desired. The only challenge was to keep pace with them.

A Few Ground Rules…

( D i t a = T A O d)(Discipline in the Arts = The Art of Discipline )

WIREWorks' vision is toDevelop a

Philosophy which promotes Responsibility

to nurture Creativity

so that our Community may achieve Productivity

The WIREWorks Philosophy

The program will be free to the community No student will be turned away All students are talented Talent must be first "discovered" then trained Collaborations on pieces are encouraged No criticism is permitted All plays and/or songs can be "tested" and

"repaired" There is always enough time

Responsibility

o All participants must be willing to teach or learn for "free". They must show up for a 4 hour class per week. All participants must understand that art is NOT a hobby

but an industry. Collaborations may be required in spite of personality

conflicts. Students must be willing to try a new skill. All Prima Donnas will be dismissed as soon as they're

scoped them out! What’s a grade? The audience is armed with rotten

tomatoes!! It’s either PRODUCE or produce! Do nothing which brings disgrace to the workshop,

classmates...or yourself.

Creativityo Do not FEAR failure. The objective is to

keep trying until it "works"

o If you can't do it...try it!

o If it ain't broke...BREAK IT!!

o You've made a mistake? We'd all like to see it, please.

o Playtime IS Work time

Productivity Products take the form of plays, songs and performers, homepages, recordings,

transmissions, knowledge of hardware, technology and the ability to perceive or envision new methods of any of the above. If you can perceive it, you can achieve it.

If a product or material is not adequate or doesn’t even exist…yeah! You’ve found your market niche.

o Students are "graduated" to local arts organizations, the tech workforce and/or institutions of higher education. They are encouraged to bring finished portfolios with them. They are also taught that they are the consumer…NOT the institution.

There is less need to ‘import’ performers, directors and tech consultants from other areas, thus less travel and professional expenses for local companies. We’re selling here, folks, not buying

Our local arts & educational communities will be encouraged to live up to their vision statements to support and encourage local artists

All WIREWorks members should graduate with a general understanding of intellectual property law, how royalties & distribution work and other aspects of this industry that literally determine if we will survive in the fields of art or technology.

Help to develop your community when you can. What you will not offer in talent, you shall pay in tax.

Scotch’n’Soda WIREWorks

(Factors)Environment The Dungeon (basement office) The WIRE Coffeehouse (Old store front)Public Impression Not endorsed by faculty Not quite endorsed by parents or teacherParticipants “Renegade” Music/Drama/Tech majors Teenagers in their “pupae” stageStructure “Loose” structure No structureWork Schedule In between classes and in the night Tuesday evenings and into the nightCost All Volunteer All Volunteer

(Social)Objective Created Original Musicals & Plays Created Original Musicals & PlaysGroup structure Loners, some small cliques Loners, small cliquesOrigin Came from every college department Come from many school districtsBehaviors of Note Ate every meal together Ate together after class

Met between classes and at night Met on Tuesdays, weekends & free timeHacks would share computer skills Musicians/Thespians/Composers share skillsHighly agitated behavior and “drive” Highly agitated behavior and continuous “drive”“Fed” off of each other’s energy “Fed” off of each other’s energyTight clique Tight clique Exchange of Ideas at high speed Exchange of Ideas moved at higher speed

(Liabilities)Observations Some members were dismissed Students had high rate of “detention” or suspension

“Hid” their work from teachers Their talents were “hidden” from teachersIrate if not permitted to continue work Irate behavior if not permitted to continue workGrades were low or barely passing Grades are inconsistent or low

Something Unusual…

The most striking observation in WIREWorks’ was that the students began to demonstrate ‘behaviors’ similar to the students involved in Scotch’n’Soda. These behaviors manifested

alone or were a combination of the following:

• Increased energy levels or accelerated learning pace•“Outbursts” of concentrated work • A preference for night writing and• Irritability when their work or workshop had to be temporarily postponed or halted

The group demonstrated the final behavior over the Christmas holiday that year when both, Christmas Day and

New Years Eve fell on a Tuesday.

Generators vs Replicators

Is it better to be right or write? In redesigning the WIREWorks’ program to include some elements of the

Scotch’n’Soda model from CMU, I found some “behavior” patterns which I believe will be relevant in understanding how to stimulate “intrinsic” learning in teenagers.

After a year of observing these teenagers, and experiencing some of these “obsessions” myself, I believe that a second stage of child development has somewhat been overlooked. Aside from the Montessouri child, where activities were repeated over and over again, there seems to be a second stage of learning. This stage, beginning around the age of 13, is an age where kids want to literally spread their wings and try the skills which they’ve learned.

In a discipline-based environment, experimentation and empowerment has somewhat been challenging. The result is a generation which seems “out of control”. The sad fact, actually, is that they somewhat have control over their skills and just need mentors to help them better utilize what they’ve learned. I’ve dubbed this stage as “the age of generation” as they generate poems, stories, want to exchange ideas (which usually results in gangs), right down to “redesigning” themselves via Mohawks and shocking wardrobes.

• Because everything was ‘original’ at The WIREWorks, the differences between those who generated work and those who replicated it became very apparent:

Generators Replicators Composes or constructs Reads Plays and improvises Instruction Oriented Will risk reward to learn new skills Prefers to achieve a perceived reward Failure is part of the process Failure is a destination Masters a skill and moves on More stubborn to abandon learned skill Prefers personal learning rate Prefers group learning Desires to work on personal projects Relieved to abandon assigned projects Concept Based Detail Based

The Irvine Report

On February 28, 1997, a study by University of California at Irvine researchers showed that piano lessons significantly improved the reasoning skills of preschool children The study involved 78

three‑ and four‑year‑old children of normal intelligence from three preschools in Southern California. Thirty‑four children received private piano keyboard lessons, 20 children received similar private instruction on computers, 10 children were given group singing lessons and 14 children in a control group received no special lessons. None of the children involved had any

prior music lessons or computer training. Gordon Shaw, the Irvine show conduced the study, said the study used the piano as the musical instrument of choice because a piano keyboard gave the

children both a linear and audible representation of the relationship between sounds. Shaw's team did not include other musical instruments in their research.

All of the preschool children involved in the study were tested to measure their spatial reasoning skills prior to any training. They were tested again after about six months of lessons. The researchers used reasoning tests from the performance sub‑test section of the Wechsler

Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence‑Revised, a standard test used in schools nationwide to score children's reasoning abilities. To test the preschoolers' spatial‑temporal skills, Shaw and

his researchers asked them to put together a four‑piece picture puzzle known as the Object Assembly test. Successfully performing this test required the children to form a mental picture of

the completed object and to rotate the puzzle pieces to match the mental image.Only the piano keyboard group showed significant improvement in their ability to use abstract

reasoning skills to complete the task. Abstract reasoning skills ‑‑ clinically known as spatial‑temporal reasoning ‑‑ involve the mental manipulation of images and information.

According to the researchers, “…these skills are crucial ingredients in the higher brain functions that are used for mathematics, science, engineering, or even a good game of chess.”

Singers vs PianistsWhat is the Difference?

In reviewing the behavior patterns of the students of Scotch’n’Soda, WIREWorks and the findings at the University of California at Irvine, a pattern can possibly be theorized. All of the works done at S’n’S and WIREWorks were original. Then, In the case of the Irvine study, singers & students on computers did not score as high as pianists in the study. Why?

Probably the most important factor concerning the Irvine study is “how” the children were taught. Were they taught how to write/read music simultaneously while they learned piano or sang? Were they exposed to computer language or simply led through a computer program via pictures and stories? The following is a preliminary breakdown of the various skills used. [1]

Pianists Vocalists ComputersVisual Audio VisualUses manual dexterity Relies upon body “sensations” Uses manual dexterityMaterial is “quantitative” Material is “quantitative/qualitative” Material is “quantitative”Usually sustains the beat Involves some math skills Involves some math skillsMeasured via visual variances Measured by audible variances Via visual variancesMust “regenerate” music Usually guided by accompanist, Usually guided by software

sheet music or recording

WIREWorks in a Public School Setting

One of the surprising factors faced at WIREWorks was that teenagers seemed to prefer to ‘generate’ works rather than having simply ‘replicative’ activities. If a single play was selected for mastery, they grew bored and desired to move onto a new play or else move to a generative level of the same activity. The following is an example of this type of modification;

Replicative Lesson Plan

Presented with a previously produced or published script Read and attempt to comprehend character in the story the creation of the character (based upon both the style, tone of the play) “direction” of the character (based upon instructions given by director or playwright)

Generative Lesson Plan

Students provided empty music or writing paper. If they want to sing…they must write the song, etc. Students provided with a word, joke or fairytale. They must write a one to two page scene. The class reads the scenes and then provides details concerning the character, such as the character’s

color of hair, build, accompanying values, etc. They are even encouraged to make up a story behind the story which sometimes helps with the construction of subplots.

Once the students “detail” their visualized character, a student director may attempt to begin ‘standing up the scene.’

If the observing students believe they can do a better job of directing, acting, etc.—they may request to try the scene as well. The best of the students usually end up doing the scene. BUT ALL STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEMPT THE PIECES.

Directors and playwrights are taught that their directions and instructions are merely part of the process. The construction of the character and continuation of play development is continued via the interpretation of actors.

If your stuff is good, sign up for the Intellectual Property Law Workshop.

The Basic classes for WIREWorks broke down into the following:

Arts TechnologyDrama Homepage Construction Voice Graphic Animation Construction Composition (formula based construction) Special Effects (wav., midi, etc.)Graphic Arts and Design Real Time applications (MP3 & film etc.)Play writing (formula based construction) Directing

Student Portfolio Development Transferable SkillsVolunteer Training & Placement MemeticsCollege Prep & Placement Corporate and Public PresentationsInternship Placements Multimedia applications (electronic stageCommunity Service production, public presentation, etc.)

Public speakingBasic understanding of intellectual

property, business and corporate laws & practices.

The following items seemed to have been important to the members of S’n’S and The WIREWorks…

Safe environment for creativity Trust Permission to Initiate “play” Constantly keep tools (including data) up-to-date and within reach Accelerate or diminish rate of data dissemination according to the

student’s ability to assimilate concepts Encourage or advise during the learning process (mentor). Create

collaborations if need be. Curriculum flexibility in the event of a technological change. DO

NOT BE ASHAMED TO ADMIT THAT YOU ARE ‘OBSOLETE TODAY!!’

Do NOT measure performance or levels before or during process

Permit students to conclude their work and to make mistakes Let student measure him/herself at conclusion of project Their audiences and the critics will be more than happy to provide

their grades.

Conclusion…

An Example of a WIREWorks Envisioning Project (1998)

The Holographic Stage

If the Whitaker achieves the creation of a “holographic” stage which can sustain “storable” holographic images it would:

Provide performing arts companies a “software program” which omits the costs of transporting, purchasing or renting stage props, backdrops and furniture. This would be a boon to a number of companies as a good portion of their budgets are spent on such items.

Be exceptionally exciting to see a “box” of a stage “come to life” with furniture, etc. before the audience’s eyes.

Demonstrate a true merging of the arts and technology.

Technologia (greek): A systematic treatment of an ART form.

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