Everything is a Remix and Creativity

I have always been fascinated by the creative process. In fact, some of my earliest blog entries were in a 7 part series about the subject starting with Creativity, inspiration, innovation, and Where Ideas Come from Part 1. And I’m always looking for new ways to discuss/teach about creativity in my classes and workshop.

Recently, I rediscovered the work of Kirby Ferguson. You may be familiar with his Ted Talk, Everything is a Remix. Well, in 2015 he remastered and combined his original video series by the same title and made it available on YouTube. Here is a link to his channel.

While I had in fact pretty much taught for years that western music had always evolved by stealing and repackaging in my middle school music appreciation classes, I had never taken it to the lengths Kirby has. The way he illustrates threads and examples is so clear and logical. No artist exists in a vacuum. If you are interested in a particular way of creating, you are going to spend time studying examples of that creative activity. In music school we study the harmonies, voice leadings, etc by the masters like Bach. Now we could certainly launch into a discussion on the rights and wrongs of limiting our study to that of white European music, but that is probably something for another blog. Who were Bach’s teachers/influences? If you do some quick research, you’ll see names like Vivaldi, Pachelbel, Buxtehude, Johann Christoph (Bach’s older brother), and a local organist by the name of Bohm. In short, other composers/musicians to which he had access.

What about someone like Leonardo Da Vinci? He was apprenticed to a Florentine painter/sculptor, Verrochio. Ever heard of him? I had to look him up. We all know Da Vinci, but Da Vinci had to learn from someone.

Kirby Ferguson states that any novel idea comes from a 3 step process: Copy-Transform-Combine and he labels the resulting novel idea a Remix. So Bach’s music is possibly a remix of Buxtehude and Da Vinci’s works could be remixes of Verrochio. Moreover, their works are more likely to be remixes of remixes of remixes, etc. And even if that statement is true, does it lessen the value of either in their respective fields?

So where am I going with this? Visual designers “borrow” from each other all of the time! They see each other’s work in DCI, BOA, at local shows, etc and unmistakenly and unapologetically “borrow” from what they see. One of my mentors told me, “if you are going to steal, steal from the best, and steal it right.”

If you are wanting to up your visual design game, copy other designs. Last winter/spring I spent 9 weeks doing my own transcription project where I transcribed 8 iconic DCI moves. Here is the resulting Playlist I learned a lot and even blogged about it in a 3 part series starting with A Pyware Transcription Project: Transcribing Iconic DCI Drill Moves Part 1.

You want some masters of visual design to copy? Here is a starting list:

Steve Brubaker: The Cavaliers

Michael Gaines: The Cavaliers

Gordon Henderson: University of Kentucky/UCLA

Leon May: Carolina Crown

Greg Poklacki: The Cavaliers

Mitch Rogers: The Bluecoats

Myron Rosander: Santa Clara Vanguard

Jeff Sacktig: The Cadets

Peter Weber: Santa Clara Vanguard

George Zingali: Star of Indiana

Sadly, some of these designers are no longer with us, but we have some of their work preserved through video and even available on YouTube. I’m not saying this is a definitive list. It’s a start. There may be someone right in your very own neighborhood who would be a great example to emulate. Copy-Transform-Combine and Create.

I love hearing from my readers. If you have a name you would like to add to this list, let me know and please tell others about my blog.—DB