Metacognition: Jane Eyre Mashup

      A mashup is defined as a "creative combination or mixing of content from different sources," and though I wasn't before aware, is reflected in several types of art. I'd figured it to be a free art form collecting popularity but not yet clearly defined or momentous--but mistaken, I found five-month old "United States of Pop 2009 (Blame it on the Pop)" by DJ Earworm--a popular song that has secured 36.4 million views on YouTube in its short life--terms itself a mashup. It features one to two line samples from the top 25 hits of 2009, and though seemingly different in key and time signature, the lyrics of the songs fit together under an umbrella theme--picking ourselves up after being metaphorically knocked down. Additionally, what sounds like the drum beat and guitar tab to the Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling" unremittingly plays in the background, adding to the illusion of a "single consciousness." DJ Earworm, who also produces mashups of individual artists' work, has said of his experiences with it, "It's great when I get to do a mashup for an artist, because it allows me to really dig deep into a single act and really see what makes them tick." Essentially, the artists' work creates or leads him to sculpt the themes for his songs, and when he looks at them with lenses to filter out anything that doesn't relate to the theme--he finds deeper implications about the theme itself. Though his songs are angled to draw popularity versus sparking the intellect, I found the fundamental steps of both of our processes were similar.

      While working on the mashup assigned in English with my partner Jordan, I arrived at a set of realizations relating to the media quoted in the mashup and its sources.  We began the mashup by inserting large blocks of text from printed and online sources that were broadly related to enlightenment. We imported paragraphs satiated with content of personal moments of enlightenment, dialogues in which characters analyzed their own epiphanies, and descriptive passages which commented on the nature of enlightenment. Then, it was important not to mechanically cut out pieces of text with specific names or places, as the later integration of those into the mashup would make it more unique and interesting. Though we found it important to be open-minded and ambitious while we quarried printed and online media for possible quotes, we ensured our sources met a certain standard; just as DJ Earworm hadn't scraped for theme-related sentences in psychology self-help forums, we were not to skulk about on Yahoo! Answers seeking personal enlightenment experiences.  In fact, I found that average experiences of people could be articulated through the layers of depth in the mashup, or simply through use of a more sophisticated piece of literature whose main character was slightly out of the ordinary but not unrelatable.

       However, this process led to the satiation of individual quotes with diverse ideas. To cut the quotes to the bone would have required more time and collaboration. Due to diametrically opposed schedules, Jordan and I could only meet to work together when the order of the mashup elements was being finalized and the site was being put up. Thus, the duties of the mashup creation process had been split between us, with me making sure I dug up enough quotes to exasperate as many aspects of enlightenment as possible, and with Jordan continuously interpreting added elements and ordering them, leading to depth. We each spent many hours on the Google Doc. adding or editing, but realistically with a two-dimensional virtual document and less than a week's worth of time (conflicting with a major holiday and athletic competitions), the closer, more collaborative and mutually beneficial work environment I envisioned had to be compromised in search of a more practical and efficient way to complete the project.

      If asked what I would improve upon regarding our group dynamic or collaboration, the pressing circumstances in mind, I would probably be more efficient and manage my time more effectively. Had I completed my quarry for quotes several days before, it would have allowed for mutually invested time in the trimming and organizing of the mashup elements. I was hesitant to pull the plug on my  constant import of quotes into the project because I feared there would not be enough concrete material to continue. But had I initiated a sort of preliminary organization process of the elements--even something as simple as categorizing--I could have familiarized myself with the material we had thus far, and gained a more refined image of what quotes we needed. Additionally, I could have been a direct participant in the trimming of sentences that didn't directly relate to enlightenment, thus tightening the focus of the mashup. After sampling Austin and Declan's completed mashup--each quote of which is a line, or at times two--I realized the power of conciseness in a project like this. Their mashup was not only elegant and flowed collectively, but was direct, structured, and wise.