Technology and the Arts: 2023 Reunion – Celebrating 20 Years of WordPress (05.27.2023)

Posted on May 27, 2023 by Brian

Brian Kelley and John LeMasney return for another Technology and the Arts reunion special, this time to mark the 20th anniversary of WordPress.

Technology and the Arts – The 2022 Reunion Special (12.13.2022)

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Posted on December 13, 2022 by Brian

After 7 years*, John LeMasney and Brian Kelley return for a special reunion episode of Technology and the Arts, as they catch up on things and once again explore the connections between technology and art. Also, tonight marks 16 years since the debut of the Technology and the Arts podcast on Dec. 13, 2006.

(*Brian was off on the date of the last episode by 11 months during the recording…oops.)

Five years later…

Posted on July 1, 2020 by Brian

Hi. This is Brian. So…the Technology and the Arts podcast ended close to five years ago. At the time, John LeMasney and I were in the middle of a season in which we were taking viewers/listeners behind the scenes as we tried to collaborate on writing a song together remotely.

We started by sharing some ideas we had worked on independently. My contribution was the simple chorus below and a potential title, “Lay It On The Line.” The lyrics reflected how I felt, as a privileged white male, in the wake of Ferguson and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. I wanted to express the importance of not being silent about racial injustice and to be vocal in support of BLM.

bktandem · TechArts – LayItOnTheLine 10-29-2015

John shared some guitar riffs and I soon realized the one at the start of this clip might work as a verse with my chorus.

John William LeMasney · First Draft

Shortly before the podcast came to an end in December 2015, I used a piece of John’s guitar riff in this rough demo to see if the two pieces could work together.

bktandem · FirstDraft LIOTL_mockup

This “draft” version of the song was to be a framework for us to construct a final version. Obviously, it still needed a bridge section, which is why it ends abruptly after the second chorus. Even after the podcast ended, I wanted to complete the song, but a bridge remained elusive and I moved on.

Fast forward five years to 2020 and police brutality and injustices against Black people continue. Black Lives Matter protests flood the nation’s streets again, and it brought me back to “Lay It On The Line.”

Instead of working from the original “framework” GarageBand file, I decided to rebuild the song from scratch, which resulted in a bit of a key change and some rearranging. I didn’t use John’s guitar riff this time, but it still heavily influenced the verse sections.

In my head, I always thought the bridge would just be a simple breakdown into a solo section before one last chorus. But I could never get it to sound right. Then, I thought about Todd Rundgren’s “Just One Victory” and the “Hold that line, baby, hold that line…” backing vocals, and hit upon a new idea for the elusive bridge.

I decided to incorporate similar melodic backing vocals into the bridge, introducing a key change and some new chords in the process. Suddenly, the simple breakdown section I had envisioned became a bit more complex. But with the bridge complete, I was now able to complete the framework of the song. It’s still really a demo, but the song John and I started writing together nearly five years ago is finally finished, structurally.

bktandem · Lay It On The Line (2020 Demo)

And then, because I wanted to give a nod to that original stripped-down draft recording of the chorus, I also created a “quiet mix” version.

bktandem · Lay It On The Line (Quiet Mix Demo)

LAY IT ON THE LINE

Music by Brian Kelley & John LeMasney
Lyrics by Brian Kelley
Arranged by Brian Kelley

Look all around you
And see what’s at stake
A movement is coming
Which side will you take
Battle injustice
Or stay on the side
Will you stand up and fight
Or will you just run and hide?

Take a look at yourself
Are you doing anything that can help
Take a look in your heart
It’s time that you start doing your part

Life’s not worth living
If you don’t take a stand
And champion the causes
Of your fellow ‘man
Your apathy’s weakness
Your silence a joke
How can you sit there
When the system is broke
Time to wake up your mind
And lay it on the line
Gotta lay it on the line

How can you keep saying
That nothing is wrong
When what’s come to light
Has been like this all along
The shield has been broken
The trust is betrayed
Lives have been stolen
By the system we made

Take a look at yourself
Are you doing anything that can help
Take a look in your heart
It’s time that you start doing your part

Bridge
It’s time to wake up and understand. It’s time to support your fellow ‘man
(Now is the time)
It’s time to step up and do what’s right. It’s time to get up and join the fight.
(For us to understand)
It’s time to wake up and understand. It’s time to support your fellow ‘man
(We must unite)
It’s time to step up and do what’s right. It’s time to get up and join the fight.
(as one common ‘man)

Take a stand

(Instrumental-solo)

Take a look at yourself
Are you doing anything that can help
Take a look in your heart
It’s time that you start doing your part

A return is imminent

Posted on August 31, 2015 by Brian

Hi there. Just a quick note to say that John LeMasney and I have discussed bringing Technology and the Arts back with an entirely new format. This time, we’re going to give viewers/listeners an inside look at the creative process (well, at least ours) and invite them to follow along in a series of videos/podcasts as we discuss, plan and execute the creation of an artistic project. I’m pretty sure we’re going to start off by collaborating on the creation of a song. We’re looking to get started with this new series the week of September 14, 2015.

Stay tuned,
Brian Kelley

Special webcast Monday, March 10, at 10 p.m. ET

Posted on March 7, 2014 by Brian

Hello again…it’s been awhile, but John LeMasney and Brian Kelley will be returning with a special webcast Monday, March 10, 2014, at 10 p.m. ET. Tune into this web site or our YouTube channel to watch.

In addition to talking about the latest topics dealing with technology and art, John and Brian will be focusing on the 39th edition of the Trenton Computer Festival (TCF) taking place Saturday, March 15, at The College of New Jersey in Ewing, N.J. John will be speaking at the festival, presenting a talk on how technology can help you develop your personal brand.

Within 48 hours of the webcast, an edited version will be repurposed into a standard, audio-only podcast that will include an excerpt of an interview Brian recently conducted with TCF co-founder and chair, Dr. Allen Katz, for his Tandem With The Random podcast.

Show Notes for Technology and the Arts – Episode 69

Posted on October 17, 2013 by Brian

Technology and the Arts – Episode 69 (10.18.2013) features lightly edited audio from a live Google+ Hangout On Air conducted October 14, 2013. This installment of the podcast features discussion of The Oatmeal’s “Columbus Day” comic, Hypothes.is and its plan to bring open annotation to the web, New York Comic-Con’s hijacking of attendees’ social media feeds, the discovery of nine long-lost episodes of Doctor Who…and more! File size: 6.5 MB. Time: 26 min., 30 sec. Hosts: Brian Kelley and John LeMasney.

Here’s a rundown of what we discussed:

John talked about presenting at Gloucester County Library’s staff day retreat, his proposed talk on personal branding being accepted for the 2014 Trenton Computer Festival (scheduled for March 15, 2014), his continued participation in the “Codecademy” program at Princeton (NJ) Public Library, and an October 18 Brookdale Computer Users Group talk on Scratch, Arduino, Raspberry Pi and the “Make” movement.
Brian talked about his Tandem With The Random podcast’s celebration of Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary in November, and playing accordion for Christian Beach on a cover of Yoko Ono’s “Silver Horse” at the New Jersey Peace Action’s Concert for Peace on October 19, 2013, in Bloomfield, N.J.
The Oatmeal’s “Columbus Day” comic…digital art as political platform.
Hypothes.is – “Hypothes.is will be an open platform for the collaborative evaluation of knowledge. It will combine sentence-level critique with community peer-review to provide commentary, references, and insight on top of news, blogs, scientific articles, books, terms of service, ballot initiatives, legislation and regulations, software code and more.”
Canada on verge of mandating “pick and pay” (similar to “a la carte”) options for nation’s cable television subscribers.
Coverage by Mashable and Ars Technica on New York Comic-Con’s controversial tactic of promoting the event through attendees’ social media accounts…without the attendees’ knowledge.
The discovery of nine missing Doctor Who episodes from the 1960s that have restored two Patrick Troughton-era stories—”The Enemy of the World” and “Web of Fear”—to near completion (only one episode of “Web of Fear” remains missing) for the first time in more than 40 years.

Thank you for watching this season of Technology and the Arts…Brian and John will be back in spring 2014.

Show Notes for Technology and the Arts – Episode 68

Posted on October 11, 2013 by Brian

Technology and the Arts – Episode 68 (10.11.2013) features lightly edited audio from a live Google+ Hangout On Air conducted October 7, 2013. This installment of the podcast features discussion of the giant tablets being used on the new Fox News set, the fallout from a questionable tweet by Joyce Evans of Philadelphia’s Fox 29 News, Nielsen’s plan to measure Twitter traffic for TV shows, Rhode Island School of Design’s STEM to STEAM initiative to include Art and Design in the traditional STEM curriculum…and more! File size: 10.0 MB. Time: 40 min., 42 sec. Hosts: Brian Kelley and John LeMasney.

Here’s a rundown of what we discussed:

John’s presentation on food blogging and his participation in a three-session “Codecademy” program at Princeton (NJ) Public Library.
With the recent talk of Christian Beach’s cover of Yoko Ono’s “Silver Horse,” Brian discovered yesterday that Ono currently holds the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Dance/Club Play chart with “Walking on Thin Ice 2013,” an update of her 1981 hit.
The odd presence of giant touchscreens on Fox News’ revamped “breaking news” deck…and John’s vision of such devices from last year.
The tasteless, ill-advised tweet sent by Joyce Evans of Fox 29 News in Philadelphia that foolishly invoked the “Breaking Bad” finale to tease a story on an upcoming newscast about six people getting shot—one of whom was killed. The story ignited a firestorm on Twitter and even reached Gawker. It also spawned the ridiculously funny #JoyceEvansTweets hashtag on Twitter, mocking her original tweet.
Nielsen’s efforts to measure tweets about television shows.
The STEM to STEAM movement championed by the Rhode Island School of Design and thoughts on the concept from RISD President John Maede, which he shared in a guest blog post for Scientific American.

Show Notes for Technology and the Arts – Episode 67

Posted on October 4, 2013 by Brian

Technology and the Arts – Episode 67 (10.04.2013) features lightly edited audio from a live Google+ Hangout On Air conducted September 30, 2013. This installment of the podcast features discussion of Robert Scoble’s “Age of Context,” the virtues of Google+ Hangouts compared to Adobe Connect and GoTo Meeting, the new Seaboard keyboard instrument from Roli, and the potential medical uses for Google Glass…and more! Plus, we talk with singer-songwriter Christian Beach, who performed one of his new songs for us. File size: 19.5 MB. Time: 1 hr., 19 min., 25 sec. Hosts: Brian Kelley and John LeMasney.

Here is a rundown of what we discussed on this episode…

Robert Scoble and the “age of context”
Co-host Brian Kelley’s current training for the Trenton10K in November.
Australian singer-songwriter Kate Miller-Heidke, her departure from Sony and her crowd-funded new album–successfully funded via PledgeMusic.com in just three days.
A Doctor Who/science-fiction fan club in New York City is spearheading a Change.org petition to have the Empire State Building go TARDIS blue on Nov. 23, 2013, to mark the program’s 50th anniversary.
John extolled the virtues of Google+ Hangouts, compared to Adobe Connect and GoTo Meeting.
John discussed an effort to bring gamification to Artworks Trenton.
The new Seaboard keyboard instrument from Roli.
The future of Google Glass in the medical community.
Christian Beach – a singer-songwriter interviewed during the episode who also performed his song “Divide and Conquer.” Christian will also be performing a cover of Yoko Ono’s “Silver Horse” during a tribute to Yoko Ono taking place during New Jersey Peace Action’s Concert for Peace taking place in Bloomfield, N.J., October 19.

Show Notes for Technology and the Arts – Episode 66

Posted on September 27, 2013 by Brian

Technology and the Arts – Episode 66 (09.27.2013) features lightly edited audio from a live Google+ Hangout On Air conducted September 23, 2013. This installment of the podcast features discussion on technologies libraries need to be aware of and using in today’s world, the praise heaped upon Netflix by Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan following the show’s Emmy win for best drama, and the value of Internet radio stations focusing on local music…and more! File size: 15.3 MB. Time: 1 hr., 02 min., 09 sec. Hosts: Brian Kelley and John LeMasney.

John talked about:

Training he is providing through LibraryLink NJ
Classes he is teaching at Rider University
And work-for-advertising opportunities for his consulting business

Brian talked about:

An update on his participation in a recording of Yoko Ono’s “Silver Horse” by friend/singer-songwriter Christian Beach for an upcoming Main Man Records tribute CD
A performance of “Silver Horse” during a New Jersey Peace Action Concert for Peace event taking place October 19

Together, they discussed:

Top technologies libraries should know and use
“Breaking Bad” creator Vince Gilligan’s post-Emmy praise for Netflix
The perils of relying on any one online mapping or GPS app.
New Jersey Internet radio:
- Altrok – keeping alive the legacy of the long-gone WHTG 106.3 FM, Modern Rock at the Jersey Shore
- BlowUp Radio – an online radio station that hosts, Banding Together, an annual “webathon” featuring local music artists designed to combat spondylitis.
- The Penguin Rocks

Here is the webcast version of the episode:
Technology and the Arts 2.0: Series 2, Ep. 7 – 09.23.2013

Show Notes for Technology and the Arts – Episode 65

Posted on September 20, 2013 by Brian

Technology and the Arts – Episode 65 (09.20.2013) features lightly edited audio from a live Google+ Hangout On Air conducted September 16, 2013. This installment of the podcast features discussion of Chromebook, PGP (Pretty Good Privacy), the great new album Warm Blanket from indie musician Dent May, the Oxymoron (hot ice cream) Maker made exclusively for Spain’s Rocambolesc ice cream shop, and the fantastic 99% Invisible podcast about design of all forms…and more! File size: 13.5 MB. Time: 55 min., 00 sec. Hosts: Brian Kelley and John LeMasney.

John talked about:

The class he is teaching at Rider University
His continuing classes at Princeton Public Library
Courses he is teaching at Princeton Adult School
And a Chromebook session he taught at Rossmoor, an active adult community in central New Jersey…without the benefit of Internet access

Brian talked about:

“Warm Blanket,” the new CD from one of Brian’s favorite indie artists, Dent May…check out his Soundcloud page

Together, they discussed:

PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) – in this day and age of NSA spying on you, PGP will at least make them work a bit to get to your data
More on the beauty and simplicity of Chromebook
Andreu Carulla’s “Oxymoron Maker II,” a hot ice cream maker produced exclusively for Rocambolesc, the ice cream store offshoot of Spain’s famed El Celler de Can Roca restaurant
The 99% Invisible podcast — hosted by Roman Mars, this entertaining and informative podcast looks at all forms of design…graphic design, architecture, networks and systems and format structures
And more…