Current Techno-Literacy

Despite all the experience I have had with adjusting to the changes in machinery that becomes invaluable to life, I have been called a Techo-retard, a Techno-phobe, and Mechanically Challenged. Sure, it’s mean and rude – but also kind of true. My mind can sometimes become very confused by technical processes. I was not good at math. I am kind of clumsy when it comes to getting machinery to work. My father’s voice might still be in my head when confronted with flashing lights, cords, bells and whistles. But, I know I need to get over this fear. I cannot become a teacher who loses her effectiveness because of a fear of machines. I cannot become the writer who misses the boat in cutting edge composing by ignoring where writing is going and how it is now being published. There was a time when being published on line was the death of a writer’s publishing dreams. I was even told that by several of my writing professors before I came to Roosevelt. It’s not true anymore. For writers or musicians or any kind of artist, it is now not only okay, but crucial to get your work out there in cyberspace. Artists create full galleries of their work on websites. A talented musician I met recently, Nathan Xander, said, “it no longer matters if you are signed by a record label. My work gets exposure from my live concerts, sure, but I also have my catalogue of songs and videos out there on line. I have my music listed with I-tunes and people buy it. I get most of the profits that way. No record label executive getting rich off of me and my voice is still out there.” These are good things to know – even as the idea of work out there to be stolen kind of scares me. I am part of a three-artist household. My boyfriend is a painter who has yet to put his entire gallery of work on line, but does have a blogspot that represents his work. You can visit it at: bbradford@blogspot.com. I’m a writer, but am just starting to get used to the idea of publishing on line. My daughter is a singer, who has yet to promote herself on line, but frequently gets posted on You Tube when people she knows video tape her performances and post them on line. The attached is a wonderfully raw cover of a Civil Wars song she performed with some of her colleagues at Belmont University in Nashville. It was recorded with one of those mini, hand-held video cameras, and it is really shaky, but the sound comes out amazing.