Influential People (Blog 1A)

There are many people and groups that I admire and have influenced the things I do in many different ways.
However, for this blog I will be picking two of the most influential and talk about them a little bit.

First is the group Twenty One Pilots. I just recently (within the last 6 months) learned about Twenty One Pilots, a band local to where I live in Columbus, Ohio. Their music can be best described as alternative and electronic and most of it is also music that makes you want to get up and dance to it. While this description may apply to a very wide variety of bands and musical artists, Twenty One Pilots still has a very unique sound that sets them apart and contrasts them from everyone else. The band consists of three guys who play a variety of instruments. Most of the instrumentation is based a piano part and is filled out with the drums and bass. This is one of the many things that already sets them apart from many other groups. A second technique that gives them a very unique sound is the use of electronic instruments such as synths and electronic drums along with their organic counterparts pianos, basses and a drum kit. Add a lead singer who isn't like any one particular singer but instead a culmination of the best parts of many singers and also a great band chemistry and you have the unique, infectious sound of Twenty One Pilots.
Their song "Air Catcher" shows some of the more melodic calmer music they do and is linked directly below.



Twenty One Pilots can be found at http://www.twentyonepilots.com/



Second, is a TV show called Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. As you read this you're probably thinking about how you've never heard of this show which isn't too suprising. Studio 60 only lasted one season on air before being removed but that speaks nothing of the quality of the show. The show is written by the very talented Aaron Sorkin who is also known for writing Sports Night, The West Wing, and most recently, The Social Network. I enjoy this show for a variety of reasons. The first being the incredible use of tension throughout the show to keep the viewer engaged in the show. The use of tension repeatedly keeps the viewer wondering as a situation is set up that could fulfill a variety of outcomes both good and bad. That tension is then released to allow the viewer time to relax and digest information before it sets up for even more tension. A second technique used by Sorkin throughout the show is that of subtext and creating situations that on one level will portray one thing but may also use a great deal of irony or sarcasm to portray the real underlaying meaning of the scene. A third way that Studio 60 is engaging to a viewer is that it is constantly making one think about the different things going on and interpreting them on their own. Although there are many points that are presented in black and white to the viewer, there are many more that cause the viewer to be an active thinker instead of a didactic one. Since the show is based on the behind the scenes of a show like Saturday Night Live the characters in the show are bound to be very sarcastic as their humorous attitudes are prominent throughout most of the show.
Below is a promo that was run on NBC for the show Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.

Below is a scene from the first episode that showcases some of the many different ways Studio 60 engages its viewers.