I must admit that I found this piece searching through PRX for things I like. When I found a piece on one of my favorite musicians, I had to listen.
I would like to say that while this piece is visually rich, I think the listener needs to have some knowledge about PowerPoint. I do not, and therefore did not really understand much of what was said. Clearly two sides of the PowerPoint camp are represented in this piece which I liked, but I didn’t come away learning anything new. However, the way the PowerPoint presentations are described is very good, and I could see them in my mind.
I think this piece would work well if there was a strong lead in explanation of PowerPoint and what it could mean to the listener. Also, it seems to me that the very first word we hear is cut off which makes the opening of the piece a bit harder to understand. I must add that I really enjoyed the music at the end. It is kind of spacey and had a computer-y feel to it and I thought that was neat.
About a year ago an essay appeared in The New Yorker about the ubiquitous Microsoft program, PowerPoint. It proffered the ideas that PowerPoint had a built-in power to structure the way people composed presentations and that it stifled creativity. This piece about David Byrne by Jackson Braider shows that this is not true. The secret to PowerPoint is to start with a blank page - don't use a template and let one's mind roam. This is an artistic piece about a much maligned piece of software, which is a tool, like a keyboard, a camera, a guitar. Mr. Braider found someone who uses this particular tool with imagination. Because of the popularity of PowerPoint, this piece has wide appeal and would fit in well in a business or arts segment.
A sound rich piece about a strange interesting technological topic. This piece is also surprisingly visual and informational. This piece might fit best on a techy show, but could be just about anywhere. It is very offhand and liberated, willfully crossing some lines that you won't hear crossed on public radio (which, to this reviewer, is a major feature).
Comments for David Byrne Does PowerPoint
Produced by Jackson Braider
Other pieces by Jackson Braider
Rating Summary
3 comments
Kari Chapin
Posted on January 24, 2005 at 03:47 AM | Permalink
Review of David Byrne Does PowerPoint
I must admit that I found this piece searching through PRX for things I like. When I found a piece on one of my favorite musicians, I had to listen.
I would like to say that while this piece is visually rich, I think the listener needs to have some knowledge about PowerPoint. I do not, and therefore did not really understand much of what was said. Clearly two sides of the PowerPoint camp are represented in this piece which I liked, but I didn’t come away learning anything new. However, the way the PowerPoint presentations are described is very good, and I could see them in my mind.
I think this piece would work well if there was a strong lead in explanation of PowerPoint and what it could mean to the listener. Also, it seems to me that the very first word we hear is cut off which makes the opening of the piece a bit harder to understand. I must add that I really enjoyed the music at the end. It is kind of spacey and had a computer-y feel to it and I thought that was neat.
Deborah Astley
Posted on October 09, 2004 at 03:19 PM | Permalink
Review of David Byrne Does PowerPoint
About a year ago an essay appeared in The New Yorker about the ubiquitous Microsoft program, PowerPoint. It proffered the ideas that PowerPoint had a built-in power to structure the way people composed presentations and that it stifled creativity. This piece about David Byrne by Jackson Braider shows that this is not true. The secret to PowerPoint is to start with a blank page - don't use a template and let one's mind roam. This is an artistic piece about a much maligned piece of software, which is a tool, like a keyboard, a camera, a guitar. Mr. Braider found someone who uses this particular tool with imagination. Because of the popularity of PowerPoint, this piece has wide appeal and would fit in well in a business or arts segment.
Hans Anderson
Posted on May 24, 2004 at 09:00 PM | Permalink
Review of David Byrne Does PowerPoint
A sound rich piece about a strange interesting technological topic. This piece is also surprisingly visual and informational. This piece might fit best on a techy show, but could be just about anywhere. It is very offhand and liberated, willfully crossing some lines that you won't hear crossed on public radio (which, to this reviewer, is a major feature).