Fireside Chat

"We Think We Know You" by Bo Burnham

                                               
                                                         (Warning: Some Language)

The Stanley Parable Trailer

And here is the media that I recorded for the fireside chat  (yes, that's me doing the terrible British accent)

Artist Statement

           For my piece, I was heavily inspired by the video game The Stanley Parable and the comedy of Bo Burnham, specifically his song "We Think We Know You".  I like the idea of a story having a narrator that is not only untrustworthy, but actively fighting against the actions of the protagonist, as is presented in The Stanley Parable, and I like how Bo Burnham often uses pre-recorded music and dialogue in order to stage interactions that wouldn't normally be possible in live music.  I felt that combining these elements in this format would best serve the message that I wanted to send.  I wanted to portray how there are so many things in our lives that we have no control over, but how we also need to recognize what things we can change and what things we can control.  For example, in the last 8 months since I've been home from my mission, I have auditioned many times for various performing groups and musicals.  Some of these, such as my audition for the Men's Chorus, were successful, but most of my auditions, including Les Miserable, Beauty and the Beast, Vocal Point, and several student films, were unsuccessful.  This has been hard for me because in high school, most of my auditions for plays and performing groups were very successful.  But I realized that I can't control the talent of others who choose to audition or the results of the auditions.  I can only continue trying to improve myself and to keep auditioning.  In a broader sense, I wanted everyone to think about the things in their own lives that they can't control, such as the actions of another person, and also to recognize the things that they can control, such as their reaction to how others act.  I don't truly believe in destiny, but I also don't believe that we are completely in control of everything in our lives.  Sometimes it's a little bit of both.  So my belief is that we need to recognize the things in our lives that we can control and change, and accept the things that we can't.

            I loved the fireside chat.  I loved the variety of the different performances.  Some gave slideshow presentations, others sang songs, and quite a few involved paint.  Some of my favorite performances were those that got their message across without having to use many words, such as Rene and Max's pieces.  I felt like I learned more about each person that night, almost like I had seen a slice of their soul.  There was a lot of honesty and soul bearing that occurred, and I don't think that would have been possible in any other setting.  Everyone's personality was on display, and every piece seemed to fit perfectly with the person who was giving the presentation.  Even though it was late at night and I was exhausted, I was thoroughly entertained and edified the whole night long.  And that is why I love the arts.