Keynotes

Opening Plenary Keynote

Words and Music, Crafts and Costumes, Ritual and... Radio: The Power of Old Media in New Orleans
Nick Spitzer, American Routes

In a conference devoted to the wide and dazzling array of new media in relationship to intimatec community life in New Orleans and elsewhere, much of what may be extended in the classroom, broadcast or global networks comes from original human forms of expression. The implications of which are: pre-modern forms of artistic communication still speak to us, old modern forms like radio offer time-tested models of extending oral tradition and traditional aesthetics, and new media at their best often aim to recreate and create anew community experiences that we may feel are lost when the market-driven rush to new technology values form and efficiency over content.