Last Class Meeting---beginning of new projects and possibilities

We had our last I2 class on May 1. We talked about how successful the concert was on Saturday (despite the technical difficulties) and enjoyed new group project presentations. I thought that this concluding class was one of the most inspiring meetings we've had. Each group had such unique ideas and showed a high level of collaboration. In this blog I would like to share my response to each project.

Team Green
This team had a theme: loneliness. They presented a great combination of text (poem), moving image, and piano improvisation. They told us there was supposed to be a dance improvisation from another site simultaneously to go along with everything else but due to some technical failure they could not have the dancer's image. I thought that the idea was great, and although they could not have the dancer's part, what they had shown us was inspiring.

Team Red
Their project was titled "Friend for Life" and it was animation and story telling in Chinese intended for children. I really enjoyed the animated characters that were original and the story that was very simple but touching: a lonely character finds a friend for life.

Team Orange
The whole class got really excited about this team's idea! Their idea was to use skype connection among them (three people), each going to an ordinary place on campus making it an extraordinary one by communicating through skype and experiencing surrounding sounds and images through a computer screen. Because of a technical problem they were unable to have the three way online connection but Nick, one of the team members went outside. With him on the large screen, he took the class to a whole new world; going into a library, elevator, talking to a random person... Yes, those things were no longer mundane then. What a simple idea, yet how incredible the effect is!

One of the conclusion statements by Dr. Gilbert was memorable and I believe this notion is what all arts and history are based on. He shared with us his creating process, process that involves time, sometimes a split second, and sometimes years. He told us that some of the images he used in his latest movie were from the last project. He told us that over years old ideas provided basis for new ideas and now he has ideas for the future. This process is true for many of us including great composers in the history of music. Beethoven wrote Choral Fantasy and later he wrote his 9th Symphony based on Choral Fantasy. Liszt was inspired by Beethoven's symphonies and transcribed all of them into piano music. Nicolle and I used the materials and concepts we already had and produced our Therapeutic I2 project.

Through I2 experiences, I noticed the unlimited amount of imagination and endless possibilities by working together as a group. Collaboration in I2 is perhaps a new means to make the world smaller and better place to live. I would like to conclude this term with the message Nicolle and I have at the end of our project movie, "Internet2 can bring people together. Connect the world with Internet2."

Therapeutic Internet2---group project

Nicolle and I discussed our possible ideas for a group project. There were so many possibilities! We wanted to:

1. Involve people (concept of our April 28 concert)
2. Use materials that already existed
3. Do something with photography (Nicolle's passion)
4. Do something with music (my passion)
5. Utilize I2 to unify all of the above points
6. Create a movie that tells our story

As we shared our own experiences, we found that we both were involved in therapeutic programs at hospitals. Nicolle had taken pictures of artworks created by patients, and I had performed piano music for patients. So we came up with the concept of therapeutic use of I2, where patients can interact with artists and musicians from another site without having to leave their hospitals. I2 connection can occur among patients as well providing them with a whole different dimension.

So we made a movie, using still images of patients' artworks Nicholle had taken before and my performance video from earlier in the semester. The movie can be viewed here: http://homepages.nyu.edu/~mk870/therapy.html

Nicolle and I are hoping to continue with this project since we believe it can be done. Our knowledge of I2 will some day help enrich patients' culture and life!