Authentic Tech

The Iliad and the Odyssey. The epic works of Homer. Or were they? The works of Albert Lord suggest that Homer may have "borrowed" the works of other bards - although those works became those of Homer when he uniquely performed them. Smacks of re-mixing to me.

Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel - a mashup of the stories of Genesis, the ancestors of Christ, and twelve prophets.

Alice in Wonderland's author Lewis Carroll, may well be considered one of the world's first and most famous parodist. He loved telling stories to children and often would parody those that they already knew.

Titus Maccius Plautus - rolls right off the tip of your tongue, no? Well, it did for William Shakespeare who borrowed from Plautus, as did many of his contemporaries.

No where do we ever question the genius of Homer, Michelangelo, Carroll, or Shakespeare.

So, perhaps it's time for schools to tone-down the hostility towards mashups and remixes and recognize them for what they are -- creative expression. Our kids have the extended capabilities of technologies such as digital recording mixers and Photoshop to re-purpose the original works. Engage them in doing so. Encourage them to do so. These skills may lead to completely original creative expression. And while we encourage and hone their skills, perhaps we can teach our kids the responsibility of attribution as well.

Speaking of which, the image above is that of a marble called a "Masher". Only those of us over 50 would probably have understood the reference. And under the Creative Commons license, I gratefully acknowledge its originator: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vvvracer/4573612840