Journal 6

One example of an assemblage that follows Arola’s concept of “bare repetition” is any modern performance of a jazz standard. When a standard is revisited, the artist performing the piece will usually stay loyal to the original lyrics of the song, as well as the key and any key changes. The minor changes that occur are primarily related to the style in which the song is performed. An example of this is the song “Georgia on My Mind” by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorell. Since its release in 1930, the song has been performed by a number of different artists; most notably Ray Charles, Michael Buble, Louis Armstrong, Dean Martin, Zac Brown Band, and many other well-known artists. Each performance is tailored to appeal to the era the performance is found in. One of the more well-known performances of this piece is the arrangement by Ray Charles. His performance of this song is arguably the most notable of any of the performances, including the original. The major difference between Charles’ arrangement and the original version is the style it is performed in. Charles adapted the standard to create a R&B and soulful rendition, which appealed to a wider audience in the 1960s. He didn’t change any of the major aspects of the song (such as the lyrics), he simply slowed down the piece and adjusted its genre to follow the changing times.

An example of an ethical assemblage is the American version of the show The Office. The show is based off of a British sitcom under the same name, that follows a similar cast of characters in a show centered around the workplace. Ricky Gervais, the creator of the show, helped create the American version of the show, and ultimately allowed for it to be created. The British series only aired for 4 seasons, but the American version went on for 9. The overall concept of these two shows are both the same, but the characters each the plots of each of the episodes, are completely different. The only similarities of these two shows are the name and the setting of the show. Everything else is completely different. The American version of the show offers entirely new and unique ideas and writing that makes it nothing but a mere nod to the original, British version of the show.

Harmful assemblages should be closely monitored and avoided by the general population. It is impossible to prevent every single occurrence of a “harmful” assemblage, so the best thing we as a society can do is be able to recognize a harmful assemblage when we see one, and react to it in a way that doesn’t further the negative impact of the assemblage. Copyright laws do help prevent the bare repetition of other works. Its primary role is to rid of any assemblages that are nothing more than a copy of someone else’s work, and discourage others from doing the same. Fair use is only applicable to assemblages that transform and build upon the ideas of other works. It does not protect people that create assemblages that might be considered a bare repetition.