Free Range Learning

Since its inception, hip-hop has sampled from previously produced music to create something brand new. Using two turntables and a microphone, a disco, rock, or folk song could be transformed into rap. The digital internet culture has made this even easier over the past decade. People don't even need turntables, just a laptop. This took a huge leap forward when DJ Danger Mouse (in)famously remixed The Beatles' White Album with Jay-Z's Black Album to create the Grey Album.

Until recently I had mostly seen this sort of digital recreation happen in pop music (defined broadly), or with movies (like the Hitler parody videos). But while I was doing research for this week's Tech Talk on "Finding and Reading Blogs," I came across this amazing choral music video.

Composer Eric Whitacre asked people to send in videos of themselves singing Lux Aurumque, and then he edited them together to create this virtual choir (video below). The whole "virtual stage" is a bit cheesy, but the music is beautiful!