#and well. yeah. the fair folk and iron. it’s something i toy with a lot when writing channah | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

askquillakuzco · 5 years

Text

Task 001: About Me

Basics.

What is your full name?

“Quilla Malina Kuzco. Princess, Empress-To-Be.”

What is the meaning/story behind your name?

“I am named after the Inca goddess of the Moon—a significant contrast to the patron god of my people, the sun god Inti, who is also the ancestor of Sapa Inca like myself. I like to think this means I’m the embodiment of balance—a little ironic, though, considering how much I struggle with that.”

Do you have any nicknames?

“Q, Qi, Quills (Keys and sometimes Keels), Qui-Chain, QiQi, Shortcake.”

When and where were you born?

“April 1st in Cusco, Peru. Aries Sun, Sagittarius Moon, and Libra Ascendant, in case you’re curious.”

Current age?

“Sixteen years.”

Physical.

What is your eye color?

“Dark Brown.”

Do you ever wear glasses/contacts?

“Nope. Never needed ‘em, but those large-framed glasses do look super cute on me.”

Hair color?

“Black, with curls for days.”

Have you ever dyed your hair?

“Never completely. I do get highlights every now and then. Usually brown or blonde, sometimes purples, reds, or pinks.”

Height and body type?

“Five feet tall, stout. Fat, yes. Been trying to reclaim the word as something positive, or at least neutral. It’s difficult, sometimes, dealing with people’s reactions to the way I look, especially being a public figure, but I remind myself not to blame my body for their toxicity. I’m not most people’s idea of what a princess should look like, but honestly—eff your beauty standards.”

Do you have any birthmarks?

“A few little moles here and there. Beauty marks, I guess? One on the left side of my upper lip, one near my left collarbone, one on my upper back...I may have more I haven’t yet noticed, I guess?”

Any scars or other markings?

“No scars, but I do have a sun tattoo on my left upper arm. The mark of Inti, again, patron god of my people.”

What is your favorite and least favorite feature?

“I got gorgeous hair and a great as-...err...legs. I suppose I’m most self-conscious about my neck? Some days I’ll be okay with it, even like it, and other days...not so much.”

How would you describe your style?

“Flashy, fabulous, regal...mostly red. People are gonna stare, anyway. I figure I should give ‘em something to look at.”

Personality.

Positive traits?

“Brilliant, fashionable, connected, caring, and when angry...A force to be reckoned with.”

Negative traits?

“I’ve had people tell me I’m short-tempered—I swear to Inti, if any of you make a short joke right now, I’m gonna—ahem. I also tend to be a little...okay, a lot nosy. I’m a curious person, I can’t really help that! I’ve also been told I’m a bit of a spoiled brat, which I can’t completely disagree with. Daddy’s little girl, guilty as charged! I guess one trait I’d like to change in myself is all this insecurity and self-doubt I have in me. Folks have also told me that I can be petty, but sometimes I feel like I’m allowed to be, okay? Or maybe that’s the insecurity talking...maybe I am really petty.”

“Yeah...self-doubt. Boom. There it is.”

Are you more introverted or extroverted?

“Definitely extroverted. Talking to people, in general, gives me life. A few people can be draining, sure, but generally I draw energy from socializing.”

Do you have any talents?

“I excel at the sciences. Chemistry, in particular. I’m also pretty great at networking!”

Do you have a good memory?

“I like to think so, but I occasionally find myself worrying that I’m mis-remembering something. Ties back into the self-doubt thing. Something I still need to work through.”

Any fears/phobias?

“Letting myself succumb to my weakness. Allowing someone else to have me by the throat in every decision I need to make. I won’t let that happen again.”

What do you have a soft spot for?

My family and my friends, without a doubt...

Other than that, well...people who haven’t had a fair shot in life.

Any pet peeves?

I tend to take issue with any terms often used to put someone’s sanity into question. I used to use words like these a lot myself, so flippantly...without knowing just how much power they hold. It wasn’t until such words were used against me, to the point of my doubting my own reality, that I realized how dangerous they can be. I still find myself flinching anytime I hear them. Occasionally, I’ll disassociate, or have flashbacks...it’s kind of terrifying. I’ve given up on telling people to stop using these words around me, though. They’re so common in everyday language and I can’t exactly provide people with a strong enough argument for it, apparently.

Okay, so maybe it’s more than just a...pet peeve.

Does being annoyed at short jokes count as a pet peeve? Or people using me as an armrest?

Are you a good student?

I’m an honor roll student, honey.

What is your favorite/least favorite subject?

Favorite, definitely chemistry. I’ve had an affinity for it from a young age. Least? Cooking. You’d think having all this chemistry knowledge would help with that, but it really doesn’t. Cooking is a bit too vague and loose for my taste. I prefer exact measurements and consistency in method. I guess that’s why cooking is considered more of an art than a science? No disrespect to all you amaze chefs out there. It just ain’t my thing.

Family and Relationships.

Who are your parents?

Emperor Kuzco and Empress Malina.

How would you describe them?

My father, Kuzco, is dramatic, cocksure, and a bit self-centered. At the same time, he’s loyal and willing to learn and do better. He’s also great fun at parties! My mother, Malina, is a hard-working, loving, and ambitious woman. However, she can be pretty demanding, overbearing, and critical from time to time. Both of my folks are pretty overprotective, too, so there’s that. It wasn’t until this past year that they finally let me out of the palace for a long period of time. And the first time they didn’t have any guards accompany me outside the palace walls.

Who is your best friend/Who are some of your close friends?

Kaja Birdwell. I’m not sure what I did to deserve such a beautiful, generous, and kind soul as a best friend. She’s been there for me, through so much. She was there for me when others weren’t. I trust her even more than I trust my own parents.

I’ve made some friends here in Auradon, as well, who I’ve become pretty close to. Among them, Cora, Cole, and Erika. I was hesitant in making new friends when I first came here. I was in a weird place, out of my parent’s palace on my own for the first time, and getting over a really bad relationship in which I had lost quite a few people in my life who I thought were my friends. Still, these few individuals managed to worm their way into my heart somehow. I’m still hesitant to let down my walls completely—they’re not Kaja—but I do feel like I can trust them.

What do you look for in a friend?

Just...see me as a person. Not just as a...a connection, or an advice-machine. Not as something to toy with and manipulate...just...see me as a person—with feelings and fears, anger and doubts. See me at my best and my worst and take it all. I’ll surely do the same for you.

If you’re comfortable answering, what is your orientation?

Upside-down. Kidding!

I think the best way to describe it is that...I’m attracted to people, not genders. Pansexual is the term, I think.

Have you ever been in a relationship?

Yes. Tragically, yes. If I could undo it all, I would.

Have you ever been in love?

...Also yes. Also tragic.

What do you look for in a partner?

What I look for in a partner is kind of similar to what I look for in a friend. All of that, plus good chemistry, of course.

Do you believe in love at first sight or soulmates?

I believe in love at first impression. Say you love certain aspects of someone you initially see in them, not necessarily the whole person, but parts of them. As for the whole person, I don’t think that would go beyond infatuation. As for soulmates...no clue. It’s a cute thought, but it’s unfair to those who don’t find theirs. Why would some people have soulmates and others not? Sounds like some kind of cruel, cosmic joke meant to only benefit a few.

Do you see getting married and/or having children in the future?

I did think of it before, with my ex. Everytime I try to think of any of that now, I just...I keep seeing his face. He managed to opaquely paint over every rose-tinted fantasy I’ve ever had for the future, unfortunately. I’m sure it’ll pass someday, but for now I’m...pretty discouraged about it any of it actually happening. Or at least, happening in a way that I’d end up��happy.

Favorites.

Top 3 Books:

“The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements” by Sam Kean.

“The Andromeda Strain" by Michael Chrichton

“A Series of Unfortunate Events” by Lemony Snicket/Daniel Handler

Top 3 Movies:

“The Andromeda Strain" based on the novel by Michael Chrichton

“Arrival”

“Young Frankenstein“

Top 3 Foods:

CandyCorn

Ceviche

Causa

Gingersnaps

#{ confessions of a teenage llama queen (muse) }#atnbtask001 #askthenewbadtask #//bout time I got one of these done

3 notes · View notes

carriedon-awolfsback · 6 years

Text

5pm UK time? Looks like it's new porn o'clock, folks!

Aberrant

Chapter: 1 of 3

Rating: Explicit (18+)

Pairing: Copia/extremely self-indulgent author talking in the second person female reader

Wordcount: 1,921

Content Advisories: Dom/sub kink themes. Can't stress that enough. Right now, a metric fuckton of degrading dirty talk and sexual shaming, some choking and similar manhandling; there will be pretty hard physical painplay later on. This is an x-reader where the reader is the (very much into it) submissive recipient of all this and is ID'd as cis female; PLEASE don't expose yourself to this content if fairly hard femsub is liable to be triggering for you. I'm very happy to answer questions about exact wording and content privately or on anon, if you have specific needs.

Read on AO3 here, or read below the cut, and try not to think too hard about what these kinks tell you about my personal neuroses! Fun options for all consenting adults! Yeah boy!

Chapter 1

Invitation

You made sure you came to the dark mahogany door on the stroke of midnight and knocked three times. There could be no misunderstanding what you came for.

“Enter,” came a voice from within.

You shouldered the door, expecting it to be stiff and immovable with its scarred wood and iron handle, but it swung with startling silent ease and you took a heavy step inside.

The room looked very much like you would have anticipated even if you hadn’t been here before in the light of day; all dark wood and red walls and carpeting. The large ornamental window behind the work desk was now shuttered, hiding its stained glass; the warm light that reached just short of the corners of the room was provided by the chandelier overhead that had long since been augmented into an electric version, and accented by one or two decorative stands around the walls bearing black and white pillar candles. Copia was seated in one of the red, plush wingback chairs that faced the office fireplace and the two neighbouring alcoves of stacked books old and new, one leg crossed elegantly over the other, clad in the black leather and velvet ensemble he was fond of for public appearances outside of the Ministry complex. If your stumble amused him he didn’t let it show, instead snapping shut the wallet of papers he’d been perusing and placing it on the low table, keeping his mismatched eyes on you all the while.

“Good evening, Sister,” he said quietly. “You’ve come about what we discussed earlier, I presume?”

“You presume right, sir.” You gave him a weak smile, hands fumbling with the hem of your shirt on your hips, adjusting needlessly, trying to keep them busy.

He nodded and looked thoughtful for a moment, looking deep into your eyes. “I am glad you decided to accept my invitation after all.” It was a placid expression- even kind.

Then he stood and in two strides he was upon you, compassionate eyes now eerie and cold, his hand flying to your throat. He walked you backwards without hesitation until your back hit the door you’d just entered through, driving a gasp from you, and he shoved his body hard against yours, trapping you, not letting you take your breath back. His hand squeezed, and his hips ground once forcefully against yours, and you couldn’t smother the whine of desire that escaped.

“I don’t play tasteless games,” he said curtly, his hot breath and soft lips inches from your face, “Or pantomime villains to coax out the grimy little things in your psyche. You will know yourself and keep telling me how much you like this, until such a time as you don’t, and then I will stop. Understood?”

“Yes, Cardinal,” you panted, the breath still knocked out of you. Your hands flexed on the wood panelling behind you, fighting for self-control.

He squeezed your throat again, the leather gloves squeaking and smelling rich and smoky. “Does it excite you, meeting me for this?” He cocked his head like a curious animal, watching your blushing face impassively. “Like a dirty little secret?”

“Yes, Cardinal-”

He gave another, crueller squeeze. “Has your brain slid so far south already that you can’t say anything else?”

“I- no, sorry, Cardinal,” you stammered, trying to formulate something that wasn’t just a braindead yes or no. “I was just, I’ll do whatever you tell- oh fuck-” his free hand was pushing between your legs, cupping you through your pants. “Oh, mm-”

He squeezed firmly for a moment, making your thighs tense against his arm, then held his hand still, denying you any friction, giving you an impassive too-close stare that you couldn’t break as you fought to catch your breath. “Your little face is so pink,“ he taunted. “Is there something shameful about doing this with me, hmm? You’re far from the only needy girl in the Sisterhood who creeps out at night and makes herself a plaything for the senior clergy, we all know that; no doubt the place would fall about our ears without such generosity... but is there a little extra thrill in how much more people would stare and whisper if they saw you let me take you? No?”

This already wasn’t a fair game. It was inappropriate and often downright ridiculous, the things some people gossipped and claimed about him- that he let ghouls in blood-moon heat pleasure and feed from him without ill-effect, conversed with diseased pests and let them nest in his rooms, or was even something old and cursed in human glamour, a veritable death omen- and it would be insulting to validate them.

But at the same time…yes. No matter how cruel or downright wrong they were about Copia, there was added eroticism in knowing that the ache inside you was all for someone they called dangerous, pervert, usurper, corruptor.

“Coward,” he sneered, not leaving you enough time to drag your contrary thoughts into a response. “I don’t advise trying to lie or sugar-coat things tonight. You must be a pretty nasty little thing yourself to have agreed to this; why hide it now, huh?”

His hand was still frustratingly still, but you knew instinctively if you tried to grind down to encourage him he’d only take it away again. Instead, his hand around your neck relaxed and slid down a little, and he leaned forward over you, tilting his head to nuzzle into your throat. You groaned again, tilting your head to expose more to his grazing lips and teeth. He pinched skin here and there, following with tender kisses that pulled the nipped flesh between his lips, or with slow, hot swipes of his tongue.

“Did you hear rumours I was sick, and dirty, and disgusting?” He spoke between suckling kisses, over your soft, slightly suffering noises of enjoyment. “And did that make you all hot and bothered? Did you keep finding yourself wanting to scurry away to your little bed, thinking about being dirty with me?”

You nodded mutely, slowly, barely able to move under his ministrations.

“So what did you do about it?” His voice was barely more than a murmur close to your ear. “Before you pulled your little scraps of courage together enough to come to me and confess.”

Your mouth ran dry, then wet with hunger. “I touched myself,” you admitted in a mousey voice. “I got off thinking about you. Lots of times.”

“Tell me how.”

“I… have this pair of gloves, which I wear and… pretend they’re your hands.” You sucked in a sharp breath through your teeth as his teeth gave your earlobe the gentlest of tugs. “Th- ah- they’re not such good quality but they’ll do.”

“Hmm. And what do my hands do for you?”

He punctuated that with a scratch of his gloved fingertips at your collarbone and a bruising kiss over your pulse that made you gasp and your already-heavy eyes flutter shut. “Play with my clit,” you panted quietly, a plea as much as it was an answer. “The leather… feels good.”

“Like this, yes?” He pulled his cupping hand smoothly back, pressing in firmer with his fingertips at the apex of your thighs and making a few languid circles through your clothes.

“Yes, mmh, like that-” the push and pull of fabric was rough on the sensitive flesh beneath, and over too soon as his hand slid away and rested on your thigh instead, not about to let you get too far gone so early.

“Is that how little it takes to make you come apart?” His lips quirked against your skin as he heard and felt you moan in protest.

“No… only sometimes,” you admitted, wincing as his fingers tightened on your leg at the first word, like he could tell you were bending the truth. “When I’m getting close I usually… I use a toy.”

“A big toy?”

“Yeah.” You felt his teeth bared in a humourless grin against your skin. Smug. “Thick. So it feels real.”

“Good,” he purred. “And how do you like to be fucked with this…” he adjusted his stance a little so that his thighs pressed fully over yours- “big, thick cock you want me to give you?”

“Slow but hard,” you breathed. “Deep. And then faster, with my- your thumb back on my clit, til we both come- with you inside.”

“Filling you up?” The momentary shortness of breath that entered his tone at that gave you the impression that this particular detail was a little indulgence for himself, not just for your titillation. “Until it drips down your thighs between us?”

Your hips rolled involuntarily against him as you shuddered and nodded, the fantasy as vivid as ever, but now moments from potentially coming true.

He drew his head up from your neck sharply and crushed your mouth to his, his hand sliding back up to pin your neck back, his tongue pushing into your mouth. Yours pressed back, urgent and inelegant. Your hands left the door where they had been flattened all this time to claw at his arms; doubtlessly he would tolerate no aggression on your part, but you had to touch something of him. The leather was soft and gently textured under your grasping fingers, and smelt warm and heady, well-polished.

“Do you feel guilty afterwards? Hiding under the covers with your cheap, sticky gloves and your sore little pussy, a dirty little wet patch ruining the sheets under you?” He broke the kiss without ceremony, leaving your lips uncomfortably wet and abandoned, and bared his teeth. “Embarrassed that all the dorms around yours probably heard you screaming for it harder from the plague-bringer?”

You squirmed at the use of the overdramatic epithet. Much like the rumour mill, you refused to pay too much attention to the mock-titles many of the Siblings bestowed on him, the line between playful and pejorative far too blurry for your loyalties- but he seemed to wear it like armour. “I always try to stop myself making a noise but I can’t.” You were convinced at this point you couldn’t get any redder; regardless of whether the dorm walls really were that thin or not, you wondered if he was just unnaturally gifted at figuring out your pressure points, or if you had truly been being this transparent for months. “I just… it’s too good.”

“Hmph. Normally I’d dispense a lecture for you about letting go of shame in the name of spiritual wellbeing.” He thumbed your jawline almost tenderly as you looked down, face burning. “But shame, for you… this has a secondary use for you, yes?” He clicked his tongue when you stayed silent. “You need a little bit of shame to feel hot, and get excited. Don’t you?”

You nodded mutely. He drew even closer, which didn’t seem possible, and his hands at your throat and thigh got tighter, fingertips digging in.

“Then take my advice- you ought to be ashamed of yourself.”

Then both hands were gone, and you realised how much you’d been relying on his hold to keep your shaking legs supporting you as you slumped against the door.

“Follow,” he spoke impassively, as though he hadn’t just been licking and fondling you and urging you to fantasise aloud about him spilling inside you. Patting his leg idly like a man calling an old dog to heel as he made for a door at the back of the study.

What else was there to do but follow?

36 notes · View notes

robotnik-mun · 7 years

Text

Robotnik Retrospective Part Six: Rage Against The Machine

Hello again, everybody, and welcome back to another exciting (*coughBullcrap*) addition to the Robotnik retrospective! Well folks, you’ve stuck through five of these things already, and really I thank all of you for that, but the reality is that this crazy train is swiftly reaching its destination- this post here will be the last of the proper retrospective posts. After this we will conclude our series with an afterward, a summation, what have you, and at last this insane party of Robotnik fan obssession will come to an end. Been a fun ride folks, but all good things must come to an end.

So far we have covered how I came to enjoy this Robotnik so much, his design and the history behind it, an in-depth look at his character, a look at how he as a character is shaped by his relationships with others and how they are in turn shaped by him, and most recently we examined the other Robotniks that were spawned from this one and featured in both Archie Comics and Sonic Underground. Sufficed to say, over the course of the retrospective we’ve covered a loooot of ground regarding ol ‘Buttnik, and it is here that we cover one last little area regarding this Robotnik.... namely, the criticisms.

Oh yes. Within the Sonic fandom all things tend to be a matter of contention, and this model of Robotnik is no different. One thing I notice across the fandom is a certain set of criticisms, criticisms that I feel tend to ignore certain contexts with this guy, or rely upon certain double standards- especially since more often than not, when these criticisms are made, it’s almost always done in relation to the Eggman of the games, despite the fact that more than a few of those criticisms can be leveled at Eggman himself, and often treat personal opinion as an objective fact.

Now obviously, this is not a demand for people to love the guy- it’s patently impossible for everyone to agree on everything. I just feel though that a lot of these criticisms are a bit lopsided, and so, I am offering up counterpoints to at least provide an alternative view or to contextualize things, and to perhaps debunk a few here and there. I’m actually kind of nervous about this one because of how easy it could be to slide into pathetic fan-whining, so hey, here’s hoping we get through this without me getting personal.

Let’s get it on.

As I said, everything in Sonic is a subject of contention or controversy to somebody. One man’s favorite is another man’s mistake of the franchise. That’s just covering the games- the various spin-offs and adaptations the games have enjoyed over the years tend to attract a particular amount of controversy. Differing interpretations, utilization or lack of utilization of materials and lore from the games, the precise nature of the world Sonic lives in, interpretations and use of characters, whether or not humans are included beyond Eggman... all of it tends to be scrutinized rather harshly. I do earnestly believe that at some level, spin-off media gets more criticism than it warrants due to the fact that, by its very nature, it is viewed as being ‘less legitimate’ than the games proper, despite existing with SEGA’s endorsement and approval each and every time. Even Sonic Underground, the most radically different Sonic adaptation out there, couldn’t get made unless SEGA gave the okay.

Another layer to all of this is the fact that the overwhelming majority of these spinoff materials were made in the USA, for American Audiences, based upon the localizations of the games. This adds another factor to the Legitimacy Debate, given that SEGA of Japan runs the show, and Sonic Team’s lore has always differed from the localized takes. Much like the ‘Subs vs Dubs’ debates within Anime fan communities, the merit of the differences and interpretations between regions is something of a warzone in itself, resulting in a very weird situation where you often see the Adaptations derided purely for being a Western invention rather than springing from the ‘true’ source of Sonic, which is Japan. The irony of this logic is that Sonic has been incredibly popular everywhere BUT Japan, and the sorts of people who espouse this viewpoint are often from Western countries themselves.

Ah, but I must digress, lest this turn into a dissertation about the nature of the fan-divide and becomes even longer than it is already shaping up to be. Point of order- the spinoff adaptations that once speckled the franchise of the 90s tend to rack up a lot of strong opinions for good or ill, and due to the sheer number of designs and interpretations Eggman/Robotnik underwent between each adaptation. In some ways it’s almost symbolic of a lot of the arguments about Eggman himself these days- how evil is he, how humorous, does he have good traits, what should his exact relationship with Sonic be, and so on and so forth. A lot of these spinoff takes often seem to embody one end of the scale or the other to varying extremes, and that is particularly evident in the SatAM model of Robotnik.

So, having brought all of that up, it is *finally* time to take a look at the most common criticisms I find of the SatAM model Robotnik, and to offer up a few rebuttals. Thank you for your patience.

Now then... on with the criticisms.

“He doesn’t look like Eggman!”

This one comes up a lot, and really, it’s quite indisputably true.

Yeah, pretty fair observation there- these two are pretty far apart design wise, and even accounting for the artistic interpretations that were used on Eggman in Western box art during that time, it is nakedly apparent that the SatAM Robotnik is veeery different looking to the guy from the games, whether in the classical era or the modern era. So yeah, there’s no denying it- he really doesn’t look like Eggman.

However... is it really *that* big of a deal?

SatAM Robotnik is pretty far removed from Eggman from a design standpoint, but in the end, he does actually share the same basic features- bald, obese, huge mustache, and a red, yellow and black color scheme distributed by the top half being dominated by red while the bottom half is dominated by blackm and of course shaped like an egg. In this, Robotnik isn’t straying that far- he does in fact possess all the iconic features that make the Eggman design, simply re-interpreted to other extremes. Heck, Robotnik accentuates the Egg motiff in his look even more than Eggman himself! An irony I rather appreciate.

I find it hard to believe that THIS aspect of Robotnik is really *that* much of a dealbreaker, particularly since the Robotnik who first started this design trend in AosTH never seems to receive the same criticism.

Yeah, not exactly a loyal replication of the game design there, now is it? If Adventures Robotnik can get a pass for his own divergent design, then I feel that the same courtesy can be extended to SatAM Robotnik.

It’s actually a bit of an ironic twist that SEGA themselves toyed with the idea of making Eggman into a cyborg as well.

While clearly they didn’t go with this, it should be noted that Sonic Team themselves didn’t seem to think it was that much of a stretch for Eggman himself to have cybernetics as well. Just something to consider.

Heck, for extra irony points, consider SEGA themselves don’t seem to be all too concerned about whether ol’ Eggy looks the part of a man called ‘Eggman’ these days.

‘He looks like an upside down egg!’

My hairy butt he does.

A buff Eggman is arguably a far, far more drastic divergence than what SatAM Robotnik’s got going on, given that it completely inverts one of the core design aspects of the character, one that has been utilized by every other incarnation out there- his obese, ovoid physique to which he owes the name ‘Eggman’ to begin with.

So yeah, I rest my case. You’re free to like or dislike a design, but this claim specifically doesn’t really seem to hold much water with regards to being a strike against him.

“He’s practically a different character!”

Weeeelllllll.... yes, and no. This is one of those criticisms that kind of misses out on certain contexts and makes a pretty big assumption- namely that Eggman has always existed as we now know him. Cause the thing is, up until Sonic Adventure? “Eggman” never really existed in the West. Confused by what I mean? Well, allow me to elaborate a bit.

While Dr. Eggman was always such back in Japan, when it came time for the games to come over to Western shores, the story and characters of the game were localized in the hopes of making the game more marketable to local audiences. As such Dr. Eggman, who had evidently already been an enemy of Sonic’s for a while before the events of the first game, now became “Dr. Ivo Robotnik”, and was given a more detailed background- that once upon a time, he was a good and kindly scientist called Ovi Kintobor, who was a friend of Sonic’s until an accident involving CHaos Emeralds and a rotten egg transformed him into the evil Dr. Ivo Robotnik, who immediately set off to conquer Mobius.

Various bits and pieces from Sonic of America’s official documents consistently characterize Dr. Ivo Robotnik as being ‘pure evil’, and his design was altered in the cover art for the games to reflect his sinister nature.

You know, I never really noticed that the Sonic 2 Cover Art made it look like he had a beard going on along with that mustache. Funky.

Anyway!

This was to form the basis of the character in the US, and thanks to the open-ended nature of his actions in the game proper, said actions became cast in a more sinister light due to the more openly obvious and malevolent nature of Robotnik that was presented. It is from all of this then that SatAM Robotnik, and all the other Robotniks introduced in the spinoff materials at the time derive their character from, and since all the details provided painted Robotnik as an evil, evil person, it was up to the writers for these spinoffs to interpret whether they should be played for laughs or for chills.

In short? Eggman didn’t exist in the West when SatAM Robotnik was created. The criticism that he is practically a different character from Eggman is reliant upon a false premise- he cannot be faulted for being a different character to Eggman when he was created at a time when “Eggman” wasn’t even a part of Sonic as far as Western Audiences were concerned, until Sonic Adventure happened and things changed to better fit how things had always been in Japan. Similarly, the scant details we know about Eggman’s life hadn’t even been conceived of at the time.

It is at this point though that I feel compelled to point out though that while Robotnik’s differences from the current understanding of Eggman is simply a result of the time he was created, it should be noted that Robotnik is still a pretty inaccurate representation of the Robotnik from the games. SatAM Robotnik’s real name is Julian, his backstory doesn’t utilize the Chaos Emerald accident at all, he’s already the ruler of Mobius and has been for a while now, and his robots are completely different. While he still turns animals into robots, the concept has been re-interpreted so that rather than using people as batteries for his robots, the Roboticizer converts flesh and blood creatures into mechanical slaves for Robotnik’s empire.

Now these are all traits that I personally quite enjoy, but I’d be an idiot to suggest that it isn’t a pretty huge divergence from the lore that the games themselves establish. The thing of it is though, that SEGA themselves were not particularly interested in enforcing the aforementioned lore. In the earlier Adventure series, bits and pieces of Robotnik’s backstory were revealed, and much like the later SatAM , there’s not a lot that aligns with what the games had presented- Robotnik here was evil from the moment he was born and had a family in the form of an even more crazed and evil mother who constantly berated him for not destroying Sonic. Similarly, Game!Robotnik’s schtick of ‘turning animals into robots’ didn’t come up all that much, if at all.

The simple reality is? SEGA of America didn’t really care to enforce the lore it had created, and SEGA of Japan didn’t see fit to do similar. SEGA desiring a more universal approach for the setting it had created was something that came about with the advent of Sonic Adventure, and before that? Well, the most game accurate Robotnik out there, was the Robotnik from Fleetway.

Yeah, THAT terrifying bastard.

And don’t think for an instant that Sega of Japan themselves were any better at this. Back in Japan they released a series of Manga to tie into the games. Wanna know how that turned out?

Gotta confess, I don’t recall any of this happening at any point in the game. Cool robots though!

Another Manga would take it a step further and give a wholly new story- Sonic was the heroic identity that a shy hedgehog boy called Nicky could transform into. Nicky would have a family consisting of a mother, a father and a little sister, as well as having a girlfriend who would later form the basis for Amy Rose.

And then there was a manga that was released to tie into Sonic 2 for the game gear. Being a direct adaptation meant to promote the game, this would surely do a more than sufficient job of accurately portraying-

JESUS.

... so...

...uh...

...yeeah, long story short, Sonic on the whole didn’t really have a set idea, whether for Robotnik/Eggman or anything else. I once used the term ‘Jungle Law’ to describe how things were for the franchise in the 90s, and I must once more reiterate that that was precisely the case during that time, both in the US and everywhere else. People are of course free to feel about SatAM Robotnik and how he relates to the games (or rather doesn’t) as they wish, but one thing I would ask when doing that is to at least consider the time in which he was created, and to understand that even if he had been made to be game accurate at that time, he’d still be wildly, wildly different than the Eggman everyone is now familiar with.

“He doesn’t invent anything!”

I honestly have no idea where this one came from... well, actually, that’s a lie, I know exactly where it stems from- the fact that Robotnik stole the Roboticizer from Uncle Chuck rather than inventing it himself wholesale. I can see why that would be a turn-off. Heck, I myself find it somewhat diminishing that he stole the invention rather than creating it himself wholesale, even as I love the horrible, horrible twist that it was a medical device created by Sonic’s own uncle, and the blood on Charles’ hand because of it. On that front though, I would point out that innovation is not just a matter of wholesale creation, but of taking things that existed before and taking them in new directions, and while maybe as not as grand as him being the sole creator of the Roboticizer, he still took the device and modified it towards a capacity it was never intended towards. I would argue then that it’s still pretty ingenious.

That being said though, 'never’ invents anything?

That just isn’t supported by anything seen in the series. Every last machine and robot witnessed is created by him. Taking precisely one incident and then declaring that he 'doesn’t invent anything’ because of it is a preposterous exaggeration built upon a premise thats overblown and inaccurate to begin with. No, he didn’t 'invent’ the original technology, but as I said, he took it in a direction never dreamt of before by its original creator- that’s still an application of intelligence and scientific skill.

It’s a particularly baffling accusation given that it’s not as though the games themselves dedicate huge amounts of time observing Eggman in the process of creating his machines, whether in the present time or back in the 90s. The reason I bring this up is because at times, part of what seems to fuel this criticism is that Robotnik is only rarely seen constructing his devices. Rarely however is not the same thing as ‘never’, and even then common sense would decree that the scientific genius does in fact make stuff even if you don’t see it happen.

It’s one thing to be annoyed by the fact that roboticizer isn’t his own- that’s quite understandable really. Going off of that to claim that he ‘invents nothing’ though? That’s just blatantly untrue.

“He’s lazy!”

Now unlike the last one, this is one that I just legitimately do not get. He runs an empire and personally oversees all operations from his command room. Of course he’s not going to be running around everywhere at all times, and even then, there are several episodes where he personally investigates things or direct operations personally. There’s really not a lot that can be said about this one because it’s probably one of the weakest criticisms out there, and ironically enough is itself very lazy.

“He’s unoriginal/derivative/a ripoff!”

Well I mean, yeah? He’s literally the re-interpretation of a character from a video game, he’s quite derivative by default-

Heh, okay, okay, I’m being facetious here. I know what the actual gist of the criticism is, and to a degree it’s quite correct- Robotnik is a character who fulfills a very specific character archetype, that of the Evil Overlord. He’s big, he’s evil, he’s got a cape, and he’s got a hankerin’ for some oppressin’. Though I suppose calling it an ‘archetype’ is being a tad kind given that whenever this particular one is brought up the word that enters the vernacular more often than not tends to be ‘cliche’. Comparisons that often follow tend to accuse him of being a dime store version of Dr. Claw from Inspector Gadget or Darth Vader from Star Wars (not sure why that’s a negative comparison- those two are awesome!), and I can see that to a certain degree. This character type is an old one, and Robotnik himself doesn’t exactly break new ground.

Thing is though? This criticism is almost always made by drawing an implicit comparison to his counterpart from the games, with the implication being that Robotnik is the derivative creation/concept, as opposed to Eggman. This, even more than the criticism itself, is what particularly bothers me, because frankly? This assertion is a pretty big double-standard, one of the two major double-standards that tend to arise when SatAM Robotnik is compared to his games counterpart. More than anything, I find the both of them to be incredibly rankling for precisely those reasons- we will cover the other one once we are finished with this one.

An Evil Overlord isn’t exactly a big innovation... but neither are mad scientists who are out to conquer the world with robot armies. That one had been done to death long before Sonic, and will continue to see use long after the franchise is dead and gone.

Many of Eggman’s traits are not exactly unique to him, even within video games. A bald mad scientist with a big mustache, who primarily travels around in a hovering machine, who uses armies of robots with cartoonish features and big goofy looking eyeballs? Where have I heard that before... wherever have I heard that...

Oh, hey there Dr. Wily!

But wait, I can do it across two mediums! Bald scientist, bushy mustache with mechanical engineering skills who exploits animals for his evil schemes and is constantly thwarted animals that are much smaller than himself.... remind you of anybody at all, hmm?

He’s even voiced by Jim Cummings!

Yeah, an unkind soul might accuse ol’ Eggman of being an off-brand version of Dr. Wily, and an even less kind soul might simply dismiss him as the end result of tossing Nimnul and Wily into a blender and hitting puree. Before you get worked up though know this; I do not *actually* think this, and it would be ludicrous to think of Eggman as being a ripoff or being overly derivative of those two (the traits are there, undeniably, but these are not to the detriment of the character or his originality in the least). I would be incredibly incensed at anyone earnestly suggesting that Eggman was unoriginal or a ripoff of those two or anything along those lines... but the thing is, I feel the exact same way about similar statements being hurled towards SatAM Robotnik with regards to his originality as a character. There are things that are similar to what other characters have done, sure, but there is more than enough that is distinct about him, whether its his look, his personality or M.O, that calling him a copy or derivative is fairly unwarranted, and I would say the same to anybody declaring such things about ol’ Eggy.

In conclusion? This criticism isn’t invalid by itself as we all have different tastes and such, but given the context of how it is often used, there is something of a double-standard at work- traits that would be regarded as cliche or derivative are perfectly acceptable within Eggman, but a similar courtesy cannot be extended to the SatAM Robotnik. It’s a rich thing to call one incarnation ‘a ripoff’, when the character that spawned him was most famous for using a parody of the Death Star as an ultimate weapon prior to Sonic Adventure.

Which brings me to the very last criticism I keep hearing, this one a... personal favorite.

“He’s boring/lacks depth/is uninterestng/doesn’t have a personality!”

One thing I’ve established is that some criticisms tend to be made with a direct comparison to Eggman in mind, and this one? This is the one that tends to come up the most frequently and is the most insisted upon, and often the one most loudly declared (in as much as anything on the internet can be ‘loud’). Many times when this one is made, it is done with the obvious implication that this Robotnik is deficit in these areas when compared to his game counterpart. Depth is what makes a character more than what we see on the surface- its things like history, facets of personality, flaws, strengths, weaknesses, how they express their world view through words and actions, who they are related to and how they relate or do not relate to the people in their lives, and how they develop. In short, it’s a matter of how realized a character is.

It’s also one of the most singularly *baffling* accusations to use, not because of Robotnik himself, but because of the nature of characterization within the wider Sonic franchise and the fandom’s somewhat tortured relationship with it.

One of the very ugly truths about Sonic as a series? Is that precious few of the characters can truly be seen as ‘deep’ or ‘developed’, largely as a consequence of the way this series operates. Character developments from past games are rarely if ever built upon, past details are scarce and only barely referenced after initial introductions, and personality traits are either ramped up or dialed back based on the demands of the games, which are not always written very consistently. There is nothing particularly wrong with this- this being a long running video game series with no planned end, it is to be expected that each of the characters would more or less be the same person they were the last time around, frustrating as it is when more intriguing details are waylaid as a result (looking at you, Knuckles).

The only noteworthy exception to this trend, ironically enough, is Shadow the Hedgehog.

On paper Shadow should be a rather terrible idea- a black and red furred hedgehog with a brooding attitude and powers that match Sonic’s, along with a few extra abilities Sonic doesn’t possess, who is involved in Eggman’s own family history that was never mentioned before that point? Everything about Shadow screams ‘baby’s first fancharacter’. Yet despite that fact, Shadow is ultimately the biggest recipient of character development and evolution in the series- his backstory is the most explored, he has undergone the most development, and is the only one to have grown out of the role that initially defined him. It’s all rather astounding given that he debuted explicitly as an ‘Evil Twin’ to challenge Sonic, only to ultimately wind up having more concrete details than the hero he was created to challenge.

Otherwise though? There’s not really a lot to most Sonic characters beyond a few traits that give a teensy amount of depth. This includes our good buddy Eggman.

Eggman has no real past and no real motive for his goals of world conquest, nor are any details provided with regards to what his precise vision for the world is. Since he gained the ability to talk Eggman has frequently displayed himself to be a bellicose, immature egomaniac who has never done a single genuinely selfless thing throughout the entirety of the series, nor are we given a lot of indication as to what he’s like when he isn’t actively plotting against the world. He has all of exactly one detail that gives him any kind of depth beyond being a by-the-book video game nemesis, and that’s the fact that when he was a child he admired his grandfather Gerald Robotnik and wanted to be like him. This admiration however never leads anywhere, and the last time it was mentioned was in Shadow the Hedgehog, and even then only because the plot revolved around Shadow and Gerald’s actions in the past. Contrary to what he claimed in Sonic Lost World, Eggman isn’t really a ‘complicated guy’.

Otherwise we are never provided any insight as to how the ARK incident impacted him or how it factors into his motivations, if at all- one can theorize that the treatment of his grandfather might be one of the stronger motivating factors of his mission for world conquest, but on the other hand, one can just as easily come to the conclusion that while he indeed respects and admires his grandfather and was probably upset over what happened, his goals are disconnected to that incident and his motivations are purely ego driven. Could be one, could be the other, but the fact of the matter is that there is not definite answer because it is never actually explored in the games. We don’t even have a clue as to what his thoughts or feelings about Maria and her death were.

You see where I’m getting at with this?

Much about this franchise is what we can take from what we are provided with, what we can interpret and how we can explore mud puddles as if they had the depths of the ocean. It’s about looking past what’s set in stone, peering through the cracks and wondering what more there could be. It’s about exploring the aspects that the games themselves don’t see fit to elaborate upon. There are thousands of interpretations and ideas for how things came to be the way they are, thousands of ideas about what we *aren’t* shown or told about the characters and how they are when we do not see them in the games. It’s what makes this fandom so diverse and so wonderful.

So with all that in mind, you can imagine how I feel whenever I see this particular criticism, accusing Robotnik of being ‘boring’ or ‘lacking depth’ or anything of the like. Especially given that the character he’s being compared to when it comes up isn’t exactly a vast ocean of depth himself. People are free to disagree with the direction or the interpretation, but in a lot of cases this is one of those times when a personal opinion is being treated as an objective fact. It’s hypocritical and utterly maddening, and it carries with it a certain degree of ‘your shit stinks and mine doesn’t’.

And you know, if SatAM Robotnik DOES come off as less developed... well frankly, what do people expect? He is from a series that was made twenty years ago with a run of twenty six episodes, and no more. He is literally stuck in time, a time when his existence was perfectly acceptable according to SEGA’s policy and marketing strategies. Otherwise? He isn’t used. The universe he is a part of isn’t used. He’s not even really referenced in a meaningful way anymore. There is literally no way for him to go any further than when the series ended. By contrast, Eggman will always be used for as long as the games are made and always be allowed to try new things, use new machines, commit new acts and rise to new heights or sink to new lows. For this though, SatAM Robotnik is innately lesser?

And you know, I can understand where a good portion of it comes from, beyond the game purists who kinda hated all the spinoffs for not matching the games by default. For the longest time this version of Robotnik was touted as the ‘best’, and for those who were not fans of this depiction it could get impossibly grating to hear it over and over again, this endless praise of something they couldn’t get the appeal of to begin with. When you’re told something is great over and over again when you don’t like it, or if something you might otherwise feel neutral about is similarly shoved into your face constantly, you start looking for flaws out of the simple resentment that it almost seems like you’re being *forced* into liking something. Heck, even when you might be neutral about a subject, having it overhyped can sour you to it.

So, having said aaaalll of that? The point of order is that I do not agree with this criticism, nor do I agree with the bulk of the mentality behind it. It frames things in such a way that makes it seems like the two incarnations are actively competing with one another, which is ludicrous given that the Games Eggman is... well... Games Eggman. He’s never, ever going to go anywhere or be replaced, so long as the games are made. I like Eggman, and I like SatAM Robotnik, and I like the fact that they are distinct from one another. I don’t need Eggman to become more like Robotnik- and for the record, I don’t think he’s a pussywillow or anything, even limiting his actions to the classic games. As outlined here, Eggman is a pretty nasty character beneath all the goofiness, having a bevy of truly horrible deeds to his name. I find complaints about him being ‘too evil’ in Archie to be fairly ludicrous given all of his actions across the games. What was the Death Egg gonna do thenm if it had successfully carried out its purpose? Pop open and spray confetti over everything while a big banner unfolded with the words “GOT YA!!” written on it, complet with a doodle of Eggman blowing a raspberry? Eggman is pretty damn nasty as is. I just feel that his SatAM counterpart is *nastier*, and as the many posts preceding this have established, I have a heavy appreciation for that fact.

In sumary- we all have different tastes, we all have different likes, and it’s impossible to get everybody to like what they like. These are acceptable. What I don’t find acceptable is when facts are ignored or details downplayed in order to make the things that I enoy seem flatter or more limited than they actually are. Especially given how, when used, this particular criticism is often based more on opinion. As such, I heavily, heavily dispute this particular argument regarding this incarnation of Robotnik’s value as a character.

With that, the academic (for a loose definition of ‘academic’) portion of the retrospective officially comes to a close. All that remains now is to post the next installment, which will conclude the entirety of the retrospective.

Until next time, folks!

#Sonic the Hedeghog #Dr. Robotnik #Analysis

19 notes · View notes

ulyssessklein · 6 years

Text

Musical teamwork: the pillars of effective collaboration

10 things to remember when you’re working with other musicians.

I just got back from Oregon where I played the part of Peter Gabriel in a re-creation of his Secret World Live concert experience. A nine-person band, two hours of songs, custom-built set pieces and stage extensions, 3D image-mapping and projection, choreography, the list goes on.

It was one of the most involved shows I’ve ever participated in from a planning perspective. In the execution, it went even better than I’d imagined — and we had the audience dancing in the aisles from the start of the concert.

Afterwards, I wondered “How the hell did we just pull that off so well?”

Simple answer: teamwork.

As musicians, we can forget when we’re stressed or (worse) desperate, but effective musical teamwork is built on a few basic concepts:

1. Time is your greatest resource.

Athletes don’t just show up for the first game of the season. There’s months of practice (and sometimes pre-season games) beforehand. The same should go for any musical project or production.

I was asked almost a year in advance if I wanted to participate in this Peter Gabriel tribute. The personnel (music, lighting, design, production, PR, etc) had mostly all been determined nine months ahead of the target date for the show. And the show itself had been dreamed up and storyboarded even further back than that.

I watched the original Secret World Live film and listened to the album nonstop for months and months. So much that I still hear my daughter singing Peter Gabriel songs to herself while playing with her toys.

The date and venue — a beautiful concert hall in Portland called Revolution Hall — were locked in well in advance, and the team did several technical walk-throughs to measure stage dimensions, explore lighting options, etc.

We had two full weeks of rehearsal scheduled leading up to the show, in a practice space that had been taped-off to the exact dimensions of the stage.

We had two days with a choreographer.

We had three days with our sound engineer at the rehearsal space, dialing in individual mixes and effects.

There are a hundred other details that needed to be ironed out as well, and the only reason the ironing got done is because time was on our side.

Plan well in advance. Budget your time accordingly.

2. Work with reliable people.

My friend Anders, a fantastic drummer and one of the producers of the show, was the person that asked me to be the singer. I immediately told him the idea made me nervous because my voice sounds nothing like Peter Gabriel. Gabriel’s voice is somehow both raspy and full, even when singing higher tenor and falsetto lines. Mine is much… clearer. (Less of that cool, rock rasp).

Anders assured me that no one expected me to sing LIKE Peter Gabriel, but that I was being asked because I had the vocal range to cover both baritone and tenor vocal lines, and more importantly, he knew I’d do my homework and step into the role with conviction and my own sense of emotional delivery. I would show up prepared.

All that to say, Anders was counting on me to do SOMETHING good, even if it didn’t exactly mirror Peter Gabriel in delivery, and to not slow down the momentum in rehearsal, because I’d be ready to get to work. He could rely on me.

Same goes for everyone on the team, all fantastic musicians, technicians, builders, etc. But more important than talent was preparedness.

Be ready.

3. You’ve got to be MORE than talented and reliable.

So yeah, talent and reliability are crucial. But there’s something else that is just as important to your musical team’s ultimate success.

It’s tough to define because it’s different for each team member, but I’ll explain it this way: One of the guitarists also served as the musical director, one of our backup vocalists was an important part of getting people out to the show thanks to her network of friends and followers, the bassist knew about set design and fabrication, the drummer was in charge of van and gear rentals, and so forth.

You’ve gotta bring something to the table besides your immediate musical contribution. Web design? Writing skills for your press release? Photography? Deep pockets? Whatever it is, contribute something beyond your talent and dependability.

4. Get over yourself and take chances.

This probably sounds like a self-help cliché, but if you don’t put yourself into situations that challenge you, you aren’t going to grow.

For me (and for most of the band) there was an initial discomfort with replicating the theatricality of the show, which is all about bridging distances. There are awkward, suggestive, and joyous dance moves, dramatic duets, and plenty of moments when I’m singing on my knees at the front of the stage while staring into the eyes of individual audience members. I’ve never considered myself a naturally charismatic performer, I’m more of a workman-like singer-songwriter, but this role required that I push through my inhibitions in a way that was frightening (at first) and ultimately… freeing, engaging, successful.

The risk I took was showing up to practice ready to make a fool of myself, and to never nix ideas until we’d actually tried them. I think this helped everyone in the band get over themselves and just… dance.

I’m sure there’s a similar way in which you need to overcome something on your next big project, whether it’s writing a more vulnerable song, stepping out to the front of the stage for your solo, or risking rejection when you reach out to bloggers.

Risk it.

5. Delegate.

Once you’ve assembled a reliable team where each member has a particular skill set, it’s time to let go of the reins (a bit). There’s no way the three producers of the show could do everything themselves. So they had to trust that the set pieces would be built on time, that the band would be rehearsed, the PR campaign was underway, etc.

Of course they kept folks accountable with frequent check-ins, but they weren’t micro-managing.

That being said…

7. Every team needs leader(s).

We had three producers ultimately steering the ship. There’s a delicate but powerful balance that can happen when everyone takes ownership of their own area of expertise, while also feeling free to weigh in elsewhere.

With the “command structure” of this production, I deferred to the producers for the ultimate say, but one of our guitar players was tasked with musical direction, so it was his job to solidify the arrangements, make suggestions on everyone’s playing and singing, and so forth; I kinda took it upon myself to assist him with giving queues on stage (where solos end, when we exit a vamp, etc.) since I’m the guy wearing the bright outfit out front and all the players could see me. Our choreographer was in charge of movement, but everyone had input to shape the final show.

Anway, all this to say, it’s easier to make suggestions and collaborate when it’s clear who’s in charge of what, and who gets the final word.

7. Be clear about the rewards and penalties.

What does each person gain from contributing? Upfront money? A share of ongoing royalties? Fun? “Exposure?” What are you expecting? What should they expect of you? And just as important, what are you NOT responsible for?

What happens if you flake out, fail, or otherwise don’t deliver? Are there contingencies?

All of this should be communicated upfront. Terms, splits, payments, etc.

Contracts? Read ’em. If fair, sign ’em.

8. Use the tools.

You wouldn’t set out to create the next great EDM album with a 4-track cassette recorder and an acoustic guitar. (Well, maybe that WOULD be cool, but…)

You need the right tools to get the job done. For this production, with so much dancing, we needed the entire stage clear of monitors and cables, so everyone went with wireless in-ear monitors and wireless packs for their instruments. That required… a LOT of wireless packs, in-ears, plus those fancy antennas to broadcast all those signals. It also meant nine separate in-ear monitor mixes.

So we rented a bunch of gear, along with the same digital board that the venue has in-house. We brought it to our practice space along with all that other stuff to work out the tech and mixing details ahead of time, and saved the custom mix settings to load into the venue’s board on the day of show.

That’s just one of many examples of how we relied on a wide spectrum of tech (image mapping and projection, digital mixing, loops and samples, etc.) to make this show as good as it could be.

I don’t want this to sound like you need a billion dollars worth of the latest gear in order to be successful — in fact, Steve Lacy would tell you the opposite: start NOW with whatever you already have on-hand — but whatever tools you’re using, be sure they’re up for the task. This leads back to point #1: have adequate time to test and adjust.

If you don’t own what you need, call in favors, borrow, rent, or do that thing where you buy from Guitar Center and then return it after the gig (JUST KIDDING!)

9. Throw the Hail Mary.

Despite all the preparation, things will go wrong and you’ll have to scramble and improvise to navigate around the setback.

The only window of time our 3D-mapping expert could get into the venue to dial in his settings was the exact same time as soundcheck, so both processes were competing with one another, and both were delayed. This pushed right up to the time the doors were about to open.

It also meant we didn’t have time to do a cue-to-cue for every single song, which we’d planned to do with our sound, lighting, and projection teams. During the show, a few “important” lighting and projection sequences didn’t happen as planned.

I put “important” in quotes because you know what? No one in the audience knew any different. The music and performance had to carry the moment, and it did.

Things will go wrong. So be it. Roll with it. You might throw a desperate pass and win the game.

10. Celebrate, or at least post-game.

This Peter Gabriel tribute show I played was a success (bragging!) and we knew the moment we stepped off-stage that we’d done a good job. It was all love and congrats and celebration. That’s important. Striving to make a connection with music is a difficult path in life, and sometimes we’re too cool for our own good. It’s important, vital even, to sit on these little victories for a second and soak up the good feeling. (Those feelings might have to power you through some rough patches).

But even if your collaboration isn’t a smashing success, you should still rally the team afterwards, give thanks where thanks are due, figure out what could’ve been better, and assess how you’ll improve the next time around. Don’t just disperse into the night.

Win or lose, every team looks back on the game for lessons and a sense of camaraderie.

Have you had any successful collaborations lately? How about bad ones? Got any tips to share about musical teamwork? Let me know in the comments below.

[Picture of Real World Collective taken by Debra Penk.]

Here’s a video of one of our mellower tunes with stellar vocals from Margaret Wehr and some lovely audience participation at the end. Also, you can see some of our more animated songs HERE.

youtube

The post Musical teamwork: the pillars of effective collaboration appeared first on DIY Musician Blog.

0 notes