So many ideas for a presentation story come from this slightly odd-ball photo.
Susan says, “As communication theorist Marshall McLuhan famously said, ‘The medium is the message’. Could it be any more true than in this photo of the tuba player (with his message) nearly squeezed out of the picture by his instrument (the medium)? This is a striking depiction of his theory. The tuba is of course, the lowest member of the brass family, capable of producing its catchy oompah sound. While there have been several solo pieces written for the tuba, it is primary used to thump out the rhythm and the bass line of a piece. Its message is stolid and steady almost entirely because of how suited it is the medium. To get an audience to understand this concept, what better way than to use this image to launch the story of medium and the message of the tuba.”
Lucia says, “I think Susan hit the sweet spot in her description. My intention was to fill the frame with sound, while showing a glimpse of its source. The man’s cheeks are filled air that he is blowing through an intricate network of brass and valves to turn into music to broadcast through the bell of the tuba. Yes, ‘the medium is the message’ and, here, we see it very clearly.”
What image would you use to illustrate McLuhan’s concept or conversely what use would you make of this photograph to enrich the storytelling in your presentation.
