Tales of a Tech Integrator: Auto-tune into the News

I have my box of Kleenex, bag of sugar-free Ricolas, green tea, and assorted remotes and phones by my side. I'm settled in for a day of resting and healing due to a measly cold that seems to be giving me a run for my money. Because of this, I got the rare opportunity to watch a bit of the Today Show, where a story was featured about the Gregory brothers (and wife/sister-in-law Sarah) whose news satires have gone viral on YouTube.

The 8 minute clip from the show explains how the group felt some of the news stories to be a bit boring. They took some of the clips and used auto-tuning to make music and create interest out of these stories. Auto-tuning has become increasingly popular in the music industry as a way of changing the voice of the artist, and in some cases improving the quality of the sound. (think: "you're a little pitchy dog," "don't worry, I can auto-tune that later")

While there is certainly satire and parody involved in these productions, I think this proving how important 21st century skills and technology are in teaching today's youth about current events. One could go so far as to say Auto-tune the News is this generation's version of political cartoons.

In the Today Show clip, the group mentions that the cost of producing these videos is a whopping $0 (or more if you include bagel consumption). So off I went on a hunt for instruction in auto-tuning and found an explanation for using Auto-tune in Audacity as well as Garage Band.

Audacity How To:

Learn How to auto-tune your vocals in Audacity for free. For more Audacity How-To Videos & Articles, visit WonderHowTo.