Chaos and creativity are inherently linked together. As Picasso was fond of pointing out, every act of creation is also an act of destruction. Chaos has a way of destroying the familiar – and in the process clearing the way for us to connect the dots in new and exciting ways.

Recently, much has been written and opined about the role of technology in creative chaos, particularly in the worlds of music and media. Old business models have been obliterated. New companies emerge. And there are other companies that are casualties in the process.

To that end, we extend our sympathies to our friends at Boards magazine, who have been so helpful to us not only through the competitions and conferences but through the inevitable friendships that have formed through those connections. We regretted the news that the magazine is ceasing to publish.

We wish you the best. And hope that through the Chaos, each of you will find new ways to create and thrive both personally and professionally.

We’ll miss you…but we’ll see you on the other side.

Engineer Joe Costa recently dropped by the iV music studios with artist Ben Folds, drummer Lindsay Jamieson and bassist Jared Reynolds. Joe and company used iV music’s surround mix set-up to reference the latest 5.1 mix of Ben’s contribution to the soundtrack for the Dreamworks animated feature film, ”Over the Hedge”.

You can catch the film (and Willam Shatner playing the part of the opossum) on May 19th.

For more on Joe Costa, check out our podcast,“The Intern Chronicles: Episode One,” featured in our 01/04/06 blog post.

Dateline: Frankfurt. Award winning agency producer Micheel Nwaisser is putting the finishing touches on his latest spot for Audi, a new commercial commissioned by Saatchi and Saatchi, Frankfurt for the Audi RS4. After a chat with iV’s “Berlin Operative,” Inka Koroscha, Micheel tapped Uli Reese and iV to add the sound design to his stunning visuals.

We're having a blast!

You gotta love this gig.

Particularly when you’re sharing a horseradish martini at Pravda with Brian Emrich, fresh from the studio where he was wrapping up the sound design on The Fountain, a new film from Darren Aronofsky (the director who brought you Requiem for a Dream and pi, using Brian's talents on those films, too).

After dinner, we finished off the evening, bubble teas in hand, trading stories and roaming the Village environs. When we talk about iV in the context of a creative community, this is exactly what we mean: talented people, connecting on a very personal level. When iV clients are looking for sound design that’s as cinematic as it is spectacular, Brian delivers. But it's not just about working together. It's about playing together, too. We’re fortunate to have Brian as both a resource and a friend.

Earlier that morning, I hung out with our friends Tammy, Harold and Sally at FlickerLab animation studios, witnessing the wonders of their new Kabuki™ animation technology. Kabuki™ produces animation in real time! It’s simply amazing to witness. And if all goes well, you'll be witnessing it soon. We'll keep you posted.

The weekend ended over sushi with our Brooklyn based (718) music partners Steve Walsh and Bruce Flowers. iV and (718) have teamed up to offer our clients a wide range of audio branding options: from original music and re-records to library tracks and licensed music.

Good people. Good fun. Good business.

Like I said. What's not to love?

Music isn't the only gift Nashville has given the world.

Until recently, Nashville was also the home of the "nun bun," a pastry that bore an uncanny resemblance to the late Mother Theresa.

In a scene that could have been ripped from the pages of Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code," the nun bun was stolen on Christmas Eve from her shrine at the Bongo Java Coffee House here in Nashville. An in-store alarm alerted the store manager of the break-in. When he arrived at the coffee shop, he found the door had been removed from its hinges and the bun missing. Nothing else was taken.

I'm writing this entry at the crime scene, my cup of joe in hand, as a stunned crowd of onlookers file by the empty case that once housed the bun. Word among the faithful has quickly spread around the world, with a growing list of press coverage that includes CNN, the Washington Post, the BBC, the Sydney Morning Herald, the New York Post, the Calcutta Telegraph and USA Today (to name just a few!)

While Bob Bernstein, Bongo Java's owner, has a strict policy about negotiating with terrorists, he is lighting a Hanukkah candle and offering up a prayer for the bun's safe return.

Steven Speilberg has reportedly bought the rights to the story.