Wednesday, 16 March 2016
Week 8 - Music Consumption.
As time passes things become more valuable whether it be a car, expensive jewellery or a vinyl. In our case not all artists 'make it' after 5 years some of them are long and forgotten but other's live on for a lifetime. Sometimes they live on because of the quality of the music, others because of celebrity deaths such as David Bowie, since his death in early 2016 according to Fortune.com David Bowie's net worth "$230 million" at the time of his death. The reason as to why these artists live on according to Hayes is because the youth's "regard music from past eras as offering more sincere, authentic observations" compared to the processed garbage that is produced in today's day and age. As well as this, it can be done in a way of rebellion to the mainstream, popular culture being forced down our throats whilst also making them different to other youths in today's society creating fandoms of their own. All sorts of people consume and have a passion for music for numerous reasons but the consumption of old music and material isn't promoted as according to Hayes it challenges the "music industry’s attempts to define and regulate behaviour" (pp 53) and when people are buying second hand vinyls etc. then no profit is being made by current producers and industries. This is when music is consumed actively, as it isn't being purchased by everyone the music still has it's 'aura' according to Walter Benjamin (1968).As Taylor says in the second text, the reason as to why vinyls and cassettes are so popular is because they are a physical thing rather than just a digital download. The "increasing digitalisation of culture in general has led to a re-approaching of physical things." The digitalisation of products makes it feel like we don't actually own them as they aren't physically there for us to have and hold. The digitalisation of music has taken away ability to add a personal touch to the music we love. This argument is reinforced by Pratt and Jeffcut who state that "the digitalisation of music has caused major problems" (pp 57) and I believe that the actual connection between the artist and the fan is lost through music digitalisation. Vinyls, cassettes and CD's will live on for those who want to enjoy music for both the music itself and the personal touches that you can apply such as Chang's 'We Want White Albums".
I would use quantitate research to see how many people my age buy cassettes or vinyls whilst also comparing this to people of the older generation and see whether they still buy vinyls or if they have became more digital. I'd also like to find out if opposition to the norm is common amongst all ages or just the younger generations and why. http://fortune.com/2016/01/11/david-bowie-career-sales/
Hayes, D. (2006) “Take Those Old Records off the Shelf”: Youth and Music Consumption in the Postmodern Age. Popular Music and Society, 29:1, pp 51-68
Hesmondhalgh, D. (Pratt, A & Jeffcutt, P.) (2009) "Creativity, Innovation and the Cultural Economy" Chapter 3 - The Digitalisation of Music, Routledge, London pp 57-59.
Monday, 14 March 2016
Week 7 - Fandom's
The idea of a fandom is something that has evolved as I've transitioned from a teen to an adult and it is something that I'm a very big fan of. Like Fremaux states in the first text these fandoms and the idea of a fandom was created by the fans with a common interest and as they unite they are able to share experiences, memories, memorabilia etc. amongst each other. It can even go as far as the Beatles fandom with murals, museums and tours wholly founded by the fans who share the same love and passion for their interest. Over the past 10 years fandoms have exploded into being a popular cultural activity thanks to social networks as they allow fans to talk about and produce material of their own based on their fandom such as Chang's 'We Buy White Albums'. Fandom's are continuing to grow as the community and open-mindedness towards them grows. "Jenkins (2007: 362) notes that ‘there is a new kind of cultural power emerging as fans bond together within larger communi- ties, pool their information, shape each other’s opinions, and develop a greater self-consciousness about their shared agendas and common interests’." the idea of a fandom helps unite people from various backgrounds, especially in the music industry. Nowadays it is a lot easier for fandoms to form and for fans to interact with their favourite artists due to developments in social media and travelling. Thanks to trains, planes, cars, buses etc. fans are able to follow their favourite artists on tour. As well as this it also allows us to be creators ourselves and producers like Chang, like Pearson (2010: 84) said social media has helped with "blurring the lines between producers and consumers" which makes audience interaction a more significant factor for fans and the artists themselves.The ability to cross wires and make fans producers and consumers simultaneously allows the fans to have a closer and more significant bond with both the band and other fans. I like to think that fandoms will help legacy's of artists live on. I mean this in a sense of even when the artist has long gone e.g. The Beatles I want their legacy to live on so that people still appreciate a high quality of music.
Qualitative research would be used to discover how many people are part of a fandom, what people think of fandoms, has technology helped with the growth of fandoms and so forth.
1. Fremaux, S. (2015) “Coming Together: DIY Heritage and the Beatles.” In: Preserving Popular Music Heritage: Do it Yourself, Do it Together. S. Baker (ed.) London: Routledge. pp. 139 – 150.
2. Kirkup, M. (2014) 'Some kind of innocence': The Beatles Monthly and fan community." Popular Music History. 9(1), pp. 64 - 78.
3. Fandom in the Digital Era Roberta Pearson, (2010) Fandom in the Digital Era, Popular Communication, 8:1, 84-95, DOI: 10.1080/15405700903502346
Thursday, 10 March 2016
Week 5 - Rock n Roll vs Feminism
The first text by Frith and McRobbie highlighted the gender issues surrounding the rock genre. Female's have tried to break into the rock scene however they're not seen as edgy as males and end up on reality TV shows - this is because their male producers/team don't want them to threaten the male dominated rock sex scene. In the music genre which is sex-driven it isn't driven equally, it is all focused around male desire and arousal which can offend some women yet when the roles are reversed it isn't seen as power? They are still seen as objects. Not many women make it as rockstars, they're pushed down other avenues such as folk/songwriter paths (Frith & McRobbie) but the few that do struggle to make it.For a female to be accepted as a rock artist they have to become as masculine as possible or to avoid the media as much as possible - the stereotypes are formed within the media so if you remove the media then you remove the stereotypes. Rock is for men so it's focused around arousal, sexuality and desires whereas pop is for women so it is more focused on love and romance whilst also telling them the lives they should live.
Whilst rock is a more male dominated genre it also sexually objectifies men making them sex objects for women - especially the cock-rockers. As Frith and McRobbie said "[Rock] carries messages of male self-doubt and self-pity" which subtly proves how vulnerable men can be.
As times passed men have become more feminized after the birth of the Mods in the 1960's boy's take more care with their appearance offering an image of a loving, caring man ready for romance.
Despite the feminisation of men in the rock community - women are steel deemed to be weaker and more unimportant apart from in the punk genre. Women were widely accepted in punk and as Reynolds and Joyce said "women were free to uglify themselves...to shriek... to deal with taboo subjects". Thanks to the punk era more women artists are able to be lead singers in rock bands e.g. Hayley Williams and thanks to the women out there such as Janis Joplin we are closer and closer to equality in the musical and real world.
I would use action research to investigate this so that I can firstly get some results but secondly to help female artists/musicians that want to be taken seriously. I would interview them and find out how they feel about the way they are treated whilst also conducting focus groups to see what people think of female artists and why they are/aren't taken seriously.
Frith, S & McRobbie, A, (1990). 'Rock & Sexuality'. In: Simon Frith & Andrew Goodwin (ed), On Record: Rock, Pop & the Written Word. 1st ed. UK: Pantheon Books. pp.(371-389).
Reynolds, S & Press, J. (1996). 'The Sex Revolts: Gender, Rebellion, and Rock 'n' Roll' Harvard University Press; Reprint edition. Page 33.
Monday, 22 February 2016
Week 4 Defining Genres
This week's texts surrounded the issues that arise when defining genres and actually pigeon-holing music into genres due to the vast selection of genres and sub-genres. The first text, 'Genre' in Studying Popular Music Cultural addressed many issues surrounding genre and actually defining what 'genre' is and how we decide what genre artists, songs, albums etc. belong in. There are various theories from many different theorists, as Robert Walser stated 'genres are ideas which are "constantly debated and contested."' and this theory means that allocating music to a selected genre can be difficult, especially if an artist changes their style throughout their music career. For example, Miley Cyrus used to be a Country/Western artist and now she's one of the most iconic pop icons in today's society however because of her kooky style, behaviour etc. she isn't the face of pop, instead artists such as Taylor Swift (who also made the country - pop transition) are the icons because she follows the codes and conventions of being a pop-star.An issue with the concept of 'genres' is that it excludes people/artists more than it includes them and "genre boundaries" are created. These genres are also effective in ensuring that the artist doesn't experiment too much with their style/image as they're limited thanks to the codes, conventions and behavioural rules set. My second text by Lena and Peterson however suggests that there is more to the genre ladder (below) as it suggests that there's 4 "distinct genre types" which aren't the basic rock, dance, urban and pop. It suggests that they are "avant-garde, scene-based, industry-based and tradionalists". However it reinforces the points made in the first text as it states that genre is created to encourage "competitive success" but you won't be successful if you don't follow the codes, conventions and behavioural rules of that genre. Examples of this are female pop-stars - all of them are pretty, girly, innocent, feminine etc. you don't see many butch female pop-stars making the charts do you? Nor do you see many indie bands being reported for opposing the government or trying to defy the law (FTP, I Fought The Law). All artists fit into their genres correctly as that is the way they have been told to act, behave etc.
Once they are in a certain genre it is very difficult to change their attitudes, behaviour, image due to the rules set in today's society and music industry. I would do a reception analysis of Miley Cyrus fans to discover what they think of her transition, whether it's successful and if they agree with artists changing their style/image so extremely.
Text 1: Wall, T, (2003). 'Genre'. In: (ed), Studying Popular Music Culture. 1st ed. UK: Hodder & Stoughton Educational. pp.(179-188).
Text 2: Jennifer C. Lena and Richard A. Peterson (2008), Classification as Culture: Types and Trajectories of Music Genres, American Sociological Association, pp. (697-698).
Monday, 15 February 2016
Week 3 Political Economy
Political economy plays an extremely
significant role when it comes to the music and radio industries. The first
reading by Wall, The Political Economy of Internet Music Radio explored the
important relationship between the music and radio industry and political
economy. It emphasises how important "recorded music" is due to it
being a "source of cheap broadcasting" whilst also "organising
listeners". This implies that even though radio is intended to be a
platform for freedom it is very limited in the content and the music which it
plays. This is regularly shown in society on BBC radio, e.g. Radio 1 constantly
plays the same pop-py chart music that is all created and manufactured by
artists but then before release it is edited and manipulated by the record
label. An "image" for the band is created by their PR team and the
record label that they are tied down too. Not only is the artists sound taken
and edited, they themselves are too. The reason as to why they are tightly
controlled is due to political economy, the artists music label want to make as
much money off that artist as possible and the only way they can do this is if
they sell records, they won't sell records if they're "alternative"
as this type of music won't get "cheap broadcasting" because the
music won't 'sound right' for the tightly controlled radio stations.
This music would be played on
commercial/community radio as there’s more freedom however this isn't as
popular. However, as Wall says the radio industry has the potential to move to
internet radio, I have seen this development and internet radio is a lot more
popular thanks to DAB. My second reading by Paula Cordeiro (2010) explains and
explores the gradual transition to internet radio. Live streaming makes radio
"available via digital devices" which means that it is accessible at
all times. This movement from analogue platforms to digital means that it needs
to "fit with audience needs, uses and routines" but does this mean it
is going to be more restricted or give the broadcasters more freedom?
It will be harder for existing radio
companies to expand and express themselves more freely online however I believe
that it will be easier for new radio stations to be created and express their
own views and play more 'alternative music' with app's such as TuneIn it makes
listening to new radio stations easier as this is where hundreds of online
stations can be found. I would do industrial research of up and coming artists
before they make their break and artists who've just entered the music scene
comparing the difference in publicity, costs of PR etc.
Text 1: Wall, T. The Radio Journal – International Studies in Broadcast and Audio Media Volume 2 Number 1. © Intellect Ltd 2004.
Text 2: Cordeiro, P. Radio becoming Radio, Convergence, interactivity and broadcasting trends in perspective, Participations, 2012.
Monday, 8 February 2016
Week 2 Moral Panics created due to the music industry
Both texts studied the moral panics created due to
the music industry and the radical/different genres/types of music. Text 1 by
Ross and Rose address the issues created by the rave and underground movement
of acid house music. This highlights how these radicals purposely try to oppose
the norm, they enjoy creating the moral panics so that they gain publicity.
Even though the publicity is always negative, this is what they want as it
gives them a platform to attract other radicals. The artists/DJ's that these
radicals follow also want to attract those who rebel and non-conformists and
they want to be rejected by society so that they're seen as a threat, they have
sub-cultural capital (Bordieu page 178). However, sometimes the artist/DJ could
become very popular, making that artist mainstream meaning that they'll be
welcomed into society - the last thing these producers want. According to the
text 'within club undergrounds, to "sell-out" means to
"betray"' (page 180) the movement of acidhouse music. Once you've
been accepted by a mass of people e.g. making the UK Top 40 in the radicals
eyes, this is a sell-out. The artist has given themselves to the media for them
to manipulate and create the artist that they want and they do this using
record labels and deals but not many artists do "sell-out". They love
to create fear and mayhem amongst society with publicity that they receive such
as tabloid headlines helps attract fellow radicals that want to be a part of
it.
This kind of 'us vs them' behavior has been common
in society for years however it is now more common that a group of lots of
different people all unite as they share a common interest. In the 1960's this
was rife as my second text explained. The text by Stanley Cohen highlighted the
moral panics created in the 1960's by the Mods and Rockers. These two groups
were known for their "drug-taking", 'demonstration's' and
"juvenile deviance". These groups, along with those whom are fans of
underground artists, are just radicals whom are trying to oppose society and
thanks to all the media coverage that they receive the are able to do so. This
platform of negative media gives them the publicity they desire to ensure that they
grow whilst also scaring other members of society into conformity by exposing
how 'dangerous' these groups of people are. I'd investigate this by doing a
survey, I'd people who listen to popular music and underground music to see
what they do in their spare time, their jobs, background etc. to see if these
factors affect how the feel about society and whether they are a part of a
'moral panic'.
Text 1 - A. Ross & T. Rose, Microphone Fiends: Youth Music and Youth Culture, Routledge, New York and London, 1995.
Text 2 - S. Cohen, Folk Devils and Moral Panics, Routledge, London & New York, 2002 (3rd Edition.)
Sunday, 31 January 2016
Week 1 History of Radio
The first reading, 'On Air, Methods and Meanings of Radio' by Shingler and Wieringa (1998) provided the timeline of events which has allowed me to learn how radio has developed from 'point to point communication' to global broadcasting.The sub-chapter on themes and communication created some very valid arguments and points when discussing the difference between pirate radio and the BBC and how these differences created competition for the BBC (Public Service Broadcasting) meaning that they have to compete for listeners. The creation of commercial radio such as Capital Radio, Classic FM, community radio and pirate radio meant that there are more options and varies types of radio stations/shows creating competition between the various stations. In addition, the use of radio for entertainment rather than communication is another interesting development, during World War II AFN started to create shows of Top 40's to entertain the soldiers and in 1944 the BBC employed foreign correspondents meaning that news can be shared and broadcast back home. The importance of radio was shown to the world when the Titanic sank, thanks to radio communication a broadcast was sent out which allowed for help to be dispatched.
The second reading "The Industrialisation of Music" reinforces the points made in the first reading, it tells us how the musical side of radio slumped during the 1920's and 1940s (war-time) due to broadcasting and foreign correspondents, news etc. being it's main use alongside of communication between countries and the people. Despite the record industry starting in 1888 with the North American Phonograph Company it's sole purpose was for communications (Titanic) and the spreading of news (war-time broadcasts). It wasn't until the birth of Rock'n'Roll in the 1950's that the music industry boomed. The evolution from gramophone to tape decks to CD players allowed the industry to grow more and more whilst working alongside radio as music dominated the world. In my opinion the only issue with radio and the music industry is how limited it is, it suggests that the presenter/artist has full control/reign/freedom over what they say/create however due to the BBC and record labels etc. this freedom is restricted. Despite this I believe that radio has evolved and there is more freedom thanks to technological advancements and online/community radio stations. The way I would under-go this investigation is to analyse the content on both the stations and compare it e.g. types of music, how much talking, is there any audience participation, news bulletins etc. to see how different current radio stations are.