Blog 21: Exit Interview 

Content: 

1) What is your essential question, and what are your answers? What is your best answer and why? 

       My EQ is How can the recording industry most improve it's relationship with artists? My first answer is To provide a fair contract between both the artist and record label. My second answer is to Have the artist go through artist development before they debut. My finally answer is Create an effective marketing strategy to promote the artist. My best answer would have to be my second answer. Artist development is rare to have in America so it would be beneficial for the music industry to bring it back into companies.  My other two answer are something that can be easily fixed compared to my second answer. 

2) What process did you take to arrive at this answer? 

      I listen to foreign music and I would always ask myself "Why doesn't America have  their artist perform in way that artist in Japan do? Why do American artist limit themselves and don't explore their creative side? I went into research on this issue and I ask my mentor about it. They told me about the Motown Era and how America use to have artist development.
3) What problem did you face? How did you resolve them? 
      I ran into an issue with finding the type of research I needed.  I was confused with what direction I wanted to go with my project. I had a lot of questions in regards to how the music industry works and where can I go to get this information. What I did to solve this problem was to ask myself If I was a new artist, what do I need to know and how can I improve my knowledge about this industry. So I wrote down all these questions I had and I asked them in the interviews I had. I also researched each by looking at documentaries about artist. My mentor helped me with learning how to become a recording artist so I can see the experience through my own perspective. 
4) What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?
     I used this book called '' All you need to know about the music business" by Donald Passman. My mentor gave it to me and it has helped me with answering a lot of questions I had. The book broke down subjects that would have been difficult for me to understand. Another resource is my interview with my mentor Bruce Vanderveer. His knowledge has influenced my project and he has had many experiences as a music executive.     

        

March Update 
For the month of March I have been going to band rehearsal with InRage. I observed the band that my mentor will be releasing soon.  My mentor has me take notes on the directions he gives to the band. I also take note of technical stuff so that I can help them keep track of what need to be improved.

Blog 17: Answer 3 

EQ

     How can the American recording industry most improve its relationship with artists?

2.  Answer 3 (thesis statement) 

      Creating an effective marketing strategy will help the artist with promotion. 

3.  List three reasons your answer is true with a real-world application for each. 

• Social media helps play a big role in promoting an artist 
•  Most bands or artists use an e-mail list to engage and build their fanbase
•  Marketing is necessary for promoting an artist 

4.  What printed source best supports your answer?

        Helgeson, Lance. "11 Ways To Make Your Next Showcase A Smash Success" MusicBizAcademy.com. September, 2002. Web. 3 October, 2014

5.  What other source supports your answer?

       Kerin, Rodger. Marketing. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011 Print. 

6.  Tie this together with a  concluding thought.

       Marketing is an easy skill to establish and is useful for expanding an artist's fanbase. Marketing will create longevity in the artist's career. 

February Update: 
For the month of February I didn't really meet up with my mentors since they were busy but I did manage to do more research of record label lawsuits. I mostly did research of a specific lawsuit that the group JYJ had with their former company.

Blog 16: Answer 2

1.  How can artist development most benefit a recording artist?

     How can the American recording industry most improve its relationship with artists?

2.  What is your first answer? (In complete thesis statement format)

The American recording industry could reinstate artist development programs, which would increase the longevity of the artist's career and make the artist more loyal to the company. 

3.  What is your second answer? (In complete thesis statement format)

      The American recording industry should provide a contract that is fair to both the artist and record label.

4.  List three reasons your answer is true with a real-world application for each. 

• TLC had a lawsuit with LA Face Records
• 360 Deals are commonly used with record deals
• Net-Profit deals are not common deals anymore. 

5.  What printed source best supports your answer?

  Penrice,Ronda. "From Billboard hits to bankruptcy: Tlc's slow downfall" The Grio.com. 29 Nov, 2011. Web. 4 Dec, 2014

6.  What other source supports your answer?

       Schwartz,Daylle. Start & Run Your Own Record Label. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications, 2009 Print

7.  Tie this together with a  concluding thought.

       When artists feel more secure with their contracts, they are more likely to stay with the record label or even transfer over to a record label with this type of contract. 

Blog 15: Independent Component 2 Approval 

1. Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.
     I plan to watch interview on different artists' experiences with being in a record label or their view on the music industry today. I am also watching a few documentaries for expanding my knowledge on promoting a new artist.
2. Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of sharing 30 hours of evidence. 
     I will be logging in the interviews I watched on a spreadsheet in MLA format. I will also have a binder with the notes I take from watching them and what I learned.
3. Explain how this component will help your explore your topic in more depth.
    With watching the interview, I am able to be view how some artist dealt with lawsuits with their companies and viewing how music executives are able to run their company.
4. Post a log in your Senior Project Hours link and label it Independent Component Log. 

January Update 

For the month of January I managed  a showcase for my independent component. People from my mentorship came as well as some iPoly staff. I was able to perform and present new artist to the audience. The audience had fun and so did I. The showcase ended up being successful as I was able to gain a bigger fanbase for the record label.