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.

Blog 14: Independent Component 

• Literal

          (a) ''I, Vanessa Contreras, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.''

           (b) Cite your source regrading who or what article or book helped you complete the independent component. 

           (c) Update your hours in your Senior Project Hours link. Make sure it is clearly labeled with hours for individual sessions as well as total hours.

           (d) Explain what you completed.

                 I completed 30 hours with a music showcase

• Interpretive

          The showcase I did makes up 30 hours. I spent 16 hours on researching and planning it out. I spent 13 hours on rehersing and having the show. It's significant because it take alot of planning to put together a showcase. Having rehersal helps prepare the artist for the show. It also helps with getting them comfortable on stage.

• Applied

The component helped me understand my topic better since I got experience from it. I learned to scout artist for a show and manage the acts for peformances. I also learned how to market the artist when I promoted the show to the school. In a way I promoted the artist from InRage Entertainment during the show. I also learned the basics of having stage presence when I performed in the show.
           

Blog 13: Lesson 2 Reflection

1. What are you most proud of in your lesson 2 presentation and why?
      I'm most proud of being able to preject my voice more this time. I am also proud that I used a bit of history to go into my answer. Like I explained the history of artist development so that the class will understand it better.
2.a. What assessment would you give yourself on your lesson 2 presentation (self-assessment)?
                  AP
   b.  Explain why you deserve that grade using evidence from the lesson 2 component contract.
         I deserve that grade because I met the time requirement but my presentation had many flaws. I had everything I needed for my presentation but it could have been more organized.
3. What worked for you in your lesson 2?
     I would say the way I interacted with the class in the beginning of the lesson by asking them questions. I would also say with how I had my slides as a reference when I got nervous and forgot what I was suppose to say.
4. What didn't work? If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your lesson 2?
      I felt that my 30min activity was not explained well and the class was confused. I will be better prepared with it for my presenation. I also felt like I could have given more information on how the trainning system is used and why exactly it helps an artist succeed.
5. What do you think your answer #2 is going to be?
    I'm not sure yet but I would like it to be along the lines of a record label contract.
           

Blog 12: Mentorship 10 Hours
 
1. Where are you doing your mentorship?
      I'm doing my mentorship at InRage Entertainment.
2. Who is your contact?
     My contact is Bruce and Ebony Vanderveer.
3. How many hours have you done during the school year?
      I have done about 22 hours of mentorship.
4. Summarize the 10 hours of service you did.
     For my 10 hours I spent it working on the computer, managing InRage's facebook page. I researched articles and then I posted them up. I also observed them creating a song. Another thing I did was scout people for the company.

Blog 11: Holiday Project Update

1. What did you do over the break with your senior project?
      What I did over my break was helping out with scouting someone for InRage to work in the company. This person is a close family member and I was able to get him to work on with Inrage. This helps with promoting InRage and giving scoting experience. I also work on my independent component and managed to get 8 acts for the show. Upon that I did more research on the concept of my performance.

2. What was the important thing you learned from what you did and why?
      I learned al of about creating a good stage presence which goes with my EQ. From that I was able to develop an answer for it. Getting to scout someone for the record label gave me experience with learning how to pick the right people to expand the company even further.It helped me realize the type of people that fit the record label more.

3. If you were to going to do a 10 question interview on questions related to answers for your EQ, who would you talk to and why?
    For this interview I would Xiah Junsu. The reason I pick him is because he has gone through a trainee system before he debuted as an artist. He has experiences in the music industry in many countries. He also has worked with my mentor.

December Update 
For the month of December I worked on my independent component. I managed to get 8 acts for the show. I also spent time researching ideas for decorating the MPR for the showcase.

This is Aunt T Jackie. She is one of the artist who will be performing.