Matching Items (18)
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- All Subjects: Music
- Creators: School of International Letters and Cultures
- Member of: Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection
Description
Music has consistently been documented as a manner to bring people together across cultures throughout the world. In this research, we propose that people use similar musical tastes as a strong sign of potential social connection. To investigate this notion, we draw on literature examining how music merges the public/private self, the link to personality, and group identity, as well as how it is linked to romantic relationships. Thus, music can be a tool when wanting to get to know someone else and/or forge a platonic relationship. To test this hypothesis, we designed an experiment comparing music relative to another commonality (sharing a sports team in common) to see which factor is stronger in triggering an online social connection. We argue that people believe they have more in common with someone who shares similar music taste compared to other commonalities. We discuss implications for marketers on music streaming platforms.
ContributorsSimmons, Logan Patrick (Co-author) / Drambarean, Julianna (Co-author) / Samper, Adriana (Thesis director) / Martin, Nathan (Committee member) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
Description
The music genre of hair metal serves as a fascinating portrait of the 1980s. I found in hair metal a set of very concerning beliefs about masculinity, freedom, and consumption that reflect the essential values, beliefs, and mores of the 80s. Functioning as a response to changing gender roles and a shifting economic environment, hair asserts masculine liberty and helps its listeners assuage any fears they may have about threats to the status quo or their way of life.
ContributorsUnsworth, Erik (Author) / Voorhees, Matthew (Thesis director) / Carrasco, Clare (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
No Breaks: An Examination of Mental Health in the Music Industry is a photo book with journaling that attempts to dismantle common perceptions of the touring lifestyle. Drawing on my experience as a photographer on the final Vans' Warped Tour, as well as interviews with artists and crew members, the book examines the origins of these misconceptions, the conditions of touring that agitate mental illness, factors that encourage those suffering to speak up or stay silent, and ways the public can alleviate the pressure put on members of the music industry.
While touring may have been all about sex, drugs, and rock n' roll back in the 70's, the money in music has transferred to tour profits, rather than album sales. Thus, artists tour harder and more frequently, leading to an industry of overworked and usually underpaid individuals. It isn't unusual for a touring professional to work 14+ hour days, 7 days a week, and the work is sometimes back-breaking labor. Physical illness and living with coworkers can also add to the stress of an already strenuous job.
Even worse, pressures from the public, their clients, and even their coworkers can prevent those suffering with mental health issues from speaking out about it. No Breaks describes the "cycle of silence," or the high probability that those experiencing mental health issues will continue to stay silent if members of their touring crew or larger music community also fail to speak up.
The book concludes with a list of actions the public and industry can take in order to prevent and alleviate the intense pressure the music industry feels, including putting money back into music, donating to organizations that work to treat mental illness in them music industry, and offering support those who do choose to speak out. The purpose of No Breaks, however, is not to eradicate the conditions that exacerbate mental illness with a turn-key solution, but rather to explore these complex issues and create awareness. Many of the problems discussed in the book are self-perpetuating or linked with each other, and will take time, awareness, and cooperation to move forward and create a better industry for all.
While touring may have been all about sex, drugs, and rock n' roll back in the 70's, the money in music has transferred to tour profits, rather than album sales. Thus, artists tour harder and more frequently, leading to an industry of overworked and usually underpaid individuals. It isn't unusual for a touring professional to work 14+ hour days, 7 days a week, and the work is sometimes back-breaking labor. Physical illness and living with coworkers can also add to the stress of an already strenuous job.
Even worse, pressures from the public, their clients, and even their coworkers can prevent those suffering with mental health issues from speaking out about it. No Breaks describes the "cycle of silence," or the high probability that those experiencing mental health issues will continue to stay silent if members of their touring crew or larger music community also fail to speak up.
The book concludes with a list of actions the public and industry can take in order to prevent and alleviate the intense pressure the music industry feels, including putting money back into music, donating to organizations that work to treat mental illness in them music industry, and offering support those who do choose to speak out. The purpose of No Breaks, however, is not to eradicate the conditions that exacerbate mental illness with a turn-key solution, but rather to explore these complex issues and create awareness. Many of the problems discussed in the book are self-perpetuating or linked with each other, and will take time, awareness, and cooperation to move forward and create a better industry for all.
ContributorsFox, Kelly Marie (Author) / Sandoval, Mathew (Thesis director) / Fortunato, Joseph (Committee member) / College of Integrative Sciences and Arts (Contributor) / School of Community Resources and Development (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
Digital Lover, A Thesis is a short film about two young Black women who fall in love over the internet. The film can be classified as a music video, utilizing the song Digital Lover by lil qwerty and Lee, but breaks slightly from generic convention by utilizing an entirely narrative-based approach. This thesis submission shows the scope of this work’s creation, including the primary ideation and pitch document (the treatment), a version of the script from the middle of pre-production, and a late-stage version of the film.
Set in 1999, the film focuses much of its time on exploring alternative visual interpretations of a color-saturated digital space, and contrasting these with a less-vibrant analog world. This contrast intends to provide a visual differentiation between the digital and analog worlds, serving as the basis of the film’s storytelling. The built worlds privilege the emotional context of the internet, and contain an inherent thesis statement: that the digital experience can be as rich and meaningful as that of the analog, if not more so. The visual direction is the result of integrating several perspectives, including contemporary representations of the internet on film, personal observations, digital themed art installations, and experiences of others on the internet. As such, this film intended to engage with the existing body of work, and provide an artistic contribution to what already existed within the film and music video landscapes.
With this, I intend to use storytelling as a tool for conceptualizing worth. Specifically, with the centering of two Black women as romantic interests, I hope to provide a nuanced affirmation in a space where representation is often lacking.
Set in 1999, the film focuses much of its time on exploring alternative visual interpretations of a color-saturated digital space, and contrasting these with a less-vibrant analog world. This contrast intends to provide a visual differentiation between the digital and analog worlds, serving as the basis of the film’s storytelling. The built worlds privilege the emotional context of the internet, and contain an inherent thesis statement: that the digital experience can be as rich and meaningful as that of the analog, if not more so. The visual direction is the result of integrating several perspectives, including contemporary representations of the internet on film, personal observations, digital themed art installations, and experiences of others on the internet. As such, this film intended to engage with the existing body of work, and provide an artistic contribution to what already existed within the film and music video landscapes.
With this, I intend to use storytelling as a tool for conceptualizing worth. Specifically, with the centering of two Black women as romantic interests, I hope to provide a nuanced affirmation in a space where representation is often lacking.
ContributorsMoore, Alexis (Author) / Nascimento, Eliciana (Thesis director) / Sandoval, Mathew (Committee member) / College of Integrative Sciences and Arts (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
The Mizrahi Jews have greatly influenced current Israeli culture through their music and food. The Mizrahi immigrated from Middle Eastern countries and brought with them their music and food. Their music has changed slowly over time. Musiqa Mizrahit started as music the Mizrahi brought with them when the immigrated to Israel. As they adjusted to Israeli society, they began switching the Arabic words to Hebrew. Musiqa Mizrahit really took off with the creation of cassette recordings that allowed anyone to cheaply record music and share it. As Musiqa Mizrahit became more accessible, it slowly gained popularity across Israel. As popularity for the genre, it slowly became accepted in Israeli society. Up until then, Musiqa Mizrahit had been discriminated against and was not considered part of Israeli culture. Nowadays, Musiqa Mizrahit is very popular and widely accepted in Israel. The food was accepted by the Ashkenazi in the first two decades of the countries existence by the widespread Israeli pushback in Mandatory Palestine and into the existence of the brand new country. now many of the Mizrahi foods are considered part of the Israeli national cuisine.
ContributorsKoester, Samantha Lanette (Author) / Shemer, Judith (Thesis director) / Ali, Souad (Committee member) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor, Contributor, Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
Music both created and consumed by Soviet soldiers during the war in Afghanistan provides an insight into their opinions and criticisms of the war. Music allowed soldiers to vent, to give voice to their experiences, as well as to rationalize their participation in the conflict, enabling them to inject their personal opinions and perceptions of the war into memorable and poetic forms. Through analyzing the Soviet songs about the of Afghan war, we can create a chronological timeline charting the development of resentment and disillusionment among Soviet soldiers: the initial patriotic songs borrowed from prior conflicts soon declined in popularity, replaced with mournful songs reflecting soldiers’ nostalgia for home and fear of death in their daily lives. Their lyrics reveal feelings of anxiety, disenfranchisement and abandonment, all resulting from the Soviet state’s ineffective handling of the war. In addition to songs produced by soldiers themselves, bands within Soviet borders such as Kino also wrote songs about the conflict, using their star power to draw attention to the conflict in their own fashion. By tracking both the creation and spread of these songs about the Soviet-Afghan war (referred to in this essay as either the “Soviet-Afghan War” or, more simply, the “Afghan War” as it is known in Russian), we can find vital, overlooked expressions of if not protest then discontent - among the many bubbling to the surface during the last decade of the USSR. This thesis therefore presents a chronological analysis of representative songs from the Soviet-Afghan war that also takes their popularity and methods of propagation -- the material technologies that allowed for this music to be spread -- into account, plotted alongside the major turning points of the war. It uncovers an otherwise forgotten form of discourse between soldiers about both the war itself, as well as the Soviet government, exploring the political implications of the war’s musical memorialization.
ContributorsBellard, Alex (Author) / Schmelz, Peter (Thesis director) / Stoff, Laurie (Thesis director, Committee member) / Historical, Philosophical & Religious Studies (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Music is a pervasive element of human culture that plays a significant role in our social interactions and goals. The current research regarding the evolutionary nature of music remains divisive, with several groups making competing claims about whether music is an evolved trait and, if it is, what function it may serve for survival and reproduction. In an attempt to further define the multiple dimensions of the evolution of music, this study focuses on a specific methodology for determining the relationship between improvisational musical ability, cognitive fitness, and sexual attraction. In Part 1 of this research, piano musicians completed working memory tests and provided 30-second recordings of improvisation. These recordings were heard by participants in Part 2 of the experiment, who rated both the music and a random facial image from an independent database paired with each song. The data revealed that perceived quality of music is positively associated with attractiveness, with a significant effect observed in males of moderate baseline attractiveness. Although the relationship between some working memory measures and musical improvisational ability proved not to be statistically significant, auditory working memory span yielded a marginally significant result. The overall results are consistent with a sexual selection theory of the evolution of musical improvisation and suggest appropriate avenues for future research.
ContributorsTesch, Anna (Author) / Patten, Kristopher (Thesis director) / Becker, Vaughn (Committee member) / Knowles, Kristina (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor)
Created2022-05
Description
This creative thesis project consists of a singing performance and literary review analysis. The interest for this project was fueled by my own experiences as an Undergraduate student with a musical background pursuing a major in Biological Sciences and minor in Business at Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University. Through an exploration of current research, this project analyzes the transformative impacts of playing music on individuals’ academic, creative, and life skills. Through the literature review, I found that music improves academic performance in students, leads to cognitive brain development, develops critical life skills including communication and leadership, as well as increases self-expression as an emotional outlet. The main goal of this project was to shed light on the benefits of playing music through a singing performance of five pieces to showcase my musical abilities, as well as advocate for the necessity of music in the school curriculum.
ContributorsArora, Victoria (Author) / O'Flaherty, Kathrine (Thesis director) / FitzPatrick, Professor Carole (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor)
Created2023-12