"EP \u2014 Kyan Palmer" is a compilation of three songs, "Hit List," "Queen Cobra," and "Burn Mona Lisa" all written and recorded by Barrett student, Kyan Palmer. The project explores the process involved in creating recorded music and exposes the vulnerability and self-reflection in writing a song. The following depicts the thought process that came about in the creation of each song from the lyrics, to the vocals, to the production. This paper depicts a journal-like writing style outlining the various events that took place while creating EP \u2014 Kyan Palmer. The bulk of this Thesis/Creative Project was the written, produced, and recorded music attached in the appendix. With that said, the following document is intended to be reflective rather than scholarly and acts as an accompaniment to the audio recordings and video entries.

The development of music streaming services over the past 10 years has been an innovative way in which the music industry has adapted to the digital revolution and the increase in online piracy. Given millennials' increasing use of web and mobile platforms and the growth in audio and video streaming seen in the last few years, this paper will seek to identify and analyze the marketing strategies and product offerings of the streaming services currently on the market, and identify the listening and buying habits of millennials to see which of these services is most representative of these trends. One way this was measured is through a survey of 429 students attending the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. Based on the findings of this survey in the context of the streaming services' current business models, it was discovered that people within this age group want a service that is low-cost, accessible, and rich with content. Second, they are not more likely to choose a streaming service over another if it pays out high royalties to others. Lastly, it was determined that while Spotify is currently the frontrunner for streaming services, Apple Music will likely see growth in usage and subscription revenue through its permanent presence on the world's most highly used phone. This will be dependent on Apple Music's ability to differentiate itself from other competitors on the market. Overall, it is likely that streaming services will have to provide a low-cost option for consumers while artists will need to find alternative sources of revenue given the substantial change in the business model of the recording industry.

Millennials are the group of people that make up the newer generation of the world's population and they are constantly surrounded by technology, as well as known for having different values than the previous generations. Marketers have to adapt to newer ways to appeal to millennials and secure their loyalty since millennials are always on the lookout for the next best thing and will "trade up for brands that matter, but trade down when brand value is weak", it poses a challenge for the marketing departments of companies (Fromm, J. & Parks, J.). The airline industry is one of the fastest growing sectors as "the total number of people flying on U.S. airlines will increase from 745.5 million in 2014 and grow to 1.15 billion in 2034," which shows that airlines have a wider population to market to, and will need to improve their marketing strategies to differentiate from competitors (Power). The financial sector also has a difficult time reaching out to millennials because "millennials are hesitant to take financial risks," as well as downing in college debt, while not making as much money as previous generations (Fromm, J. & Parks, J.). By looking into the marketing strategies, specifically using social media platforms, of the two industries, an understanding can be gathered of what millennials are attracted to. Along with looking at the marketing strategies of financial and airline industries, I looked at the perspectives of these industries in different countries, which is important to look at because then we can see if the values of millennials vary across different cultures. Countries chosen for research to further examine their cultural differences in terms of marketing practices are the United States and England. The main form of marketing that was used for this research were social media accounts of the companies, and seeing how they used the social networking platforms to reach and engage with their consumers, especially with those of the millennial generation. The companies chosen for further research for the airline industry from England were British Airways, EasyJet, and Virgin Atlantic, while for the U.S. Delta Airlines, Inc., Southwest Airlines, and United were chosen. The companies chosen to further examine within the finance industry from England include Barclay's, HSBC, and Lloyd's Bank, while for the U.S. the banks selected were Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and Wells Fargo. The companies for this study were chosen because they are among the top five in their industry, as well as all companies that I have had previous interactions with. It was meant to see what the companies at the top of the industry were doing that set them apart from their competitors in terms of social media marketing content and see if there were features they lacked that could be changed or improvements they could make. A survey was also conducted to get a better idea of the attitudes and behaviors of millennials when it comes to the airline and finance industries, as well as towards social media marketing practices.

The business models of the music industry are currently experiencing rapid changes. Services such as Spotify, SoundCloud, and Pandora offer methods of consuming music unlike any the industry has seen before. Consumers have shifted from wanting products (digital music and CDs) to using streaming services (Spotify, Pandora, etc.). This study analyzes the motivation for these changes and considers why people choose the avenues by which they experience music.

The goal of the creative project "Popular Music Songwriting" was to jump into songwriting with strategy and study on popular music, looking at why songs make the charts. The project had one focus on Max Martin's songwriting principles, but looked at anything that hit the charts. The conclusion of the project brings an understanding of several rules and patterns in songwriting that hit makers typically obey. A common purpose for pop songs is to keep its listeners engaged but not overwhelmed. The goal is to do something different, but keep things familiar and to make people want to listen to it again. Songwriting has become very business-minded in that many informal rules to songwriting have become established because they are supported by psychology, showing that we have developed certain expectations in songs. For example, when a song gets very complex, we oftentimes tune out and do not want to hear it. This problem makes a song unfriendly to the radio. Also, repetition is often exercised. Many pop listeners have favorite parts of songs; therefore, when a songwriter has created a hook that listeners will want to look forward to through the song's duration, then that hook should be recycled strategically to keep the listener engaged. Four songs are submitted at the project's completion. The songs' names are "Soon to be an Emergency," "They Will Look at Us," "Black and White," and "Psychedelic Nights." The songs well represent a timeline of the project. As new songwriting rules were learned in the process of this project, they were employed accordingly, making each new song a fair representation of the learning up to that point.

Binaural beat therapy is one acoustics technique used in music; a technique utilized in the music most people listen to when they have trouble sleeping or concentrating. The binaural beats technique, along with other therapeutic methods in music, have always fascinated me. This topic is something that I’ve wanted to research for some time. So for this creative project I want to challenge myself. I am going to learn how to produce music intended for musical therapy. I’ll be implementing methods based on my research. I hope to produce a piece of music that can help others. My goal is to create a song that has the potential to be added to the vast online library of therapeutic music.

Personal branding within the music industry has long fallen under the supervision of profit-centric major record labels, whose control extended throughout artist’s music, copyrights, merchandising, and fair-use compensation. This paper explores how artists’ branding has evolved within the recording industry alongside the development of emerging technologies and the discovery of certain patterns in consumer behavior. Starting with an overarching exploration of the origins of commercialized music, this paper iterates how certain record labels ascended the corporate hierarchy to influence consumers’ accessible listening options. This understanding leads to an analysis of the inception of illegal file-sharing websites as an outlet for music distribution, as well as its long-lasting effects on industry distribution tactics and music streaming platforms. This paper then narrows to the origins of the rap industry, delving into the traditionally-rooted experiential celebrations that birthed such an impactful genre. Following an understanding of the history of the recording and rap industries, this paper identifies the modern music listener’s behaviors and choices, supplemented by an examination of how consumer social technologies have motivated these changes. To best understand the role of these evolving perceptions, this paper evaluates four successful rap artists - Chance the Rapper, Tekashi 6ix9ine, Lil Nas X, and Travis Scott - and determines the strategies employed by these individuals and their branding teams. Finally, in determining these strategies, this paper outlines the essential takeaways from this research that would aid in the advancement of an artist’s personal branding today.

"Maybe it's hatred I spew, Maybe it's food for the spirit." "I was not born under a rhyming planet." One of the above quotes is by the famous poet William Shakespeare and the other is by famous rap artist, Eminem. In modern society, many students view the works of artists like Eminem to be understandable and even relatable, while the works of classic poets like Shakespeare are a foreign language. However, when the lines are isolated from their entirety, it is very hard to determine the author of each. This Creative Project focuses on how we can use the works of modern lyricists to help teach the works of traditional literature. Not all students are fond of poetry and many of them view literary analysis as a tedious activity. However, almost everyone enjoys listening to music. This Creative Project shows how listening and interpreting modern song lyrics can be used as a tool to teach literary analysis. One of the main reasons students have difficulty with literary analysis is that they have trouble relating to the wording and style of the literature. By analyzing works more familiar to them (i.e. Kendrick Lamar, The Beatles, or Bob Dylan) the skills will be more easily transferable to analyzing traditional literature. The idea that songwriters can be comparable to famous poets has been picking up traction in recent years. In fact, in 2016, Bob Dylan, American singer and songwriter, was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature breaking a trend of novels being awarded. This project's goal is to create a class unit for high school English students that teaches analytical skills for contemporary texts (i.e. modern song lyrics). In addition, a unit was created that used the analysis of contemporary lyrics in a middle school Social Studies course. This differentiation shows that development of literary analysis skills are applicable to subjects other than English Literature.

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.