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Currently I am in my third year of a B.Creative Industries (Media and Communication) sub-majoring in sound studies at QUT. I am 21 years old and live here in Brisbane, however am hoping to travel to the UK to gain experience in the music industry as a publicist for record labels and artists once I have completed my degree.
During my final year of studies I am hoping to gain work experience/an internship with a local independent record label here in Brisbane. I also am currently writing for student fashion/lifestyle publication UV to use this experience in publicity and journalism.
Music Music Music
Kirsty Knox 12:43, 26 Jul 2005 (EST)
At this stage I am interested in the online interactions between members of society, particularly the youth population (12-34 year olds). Within this topic, the use of weblogs and servers such as MySpace, and their subsequent influence upon the creative industries (such as the music industry and journalism or print media) will be explored, outlining how these new media technologies have ultimately changed society in the 21st Century.
Kirsty Knox 12:21, 12 Aug 2005 (EST)
Castells, M. (2000) "Toward a Sociology of the Network Society," Contemporary Sociology vol.29, no. 5, pp.693-699.
This journal article emphasises the importance of sociology in understanding the technological developments of the 21st Century, particularly as they are evolving at a rapid pace. Castells argues that this evolution has impacted upon society through a series of developments within technology, contributing to the global diffusion of technology and ideas and the subsequent demise of the nation state. It is here that scientific and sociological developments have now become crucial in redefining culture and industry in this 'Information Age'. He also acknowledges the importance of networking as being crucial for these advancements within society, particularly amongst Governments and business, ultimately enabling new social structures to be theorised in a methodological manner.
Hassan, R. (2004) Media, Politics and the Network Society, Maidenhead: Open University Press, ISBN 0335213162.
This book is a critical analysis of the technological revolution and its impact upon media, culture and politics throughout modern society. It is within these areas that networks thrive, particularly within the 21st Century, where new models of media and cultural production have been established and practiced within the broader creative industries. Hassan discusses the importance of networking between Government, business and society, and analyses the risks associated with developing and cultivating this interconnectivity. He argues that in order to become an influential player within any business or media venture, networking is an essential component if practitioners wish to remain competitive in a society that is continually evolving. It is within this notion that the author explores both sides of the argument, concentrating on the influence of the digital age where technology, globalisation and capitalism are key components.
Hassan goes on to define the ‘dialectic divide’ between media, culture and politics as one which is shrinking due to the ‘informationisation’ of modern society. He also provides working definitions for media and culture and outlines how the networked society has enabled this blurring to occur between these sectors of society.
Rifkin,J. (2000) The Age of Access: How the Shift From Ownership to Access is Transforming Modern Life, Camberwell, Vic.: Penguin Books, ISBN 014029547X. (Chapter 12: pp.235-266).
This chapter discusses the ‘Age of Access’ and the developments within new media are changing the role Government and business play within modern society. These new media/technological developments such as the Internet and wireless applications enable the user to experience freedom, allowing new social and business relationships to be formed. Rifkin suggests that these shifts in technology have impacted significantly on society and broken down previous geographical constraints, particularly within the music industry (the diffusion of world music throughout the world), food and cuisine and education. He argues that Government and business’ must now embrace this changing face of media in order to achieve optimum connectivity in an increasingly digitised world.
Sternberg, J. (2002) "Youth Media", in Cunningham, S. and Turner, G. (eds.) The Media and Communications in Australia, Crows Nest, NSW: Allen and Unwin, ISBN 1865086746. (Chapter 21: pp.304-319).
Sternberg’s chapter in The Media and Communications in Australia, discusses the relationship between the Australian youth (12-25 year olds) and media, examining youth representation, usage and production within this realm. The historical development of the ‘teenager’ from its World War II origins to the 21st Century is outlined, ultimately defining youth audiences as key factors in the success of these new media developments. Sternberg draws on a previous research paper (Sternberg, George and Green, 2000) to emphasise that technologies such as the Internet, mobile phones and online gaming are becoming increasingly important for the youth and their relationships with other like-minded citizens, allowing them to construct personal identities in the realm of cyberspace.
Reference: Sternberg, J., George, C. and Green, J. (2000) "Teenagers and the Fragmenting Media Environment in Asia: An Australian Pilot Study," Asia Pacific Educator, no.9, July/December.
Dodero, C. (2005, July 22-28) "Lost in MySpace: Log on, Tune in, and Hook up With 22 Million People Online," The Boston Phoenix: News and Features, retrieved August 10, 2005, from http://www.bostonphoenix.com/boston/news_features/top/features/documents/04838542.asp
This online newspaper article discusses the cultural phenomenon of MySpace and outlines its reasons for success as being a key networking tool in both social and business situations. Dodera examines the history of this free webserver and outlines the characteristics of ‘online profiles’, including personal information, blogs, interests, music, heroes, favourite quotes, discussing how 'friends'/networks are forged by clicking on individual thumbnails (portrait shots) displayed on each MySpace page. She acknowledges the success of MySpace within the music industry, specifically in regards to independent artists reaching an international fan base via free online streaming of multimedia and audio files. Throughout this feature article Dodera continually uses her personal experience with the server, declaring it a voyeuristic phenomena that is a useful, albeit slightly distracting communication tool similar to that of online dating.
McCourt, T. (2005) "Collecting Music in the Digital Realm," Popular Music and Society vol. 28, no. 2, pp.249-253.
In this article, Tom McCourt argues that music is becoming ambient in nature, abandoning its tangible/physical characteristics of the record or CD and embracing digital formats (MP3s) as MP3 players and iPods begin to revolutionise music consumption within society. He discusses the accessibility and convergence of these new media formats such as the iPod and increased interaction of society via online downloading/P2P (Peer to Peer) programmes. However, he also denotes that this has signified the end of music’s tactile appeal where the physicality of a record/CD collection no longer provides the consumer with a sense of ownership. Instead, this accessibility and compression of files is allowing music to transcend the physical boundaries and become a critical component of online communities and interactivity on these webspaces.
Mielo, G. (2005) "The Medium is the Moblog," et Cetera vol. 62, no. 1, pp. 28-36.
This journal article on ‘moblogging’ explores the convergence of mobile technology and the Internet to create a new form of online journalism known as ‘citizen journalism’. The author applies Marshall McLuhan’s research on the global village (2001) to help illustrate this change within society and the application of new media technologies. Mielo defines ‘moblogging’ as a device used for both personal and business relationships and identities online, where the diffusion of information is received by the network society. He also outlines the distinct difference in photographic quality between digital cameras and cameras contained within mobile phones, however this expansion of the mobile phone has prompted the decentralisation of journalism, allowing the new medium pf camera phones to enter the online/virtual realm of cyberspace, ultimately influencing the content published online.
Reference: McLuhan, M. (2001) War and Peace in the Global Village, California: Gingko Press, ISBN 1888869070.
Schau, H.J. and Gilly, M.C. (2003) "We Are What We Post? Self-Presentation in Personal Web Space," Journal of Consumer Research vol. 30, no. 3. pp.385.
This empirical study takes the online phenomenon of personal web pages/spaces and examines why users embark upon communication via the virtual platform of the Internet. The paper explores the development of computer-mediated environments (CMEs) and the content used on these sites to help gage the importance of these platforms as disseminators of information across geographical boundaries. It also highlights the significance of content provided by each individual webspace as being crucial in defining the self, therefore claiming that we create our own personal identities in this virtual space. The research also outlines the future importance of online branding as a specific tool in predicting consumer trends and informational developments within society.
Young, T.E. (2003) "Blogs: Is the New Online Culture a Fad or the Future?," Knowledge Quest vol. 31, no.5, p. 50.
Weblogs (or blogs) have become an increasingly useful tool for communication and the diffusion of information throughout modern society. The author defines blogs and emphasises their key uses for either personal, technical, educational or news purposes, where users can post their personal opinions for the public to view on the Internet and in turn these can be discussed by other ‘connected’ individuals. Young outlines teens and educational institutions to be the key users of weblogs, however they are also popular amongst older members of the population (25-34 year olds). He also suggests that journalists and marginalised members of society are also drawn to ‘blogging’ as they can voice their opinions and form alliances/networks with like-minded individuals. He demonstrates this point by directing the reader to further resources on the topic of weblogs.
--Kirsty Knox 16:17, 12 Aug 2005 (EST)
