The black civil and political rights phase of the struggle came in the difficult postwar period, making it impossible for most citizens to find a way to assert their freedoms. At the same time, the media evolved: television became commonplace, and newspapers were regular and relevant. Radio became the key to spreading Black music because it allowed all of America to hear that their country’s democracy was not as perfect as the government was promising.
The media released records of typical black styles on the radio: jazz, blues, soul. Occasionally rock and roll novelties would slip in and out, which quickly spread around the country (Redd, 1985). I want to focus on how, with the help of the media, James Brown conveyed the reality of America to the public. In 1968 he released a song about the Black community, “Say It Loud It Loud/I’m Black & I’m Proud.” He tells his story that society suffers from a lack of fundamental rights based on skin color (BlackConsumers, 2011). Brown calls for unity because centuries of oppression of Black people are not conducive to the democratic development of the country. After the song came out, articles about it appeared on radio and television: more people began to take an interest in the song’s subject. It made people believe Brown and change their attitude and consequently sponsored him for further success.
I think this song fits the role of a critical hot media headline through which we learn about the milieu of the ’50s-’70s. It reflects the social unrest of Black people who were confined to their communes and even embarrassed about their skin (Mitchell & Chakrabati, 2018). It Served as an impetus to rethink Black music and changed how it was perceived in society.
References
BlackConsumers. (2011). Say It Loud It Loud. I’m Black & I’m Proud [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Mitchell, Z. & Chakrabati, M. (2018). ‘Say It Loud’: 50 years ago, James Brown redefined Black pride. Wbur. Web.
Redd, L. N. (1985). Rock! It’s still rhythm and blues. The Black Perspective in Music, 13(1), 31-47.
It is worth noting that MTV is a channel that was created in order to broadcast music videos. In the early years, its target viewers were teenagers and young people interested in music; however, gradually, the channel won a wider audience (Kooijman 96). The purpose of this paper is to discuss the original models that could have been employed by the track and artists who benefited from the music video genre.
Discussion
Notably, the idea behind creating MTV was linked to the need to introduce a music specialty channel. Therefore, the creators wanted to develop a music channel concept that would be implemented for cable television. Initially, there were two approaches that were elaborated by the producers in the planning stages. The first one was connected to the idea of showing promotional videos that would be created by record labels (Covach 406).
The second model implied that the channel would study and demonstrate to the audience the creative aspects of this environment. Michael Nesmith was the person who advocated for the latter idea. It should be noted that the first model won out but, gradually, the two concepts were merged in music videos, and they turned into a product that combined the elements of promotional videos and other aspects of the medium.
Michael Jackson was an artist who benefited greatly from the national exposure and also contributed to the music video genre development to a great degree. Initially, the channel was reluctant to play the artist’s video “Billie Jean”, but when they finally decided to air it, it was a tremendous success (Covach 407). Importantly, this cooperation also made the network more popular, and the channel became a platform for breaking hit records.
Michael Jackson’s videos and music, in general, promoted tracks driven by a strong beat accompanied by groove built on bass and drums and that had roots in black pop and disco (Jefferson 17). However, Michael Jackson not only contributed to the development of the genre but also became the biggest star in popular music. He sold millions of records of such works as “Beat It,” “Thriller,” and many other songs and won multiple awards.
Madonna is another artist who benefited greatly from the music video genre since many of her works depended on the visual aspect as much as on the sound. Her songs such as “Like a Virgin” and “Material Girl” became chart hits. Notably, Madonna was not only a star but also a significant influencer in the industry. Her music and videos raised such vital issues as sexual conduct, roles of women, spirituality, and many other essential topics, which had a tremendous impact on society and other artists (Shaffer 46).
Prince was also a 1980’s artist who became a star along with Michael Jackson and Madonna. His music was inspired by black pop and funk, and video exposure allowed him to advance the rhythm and blues market (Jeffries and Cochran 294). His song “Let’s Go Crazy”, as well as many other works, was immensely successful. This artist often played many instruments and combined pop sensibility with funk grooves.
Concluding Points
Thus, it can be concluded that MTV is a channel that has provided a platform for the development of many artists and advanced the music industry to a significant degree. Michael Jackson, Madonna, Prince, and many other singers benefited greatly from national exposure. However, the channel not only promoted artists but also allowed them to bring some controversial issues to the forefront and develop the market in new sonic dimensions.
Works Cited
Covach, John Rudolph. What’s That Sound? An Introduction to Rock and Its History. W.W. Norton & Company, 2006.
Jefferson, Margo. On Michael Jackson. Granta Books, 2018.
Jeffries, Judson L., and Shannon M. Cochran. “Studying Prince: An Introduction.” Journal of African American Studies, vol. 21, no. 3, 2017, pp. 293-295.
Kooijman, Jaap. “I Want My MTV; We Want Our TMF: The Music Factory, MTV Europe, and Music Television in the Netherlands, 1995-2011.” VIEW Journal of European Television History and Culture, vol. 6, no. 11, 2017, pp. 93-101.
Shaffer, Claire. Emotion Pictures: The Art and Evolution of Music Videos. 2018. Wesleyan University, thesis.
Art helps people to solve various issues that may hinder their emotional or even physical well-being. Through reflection on diverse aspects and self-reflection, people understand the world and themselves better. I love music and drama, so I would like to write about such cultural events as a jazz music concert and a theatrical performance. These several hours of my life were enjoyable and valuable in terms of the lessons learned.
Main body
First, I would like to report on the jazz concert I attended. It was a concert in a small club where fans of jazz could listen to very good music. I should note that I love jazz music although I do not know much regarding performers, musicians, and famous pieces. Of course, I know such icons as Louis Armstrong or Nina Simone, and many others, but I cannot tell the names of the most remarkable works. I am just fascinated by the atmosphere and sound. For me, jazz compositions are something free and wild but perfectly ordered at the same time. I was listening to the bands and could not stop moving as I felt as if the music was the beat of my heart. The audience was as carried away as I was, and the atmosphere was quite special.
The marvels did not stop with the final sounds as I could not stop thinking about the evolution of music and the progress of society. I was thinking about people’s fight for freedom as I associate jazz with musical liberation from laws and conventions. Jazz improvisation is something I like most of all as I often feel enclosed in the boundaries I create. I was thinking about the musician or rather his face during his performance. He was absolutely happy to express himself with the help of the instrument he had in his hands. I thought I had to use a variety of tools to express myself as well.
As for the other event, it had an even more significant impact on me. The performance was based on the famous play Fences by August Wilson. It was a modern interpretation of the story that was written in the middle of the 20th century. Troy is a clerk waiting for a promotion, Lyons is a musician, and Cory is considering joining a football team. The arguments are almost the same as well, and the primary difference between the two performances is the costumes and gadgets the members of the family use.
Although the cast consisted of students of a local college, their performance was outstanding. They managed to create a very special atmosphere of the life of underprivileged groups who still face numerous barriers and build their own fences. As for the lesson I learned from this cultural event, it occurred to me that I had to be more active in bringing people closer. I have witnessed many scenes when people could not interact properly. I realized that their personal fences were responsible (at least, partially) for such sad outcomes. Hence, I am committed to trying to help people to open up and leave their shelves.
Conclusion
On balance, I would like to note that the two cultural events I described still resonate with me. I believe art makes people better and encourages them to make the world better. I do not think I will become open and bold enough to be myself in all settings. I do not think I would address the nation and change the discriminatory trends that still plague American society. However, I know I will be more active and will try to help people I know to become happier.
The article explores the factors that led to the failure of a large Swedish music event, Peace & Love, in 2013.
Considering that a lot of stakeholders were affected by the failure, the study not only provides a deeper insight into actual reasons why the festival management declared bankruptcy but also can potentially clarify how adverse ethical and economic consequences of such a failure could be avoided.
Methodology
The problem is analyzed by using the organizational ecology framework: Nordvall and Heldt (2017) investigated the event in the environmental context, focusing on competition.
The researchers employed qualitative methodology and semi-structured interviews with the festival management as the primary data collection tool.
They also gathered data (such as user posts and comments) from social media and other relevant online forums.
While interview replies were analyzed by using content analysis, social media data was evaluated with the help of an analytical coding-based method.
Findings and Conclusions
Study findings reveal that Peace & Love failed mainly because the organization was in a vulnerable position and competition in the Swedish music festival industry increased.
As the festival market grew mature, a greater number of competitors emerged and, thus, customers were provided with a larger number of options to choose from and many preferred another, more attractive festival that took place in Sweden at the same time when Peace & Love was planned to start.
Considering this, Nordvall and Heldt (2017) call the studied event failure as “death by natural selection” (p. 182).
They conclude the article by noting that the implementation of the organizational ecology framework successfully led to a profound explanation of the case. However, the researchers suggest that, in order to increase the credibility of findings, more research of similar cases and different festival funding models is required.
Reference
Nordvall, A., & Heldt, T. (2017). Understanding hallmark event failure: A case study of a Swedish music festival. International Journal of Event and Festival Management, 8(2), 172-185.
Music in a film is one of the principal elements that can reveal the theme, mood, and inner feelings of the characters in the movie. As a model of communication, music in films underscores the characters’ intuitive feelings, their mechanism action and the density of the film. In the film, on the beach, Stanley Kramer, the director, chooses his soundtracks with precision to highlight the background of the film, character identification, and the unfolding of events.
Among the soundtracks he uses include, the Waltzing Maltida, onward Christian soldiers, and stand up stand up for Jesus. He uses emphatic music to show the general mood of the film and the choice of word conveys an intended message or theme to the audience. Therefore, besides creating a persuasive atmosphere to the audience, the music puts emphasis on the psychological refinement (internal thoughts and life) of the characters.
The function of music in Kramer’s film, on the beach
For communication to the audience
Kramer choice of songs enables him to condemn, albeit indirectly, war because of its social and psychological effects to the people. For instance, the lyrics of onward Christian soldier not only accentuate the atmospheric nature of the film, but also symbolize the consequences of the war in the context.
Although there is no hope for survival, especially after the planting of the atomic bomb in Australia, the song gives hope to the citizens. The nuclear bomb is for destruction of all people, but the people flimsily continue to pray for their survival. The song also reveals the inner thoughts and feelings of Mary Holmes. The song reveals her despair and hope to soldier on in a land filled with nuclear radiations. All the citizens opt to commit suicide before the impact of the radiation takes toll on their health.
Therefore, the song also highlights the solidarity of the people before facing their death together. By using the aforementioned song, Kramer explores the negative impacts of the war especially to humanity. The playing of the song in the background where people are crying, there is shedding of blood, and suicide operations leave the audience to condemn war. Moreover, through the song, the director exposits the impact of the radiation rays especially to human beings and shows the scientific advancements in the world at his time.
Express general mood of the film
Kramer also chooses his soundtracks to express the modality of the film as somber, scary and horror. In so doing, he communicates and prepares the audience psychologically in the terrific scenes that lie ahead. The use of sophisticated weapons like nuclear bombs to wipe out the enemies accompanied by a song like waltzing Matilda presents war, which will end up either tragic or victorious.
The use of the song on the background prepares the audience to the next scene or event in the film. Although the soldiers face the war with determination, the use of crude weapons by their opponents kills their hopes of ever winning the war. the movie is set in the future (1964), through the use of Christian songs like stand up stand up for Jesus Kramer reveals and at the same time discourage the audience from participating in the war.
He encourages the viewers to choose Christianity and save lives. Therefore, besides expressing the general mood of the film, the filmmaker also pass his message or intended themes to the audience as expounded next.
To highlight thematic elements
Using the Christian and victory songs, Kramer highlights the themes of war, Christianity, and unity. He put emphasis on the impacts of war to personal, social and economic wellbeing of the society by playing sorrowful songs. For instance, the song stand up stand up for Jesus plays in the background especially after loss of lives, disagreements and during conflicts.
This compels the audience to adapt to Christian values by learning from the suffering of other people in the film. According to Kramer, adaptation of Christianity promotes unity among individual despite their nationality or racial identification. Thus, by using the songs, Kramer highlights war as his chief theme and preaches peace as his message to the viewers.
The filmmaker also chooses his song to place his film in the right context or during a given time. Kramer’s writes his film after two main world wars, World War I and II. Kramer’s soundtrack mimics the desperation, sufferings and tension experienced during the previous two wars. Onward Christian soldiers’ music reveals the desperate feelings of the characters in the film. While waltzing Matilda, there is still time brother, and stand up stand up for Jesus reflect on the adverse impact of war to the people.
Although there is nothing to hold on and the feeling hopelessness creeps in, people are yet to come to terms with the realities facing them. In addition, the people only sing Christian, and encouraging songs after learning of the impeding danger, yet they would have stopped the war earlier. Therefore, the desperation of the people due to the effects of the war functions as a warning against engaging in war in the future.
Finally, the tone, attitude and the mood of the music used in Kramer’s film adds energy to the movie. Through repetition of the aforementioned beats, Kramer puts emphasis on the disconsolate lives of the characters in the film. For example, Mrs. Holmes cries frequently and inconsolable after realizing her life is on the verge of death.
On the other hand, other characters engage in a fateful race ending their lives. Therefore, apart from using music to show the atmospheric nature of the film, Kramer also uses the songs to introduce the characters and their fateful lives.
Conclusion
For an individual to understand the message and theme of a movie, s/he has to focus on the music used by the directors while making the film. Music and the soundtrack to a film communicate a given aspect of the film to the audience. Although some viewers may overlook the availability of the music, each writer chooses the words of his music carefully to pass a given message.
Besides expressing the film’s background, the music puts emphasis on the context, events, scenes, and characters in the movie. Most filmmakers use music to show the internal feelings of their characters while others use music to promote a certain value in their audience.
In summary, the music in a film has a number functions ranging from the general mood, tone, attitude and communication to the audience among others. Kramer’s inclusion of songs in his film, On the Beach, is a warning to the public against the dire consequences of venturing into and perpetrating war.
Music that is accompanied by sound effects plays several roles when it comes to production of any given movie. Historically, film producers have been able to apply sound and music to create emotions in those who are watching the films among other applications. This is evident in the kind of sound and action combination in movies released in the 19th century which is the focus of this research.
The main aim of this research paper is to discuss the role of music in a selected film. The focus of the paper is to demonstrate that music plays several roles in a Hollywood film titled “The Sea Hawk” that was released in 1940. This paper vehemently defends the fact that music in films plays an important role of bringing out the persona in a character among other roles.
Discussion
The Sea Hawk is a 1940 adventure film that was released by Hollywood and encompasses the aspects of sound and action throughout its plot. The music played in the film was composed by Erich Wolfgang Korngold, who was an Austro- Hungarian film and romantic music composer.
Directors of this film spent a lot of time just selecting this kind of music to accompany the action of their characters because they understand that this has several impacts on viewer’s reactions and thus film enhancement. The music is then played at selected scenes in the film to enhance the message or the action being played.
In the beginning, there is a background music that is played when Knox and Lupino are passengers in a ship that collides with another vessel and sinks. A loud music is played in this scene to evoke emotions of the viewer in a manner that indicates something so immense and creates a lot of tension.
The two are rescued by a ghost which is a seal hunting ship whereby Captain Wolf Larsen known as Robinson dominates in brutalizing members of the crew and as they move, the music played indicates that there is sympathy on the part of those who are being brutalized. The beat is repeated throughout the film and becomes a motif that is symbolic of the brutal life that these individuals are facing and even of the whole movie.
Music used in this film out rightly creates a message that it is possible to create a character of its own. It serves the purpose of emphasizing a critical point in the film because it works to move the plot and ensure that the message intended is clearly brought forward.
For example, when the ambassador’s ship that had sunk is captured on its way to England, music that is played serves to indicate that there is a lot of tension and the viewer needs to be keen on which events are going to unfold.
The situation of tension is reduced when Dona Maria and Don Alvarez are taken on board and moved to England. The music starts falling down when detestation of Dona Maria falls when they are in England and she begins falling in love.
Music in a film is also sometimes associated with a physical action in the film. In this film for example, music blends very well with the scene where Don Alvarez is granted a queen’s audience and goes on to complain about the kind of treatment they received when travelling to England.
The background music serves the purpose of evoking memories of what they went through when they were treated while on their way to England. Music is also played to bring out the tension that there is when there arises suspicion of Thorpe’s expedition when he sets out to find where the albatross is really heading and the viewer is set to see whether he will succeed or not.
Music also paints the persona of the characters in the scene in that it compliments what viewers think about the character. The music that is played when Dona Maria is in love when they arrive in England portrays her as one romantic person.
The nature, pitch and lyric of the soundtrack are used to inform the viewer through enforcing the overall ambience or the theme that is being brought out by the character.
Most of the people who watch this film have shivers running up their spines at the scene where they hear the sharp violin sound when Thorpe meets Abbott, who is an Englishman who was captured uncovering Armada’s true purpose evidence. Actually, for many viewers, the sharp repetition of the violin is the first thing they recall about this film and not the film images.
Another critical role that music plays is enforcement of a character’s power and emotional impact, a story point, the scene and an all-encompassing theme. Music can be associated with a physical action in the animation, such as when Thorpe reaches the port and tries to warn the queen and the music played indicates that he is an emotional person.
The orchestral music that is played at the scene where Don Alvarez is held as a prisoner after boarding a ship and later sneaks into the carriage accompanied by Dona Maria, who decides to wait for the return of Thorpe by staying in England, clearly brings out the emotional nature of the two individuals.
Music is also a directorial device that works to connect viewers emotionally to a scene. Background music at the scene where Thorpe reaches the Queen with Dona Maria’s assistance and provides proof of the intentions of King Phillip connects the viewer with elicited emotions and their basis.
This part which is present in the film at the very beginning serves as a tool for connecting viewers emotionally. The film’s climax has music played and Thorpe, the queen’s captain, reveals her intention of building a massive fleet in opposition of the Spanish threat.
Conclusion
It can be noted that the use of music and especially orchestral music has been there from as early as the 19th century. Most directors of these movies have been able to utilize scene enhancement that comes with the use of music as characters unfold events in the film.
It can also be demonstrated in that music that is used in films helps to reveal the persona in the film and also connect the viewer of the film with emotions that are presented at various stages. In the film “The Sea Hawk” that was released in 1940, orchestral music has been played in various scenes with the purpose of linking the viewer with events and themes as well as revealing the personality of a character in a specific scene.
Music has been recognized as a powerful stimulus affecting people’s mood and even health since times immemorial. Realizing the potential of using the music elements in advertizing for affecting the consumers’ perception and purchasing behavior, marketers use music in supermarkets and as a background feature in commercials.
The findings of the latest empirical studies have revealed a positive relationship between the use of music elements, concentration of attention and proper perception and interpretation of commercial messages by consumers. The music in the supermarkets helps to create the consumers’ favorable mood and encourages them to make purchases.
Taking into account the findings of the previous researches, this study will conduct semi-structured interviews and test the hypothesis whether there is a positive relationship between the use of music elements in advertisements and their brand preferences and purchasing decisions.
Literature review
Modern marketers view music as an important background feature which can be effectively used for enhancing the viewers’ arousal and effects produced by advertisements.
Even though most consumers denied the impact of music upon their brand preferences, the findings of empirical studies have shown that there are significant differences in the brand attitudes, purchase decisions and emotional responses of viewers to the advertisements of music and non-music groups (1).
The results of experiments conducted by Gorn have shown that pleasant music, humor and attractive colors are important background features which can influence the consumers’ perceptions and attitudes (1).
Even though Gorn’s experiments were criticized by other scholars, the conclusions regarding appeal of music upon viewers remained unchanged. Kellaris and Cox who replicated Gorn’s experiments admitted that his findings could have been influenced by demand artifacts (2).
However, Gorn’s premise regarding the positive relationship between product choice and music appeal was not disclaimed. Additionally, Kellaris and Cox measured the strength of different unconditioned stimuli by using different sets of classical and popular music but did not receive any significant differences in results (2).
A more in-depth investigation of music characteristics and their impact upon the consumer’s emotional responses, brand awareness and purchasing decisions was conducted by Park and Young (3). Assuming that music can activate the brain and affect the mood of listeners, the researchers attempted to develop a complex taxonomy of music elements, including tempo, pitch, texture and duration and their impact upon individuals’ emotional reactions.
The findings of empirical research have demonstrated that there is a positive relationship between the music tempo and its emotional appeal to listeners (3). Particularly, music with low pitch can arouse the emotions of sadness in listeners, whereas the music with high pitch can be associated with happiness.
Louder music is interpreted as a mood of happiness, and soft music is attributed to the seriousness of the message. Therefore, consumers view the content of the commercial message through the lens of the overall mood of the advertisement that depends upon the tempo and volume of the background music. The maximum effect can be achieved if pleasant music is used as a background melody (3).
Success of a commercial in creating brand awareness and influencing the consumers’ purchasing decisions depends upon a wide array of factors, including the visual elements, major message, music, humor and others.
However, as it can be seen from the findings of the recent studies, the use of music can be effective for concentrating the consumers’ attention and creating a positive image of the advertized brand. Berger and Mitchell concluded that auditory persuasion in the form of pleasant background music plays an important role in communicating the key message of the commercial to the target audience (4).
It is possible to use popular hits to draw the consumers’ attention or unknown melodies created specially for the commercial which can become recognizable and associated with a particular brand in the course of the repetition of the advertisement in the media. Consumers tend to recall more details from advertisements using background music as compared to those without music (1).
Research method
A semi-structured interview was conducted with eight college students for the purpose of establishing a relationship between the use of music background and their mood and brand preferences if any. The structure of the interview was flexible, and the questions were open-ended and enabled the participants to express their personal opinions and attitudes.
The main objectives of this study included the investigation of the influence of music upon he consumers’ purchasing decision and brand attitudes and individuals’ acceptance of this influence. The participants were asked a series of questions regarding their attitudes towards commercials in general, their favorite advertisement and least preferred advertisement.
A convenient sampling was used for selecting the participants for this research. The interviews were conducted in the form of a friendly conversation, but the participants were informed on the purpose of study and gave their consent for participation.
Semi-structured interviews usually have a quite flexible structure which can vary according to the answers of the participants. However, it is necessary to work out the interview guide which helps the researcher to conduct the interview effectively. To make the required investigation and conduct the interview, the interview guide including general and concrete open-ended questions was developed. According to the participants’ answers to general questions, concrete questions could be different.
The group of general questions requested for such information as the participants’ attitude to using background music in advertisements and its influence on their intentions and decisions to buy this or that product or on their mood.
Thus, at the first stage of the interview the students were asked the questions from the first group, “Do you pay much attention to the background music used in advertisements?”, “Do you prefer advertisements with background music or without any music?”, “Can the music used in advertisements influence your mood?”, “Can the music in advertisements influence your decision to buy the product which is presented in it?”.
According to the answers of the participants to the questions from the first group, they were offered to answer more concrete questions which were specially developed in relation to the answers for the general questions. If the answer to the question from the first group was negative, the series of more concrete questions was not offered to the participants of the interview.
When the participants answered to such a question as “Do you pay much attention to the background music used in advertisements?” positively, they were offered to answer some more questions on this subject, “What kind of music can attract your attention?”, “Do you pay attention to the fact to what genre this music belong?”, “Do you remember music from those advertisements which have drawn your attention?”.
When the participants gave the positive answers to such a question as “Do you prefer advertisements with background music or without any music?”, they were asked to concentrate on the emotions which advertisements with or without music can arouse.
Moreover, they could develop the problem of the effectiveness of using music in advertisements as the factor of the impact on the consumers’ purchasing behavior when answered such a question as “Can the music in advertisements influence your decision to buy the product which is presented in it?”. The participants’ answers helped to complete the picture of the situation in marketing and proved the fact that today consumers pay more attention to the quality of the goods than to the peculiarities of their advertisements.
The participants of the interview also paid much attention to the series of questions connected with such a question as “Can the music used in advertisements influence your mood?”.
To develop the issue of the music’s impact on consumers’ mood and behaviour, the participants were asked about the tempo, pitch, and loudness of the music which can be presented in the advertisements which they consider as successful or unpleasant for them.
Thus, the participants accentuate their attention on music which can irritate them or on that music which can give them pleasant emotions and increase their mood. However, according to the students’ answers to the questions about their mood and emotions, pleasant music can be perceived by them with less emotion than unpleasant melodies which can influence their mood negatively.
Research findings
Most of the interviewees denied the influence of the background features upon their brand preferences and purchasing behavior. Seven of eight participants claimed that they try to overcome the influence of marketing measures and make informed choices.
When asked directly, the participants admitted that the background features such as pleasant music and humor in the commercial cannot influence their attitudes to a particular brand, not to mention their purchasing behavior.
Describing their favorite commercials, six of the interviewees attempted to reproduce the songs or background melodies used in the advertisement.
The remaining two participants could not say for sure if there was music in their favorite advertisement. When checked, it was cleared out that the favorite commercials of the participants, who hesitated whether there was music in the advertisement or not, contained background music.
The interviewees could recall a lot of details contained in these commercials and demonstrated a profound understanding of the key message of the advertisement.
Moreover, the attitude of the interviewees to the advertized brands was positive. However, the interviewees emphasized the importance of the quality of products upon their attitudes and denied the effect produced by the background features. Eight interviewees admitted that modern commercials using pleasant music and humor do not irritate them and can have a positive impact upon their mood.
Discussing the least preferred commercial, the interviewees pointed out at the main features irritating them. Among the traits having a negative impact upon the consumers’ perception was shameless self-promotion of certain brands and banality of the commercial message.
Therefore, most of the least preferred commercials were based on the mere statements of the advantages offered by particular brands and belonged to a non-music group. The participants could not recall specific details of the advertisements not using music as a background feature. Additionally, four participants admitted that they were irritated with songs used in one of the commercials, saying that it was getting on their nerve every time they heard it.
Discussion
Analyzing the research findings, it can be stated that the participants deny the impact of background music upon their perception of the commercial message, not to mention their brand preferences and purchasing decisions. These answers clearly demonstrate that present day sophisticated consumers are aware of the marketers’ efforts to influence their perceptions and make attempts to resist this influence.
However, taking into account the fact that all of the most preferred commercials mentioned by the respondents contained music elements and interviewees could recall the slightest details of those commercials, it can be stated that there is a positive relationship between the use of background music in the commercial and the viewers’ emotional responses to the commercial and understanding of the main message of the advertisement.
Music became an integral element of the commercials because even not been asked to, most of the interviewees made attempts to reproduce the melodies and songs used in their favorite commercials. There is a strong association between a particular brand and music used in the advertisement.
As a background feature, music affects the listeners’ mood and concentrates their attention because all of the interviewees could recall specific details of the advertisements belonging to the music group.
Regarding those participants who were not certain about the use of background music in their favorite advertisements, this peculiarity can be explained with the specifics of their individual perception of information and the preferred mode of communication.
Additionally, even though these respondents did not notice the presence of background music, they were able to reproduce the rest of details of the plot and the main message of the commercials. Therefore, the music elements can remain unnoticed but still have impact upon the consumers’ perceptions and attitudes.
Regarding the least preferred commercials, it can be stated that most of them belonged to non-music group. Though the music elements are widely used in modern marketing, the instances of non-music commercials can still be found in the media. Though the interviewees pointed out at shameless self-promotion and banality of the message as the main features they disliked about the least preferred commercials, there is a relationship between the lack of the music background and the consumers’ negative attitude towards it.
Additionally, some of the least preferred commercials contained music elements which however irritated the listeners causing their dissatisfaction.
Therefore, music elements can become a powerful tool in producing an impression which can be either positive or negative. In that regard, bearing in mind the potential influence of this choice, marketers should be careful in selecting the most appropriate tunes for their commercials and deciding between well-known and unfamiliar songs (4).
Analyzing the brand preferences of the interviewees in their relation to the commercials and the use of background music in them, it can be stated that there is a positive relationship between the use of music as a background feature in advertisements and the consumers’ purchasing decisions.
Event though the vast majority of the participants of the study emphasized their objectivity in making purchasing decisions and denied the impact of particular advertisements and their elements upon their attitudes and behaviors, most of them agreed that they appreciate the quality of the products produced by the brands advertized in their preferred commercials.
Thus, the consumers’ purchasing decisions depend upon a wide range of influential factors, and music used in advertizing can have a significant impact upon their mood and perception of the main message of the commercial and contribute to their awareness and positive attitude towards the advertized brands and their products.
Conclusion
Analyzing the results of the semi-structured interviews in their relation to the findings of the previous studies, it can be concluded that there is a positive relationship between the use of music as a background feature in advertisements and the consumers’ brand preferences and purchasing decisions.
Regardless of the fact that most of the participants denied the impact of music in commercials upon their attitudes and brand preferences, it can be stated that music is a powerful tool affecting the consumers’ mood, perception and impression from particular commercials and advertized brands and products. Taking into account the potential impact of music elements, marketers should be careful in selecting the tunes and songs for particular commercials.
References
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2. Gorn GJ. The effects of music in advertising on choice behavior: a classical conditioning approach. The Journal of Marketing. 1982 winter;46(1):94-101.
3. Kellaris JJ, Cox AD. The effects of background music in advertising: a reassessment. Journal of Consumer Research. 1989 Jun;16(1):113-18.
4. Park CW, Young SM. Consumer response to television commercials: the impact of involvement and background music on brand attitude formation. Journal of Marketing Research. 1986 Feb; 23(1):11-24.
The “Walk the Line” comprises of Johnny Cash and June Carter as the main characters. Johnny Cash was born in Arkansas to Ray Cash and Carrie Cash and developed musical interest during his childhood (Hockfield, 72). He sang together with his family while working in their cotton fields.
This exposure and the hardships he experienced inspired him to become a musician. His dream started to grow after joining the air force where he bought a guitar and started composing his music. While in the air force, he got engaged to Vivian Liberto. After their marriage, they moved and settled in Tennessee with their daughter, Rosanne Cash.
Here, Jonny hooked up with Sun Records and begun recording his songs together with his band. With the assistance of Sam Philips, owner of Sun records, they recorded the song, “Folsom Prisons Blues.” Johnny Cash and his band started touring and got to interact with many different artists including June Carter. Thereafter, Johnny and June went on most of the tours together and strong love developed between them. However, Johnny’s attempts to woo June failed, and this prompted him to indulge in drugs.
June backed out of his tours because of this behavior. Later on, Johnny persuaded June to accompany him again at an award show. The tour turned out to be a success as they reconciled. This was a blow to his marriage to Vivian. It led to a conflict that ended up in a divorce. Johnny moved to Hendersonville to be close to June (Karlyn, 152).
Johnny Cash had a great love for prisoners. This was triggered by his interaction with them during his various arrests due to drug possession. As a result, he performed various concerts in prisons such as the Folsom prison. His continued efforts to pursue June was a success in one of the concerts as June agreed to his proposal while they were on stage.
They married and lived together. They raised their children together till their death. In this movie, Johnny Cash’s character is played by Joaquin Phoenix. Robert Patrick and Shelby Lynne pose as Johnny Cash’s parents. Like his father, Rosanne Cash grew to become a country music artist. She is Johnny Cash’s first and eldest daughter of his first wife, Vivian. Ginnifer Goodwin plays the role of Vivian Liberto, and Hailey Anne Nelson represents Rosanne Cash in this movie (Keating, 117).
Relative to June Carter, she was born in Virginia to Ezra Carter and Maybelle Carter. The Carter family was renowned in the country music genre, and June started singing with their family at the age of ten. After the end of their WBT (a radio station in Carolina) contract, they formed Maybelle and Carter Sister’s group. This group comprised of her mother and her two sisters. It was the first group to be aired on Virginia’s radio station (WRNL).
June had a successful music career both as a solo artist and in group performances. This was both with her family and her husband, Johnny Cash when she got married. Like her family, she was also known for her country music like the “Jukebox Blues of 1950s.” She got married thrice: to Carl, Smith, and before settling with Johnny Cash. She had one child in each marriage. Reese Witherspoon takes the role June Carter in this movie.
With respect to Sam Philips depicted by Dallas Roberts, he is a record producer well known from the foundation of Sun Records and Studio in Tennessee. Through the Sun Records, he discovered and developed recording talents amongst many artists including Johnny Cash. His experience with singing workers in the farms during his childhood inspired him to music.
This is attributed to the fact that Philip was born to tenant farmers. As far as Luther Perkins and Marshall Grant, they were the backing duo of Johnny Cash’s Tennessee Two bands. Perkins was the electric guitarist whereas Grant was a bass guitarist. The band later came to be known as Tennessee Three with the inclusion of drummer, Fluke Holland. In the movie, Luther Perkin was represented by Dan Jon Miller, Marshall Grant by Larry Bagby, and Fluke Holland by Clay Steakley.
With regard to country music, it is a music genre that is widely recognized in America. This genre of music begun in 1920s from Southern American rural areas (Huber, 43). Usually, it comprised of dance tunes and ballads accompanied with musical instruments such as guitars, harmonicas, banjos.
This movie highly portrays this music genre. Johnny Cash and June Cater are portrayed as great country music artists. Cash took most of his performances in prisons, and this is attributed to his compassion for inmates. Music has a great impact on the lives of both musicians and listeners. The majority of music is composed based on the artist’s personal experience or common issues that affect the society.
Country music has helped in improving the welfare of people by sanitizing the issues affecting them (Sandke, 94). In the movie, Johnny Cash is seen presenting most of his performances in prisons. This is aimed at improving the moral behavior of prisoners. Cash has experienced prison life. Therefore, he is best suited to address issues concerning prisoners (Brabazon, 132).
Works Cited
Brabazon, Tara. Thinking Popular Culture: War, Terrorism and Writing. Farnham: Ashgate, 2008. Print.
Hockfield, Victoria. Comparing the Movie, Walk the Line, to the Real Life Story of Johnny Cash. New York: BiblioBazaar, 2011. Print.
Huber, Patrick. Linthead Stomp: The Creation of Country Music in the Piedmont South. Chapel Hill: Univ. Of North Carolina Press, 2008. Print.
Karlyn, Kathleen R. Unruly Girls, Unrepentant Mothers: Redefining Feminism on Screen. Austin: Univ. Of Texas Press, 2010. Print.
Keating, Bernie. Music: Then and Now. S.l.: Authorhouse, 2011. Print.
Sandke, Randy. Where the Dark and the Light Folks Meet: Race and the Mythology, Politics, and Business of Jazz. Lanham: Scarecrow Press, 2010. Print.
When it was announced that the Marvel Studios was going to adapt one of the audience’s most beloved stories into a major feature length movie, the audience was hyped. Everyone wanted to see Iron Man on the big screen, and, one must admit, Jon Favreau did not upset people’s expectations.
Iron Man was huge not only because of the special effects, but also because of its likeable characters, the story arc of the lead hero, Tony Stark, and the complex ethical issues that the movie handled.
While the key theme of the movie clearly revolves around Tony Stark, the millionaire, Favreau also renders a range of ethical and philosophical issues. Among the key ones, a man’s role in society should be named.
Although Tony Stark seems to have all the power and money that a man may dream of, his story arc is clearly geared towards recognizing his place under the sun and changing from an arrogant snob into a hero in every meaning of the word.
Personal evolution, however, is not the only issue that the movie touches upon; Favreau offers his own take on political problems, including civil–military cooperation, terrorism in the Middle East, weapon trade, etc. Though widely considered misleading, the given interpretation of the current political issues is rather engaging and thought provoking.
Adapting a comic book into a movie is not an easy task for two reasons, the first one being the necessity to keep the original content intact, at the same time fitting several volumes into ninety minutes of running time, and the second one being the need to translate a comic book story, that is, a primarily visual narration, into a complex virtual world, in which visual and acoustic elements are combined.
Therefore, unlike in a comic book, in a movie, soundtracks play a huge role, which can be illustrated by taking the Iron Man soundtracks as an example.
There is no secret that taking the original story of the Iron Man without changing a few elements to add more credibility to it would have meant to shrink the range of the movie audience to the amount of the Iron Man diehard fans. The movie clearly needed a more mature character and a more serious atmosphere to it to look less goofy and at the same time retain its unique style.
Seeing how very little could be added to the story to make the idea of a man building a suit for flying more realistic, it was decided to use music to make people believe that the characters are real and, more importantly, want them to be real. The results were stunning, with literally every single lighthearted moment balanced out with a heavy soundtrack.
While the movie admittedly is too smart to take itself too seriously, the music adds the weight that the original story lacks to appeal to an average viewer, seeing how the number of soundtracks amounts to nineteen in the original release, and to twenty-seven in a DVD with extra scenes and director cuts.
The soundtracks are remarkably versatile; instead of recycling one and the same concept by putting the emphasis on action scenes, the movie allows for a number of quiet and, honestly, very sincere moments.
For instance, when Colonel Rhodes saves Stark’s life and the latter returns home, the first few seconds of the soundtrack actually land on a very peculiar note, leaving the feeling that the lead character experiences doubt and, perhaps, even fear.
The first few notes of the “Vacation’s over,” therefore, open a set of ethical questions to the audience, making it clear that the leading character doubts whether the Iron Man should resume his rescue mission or let the state defense forces do their job.
Not only does the theme make the character more humane and, therefore, more complex, but also raises the question whether becoming a vigilante is actually an ethically sober thing to do.
“Vacation’s over” feels like the character is actually starting to breathe and live on his own; however, the very next second, a powerful orchestral motif makes it clear that the movie does not have the time to explore the character’s doubts – the reluctantly heroic chords show that a major blockbuster did not dare to venture into the depth of a complex drama.
Nevertheless, the music does render the movie’s major themes successfully – it is just that the themes could have been explored in a much better way. To Ramin Djawadi’s credit, he does manage to address the major theme of the movie, the conflict of a rebel in the high class society, in a very impressive way.
“Institutionalized,” with its aggressive beat and intense lyrics manages to render the emotions of a rebel who is restricted by the social boundaries:
Sometimes I try to do things and it just doesn’t work out the way I wanted to. I get real frustrated and I try hard to do it and I take my time and it doesn’t work out the way I wanted to. (Marco Cárdenas Soler 0:17–0:33)
The seriousness of the issue raised in the movie, however, is often reduced by adding more laid-back music elements. For instance, the “Back in black/I hit the sack/It’s been too long I’m glad to be back” line from AC/DC’s “Back in Black” (Iron Man 1:04–1:07) is supposed to mark the first stage of the character’s evolution and define him as a self-assured million-dollar playboy.
As the movie progresses and the character evolves, however, the soundtrack is becoming heavier, still lending Tony Stark a unique air of nonchalance and affording being ironic towards the latter, as the “Are Those Bullet Holes?” (Iron Man 126:01) shows.
Speaking of music as a background for the characters to interact in, a number of movie directors seem to forget about the necessity to let the key film scenes breathe. As much as a movie needs music to create a specific mood, it is still required to have a couple of silent moments to let the atmosphere build up and to prepare the audience for another twist of the plot.
Luckily, Iron Man is one of the few movies that actually invites the audience to sink into its atmosphere and offers a decent payoff by using music as the means to put the emphasis on the climax. As the movie approaches the end credits and the leading character takes the floor at the conference, there is no soundtrack, and the entire scene seems rather ordinary and even mundane part of a life of a public person.
However, after Tony Stark confesses to be the Iron Man, the next scene explodes with music, doubtlessly leaving a big impact. The music, therefore, serves as the means to render the characters’ emotions, as well as to create a specific atmosphere, like music should.
Works Cited
Marco Cárdenas SolerSuicidal Tendencies. “Institutionalized.” YouTube. Iron Man. Dir. Jon Favreau. Perf. Robert Downey, Jr., Terrence Howard & Jeff Bridges. Marvel Studios, 2008. Film.
One of the most discussed events of the world this month is an annual song contest called Eurovision. The contest is held every year in one of the cities of the motherland of the last year’s winner. This year the event was received by the capital city of Denmark, Copenhagen. The singers from all around Europe arrived to participate in two semifinals and then the contest grand final.
The total number of artists representing their countries at the contest was thirty-one this year. The event is quite big and popular in most of the European countries; the winner gains high ratings, fame and becomes a European star. Such fame does not last for too long, normally it fades away after several months. Yet, the excitement about the contest and the energy of it are amazing.
As it always happens, a big event like Eurovision is surrounded by multiple scandals and gossips, the singers are accused of plagiarism, bribing, frauds and other illegal practices. Every winner is both loved and hated by the publicity. This year was not an exception.
The reason for most Eurovision scandals in 2014 was the fact that the winner of the contest happened to be Conchita Wurst representing Austria. In reality, Conchita is an alter ego of a male singer Tom Neuwirth. The most outstanding feature of the singer is the appearance.
When Tom performed as Conchita, he was wearing beautiful gowns, had perfect long black hair, romantic makeup with applied lashes and looked like an amazing pop diva. The only feature of Tom the beautiful Conchita had was his thick black masculine beard. In Austria, this contradictory artist represents tolerance and freedom of expression; Conchita is the symbol of acceptance.
When Conchita was declared the winner, a wave of contradictory emotions began in society. The internet became filled with hate speeches about the contest and its policy. There were opinions that Eurovision was no longer a song contest, and the only thing required for the winning was bringing a person everyone would feel obliged to show tolerance to.
Countries with lower levels of tolerance describe this victory as a result of reverse discrimination when the majority is being overlooked because of the single member of the minority group. The attitude towards homosexuals and same-sex relationships is varied across Europe. Half of the countries are tolerant and accepting, while in the other half such relationships and individuals receive no recognition.
The old-fashioned ideas dominating in the masses are determined by homophobia based on the thought that acceptance of same-sex marriages and civil unions will lead to sexual harassment in the society. This is why the majority of people belonging to such cultures and sharing these views call the “bearded lady’s” victory nothing more but an affirmative action towards the gay and transgender community.
Such moods are determined by the fact that people’s interactions with the representatives of the gay community are minimal or non-existent. The lack of knowledge and information makes people triggered by old-fashioned myths and legends, which cause fears and distorted perceptions of certain social groups.
It is hard to say if the citizens of Europe are under pressure of the laws of politically correct behavior. It is also impossible to identify what exactly was the true reason of Conchita’s victory – her talent or public tolerance. After all, the judgments about the artist’s performance and her song are the questions of individual taste and musical preferences.