Interviews

Today we were given the task of creating some interviews for the basis of research and planning and to discover how previous generations accessed their music, the types of music they listened to and how this may or may not have affected their choices in lifestyle.

Interview 1

Jenny, Age 46:

What music did you listen to when you were my age? 

I listend to artists such as Queen, Madonna, Toyah, The Police, Human League, OMD, Flock of Seagulls, Ultravox, Haircut 100, TV 21, Paul Simon, Gloria Estefan, Zz Top, Simply Red, Wham, George Michael, Madness, UB40, Soft Cell, Hazel O'Connor, Whitney Houston, Enya, Level 42, The Specials and Duran Duran.

How did you listen or gain access to this music? 

I mostly listened to my music through the radio or bought records such as LP's and singles as well as tapes. I can remember on a Sunday evening we used to tape The UK Top 40 off of the radio to listen to during the week. I also used to watch Top of The Pops on a Thursday night as this way very popular among my friendship group. I didn't go to many live performances but I can remember going to Hammersmith Apollo to see Toyah which was a lot of fun.

Did you follow a certain subculture, dress in a certain way or choose a particular lifestyle as a result of your musical interest? 

Not really as I had eclectic taste in music. However I was influenced slightly by the haircuts and fashion on the TV or in magazines for example Smash Hits from bands such as Human League or Gloria Estefan.

Interview 2:

Billy, Age 48:

What music did you listen to when you were my age?

I listened to a variety of different bands, I listened to Phil Collins, Billy Ocean, Madonna, Queen, Led Zeppelin, Duran Duran, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Eurythmics and The Police.

How did you listen or gain access to this music? 

I listened to my music mainly through tapes in my car. I also listened to the radio and bought LP's and CD's which were becoming increasingly popular.

Did you follow a certain subculture, dress in a certain way or choose a particular lifestyle as a result of your musical interest? 

Well I was a bit of a New Romantic, I used to wear leather trousers and double breasted shirts. I also had a wedge haircut, long at the front and short at the back.

In conclusion to this It is clear that they way people used to access music 20-30 years ago is very different to how people access their music today, not only this but styles and ways the types of artists people used to listen to are also very contrasting to the styles of music and artists listen to today. This is useful because It provides evidence of audience progression and how audiences have adapted and changed over time. This will be useful when it comes to analysing audiences and audience behaviour such as trends later on in the coursework.