Mason Light Light 1

ENC 1102-OM31
2/25/2019

Research Dossier
My research considers the topic of communication of musicians to the public,
professionals, and amateur musicians. Musicians tend to utilize several methods of
communication depending on their selected audience; social media, conventions, discussion
boards, professional websites, etc.. This topic has been inspired by my interest in becoming a
musician and wondering how and where musicians essentially hold their discourse. Researching
how to best and most effectively communicate as a musician will provide many insights to
anyone interested in this field and provide a basic foundation of their understanding in
communicating in the modern musical scene.
Communication is a vital aspect of a musician’s life, whether sharing findings, ideas,
whether collaborating with another artist, or even sharing concert dates and tour information. In
the age we live in communication is all around us, from our homes to our pockets.
I am doing this research to inform students with any degree of experience with the topic,
who are interested in going into the musical field, of the most effective and common ways to
enable discourse among the professional, amateur, and public audiences. This research could
prove to be very useful for future musicians as communication is regarded as one of the most
important factors of being a musician, those who already have a basic understanding of
communicating in musical life may succeed more than those who don’t. However, I believe this
research could also yield importance to a more general audience trying to inform themselves on
the best way to stay updated with their favorite musicians. This research specifically analyses the
methods of communication used by musicians and how both the platform and the content varies
depending on which of three audiences (professional, amateur and general) are being referred. I
believe cross-referencing these three groups will provide the most informative in-depth analysis
of the topic. Therefore these groups will serve as my definitive three perspectives of study.
Source such as the PASIC and New York Philharmonic databases contain key elements
of and are the consistent basis of communication amongst professionals. These two
organizations, while vastly different, share the common aspect of a generalized elite musician
make-up. PASIC serves to share information and display new gear, techniques, music and much
more from professional percussionists to the intermediate. Many musicians also hold their own
websites that serve as great resources for analyzing their discourse. Sources such as
FrostOnline’s article and Jo Haynes and Lee Marshall’s “Beats and Tweets: Social Media in the
Careers of Independent Musicians.”(2018) are essential for analyzing the influence of social
media on musical audiences. Musician’s social medias themselves also serve key roles in
analyzing the content of the discourse itself and providing practical examples of real life
communication amongst musicians. The aforementioned sources also generally cover the
generalized audience and are vital in the discussion of this audience. Websites such as Victor
Pon’s and discussion threads such as blog posts and reddit threads are most directed towards the
amateur audience and the intermediate musicians. Reddit threads and blog posts are great vessels
for intermediate and amateur musicians to collaborate, discuss, and most apparently ask
questions. As such these sources are most useful in the analyzation of the content and platforms
of the amateur audiences.
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Research Map
Research Question:
1. How do general musicians communicate differently depending on their various
audiences?
2. Are there any platforms and content of communication exclusive to
percussionists?
Keywords:
“Percussion and communication”
“Percussion history”
“Percussion development”
“Musicians and communication”
“Musical discourse”
Types of Research
1. Library Research
● My library research generally discusses the impact and influence
technology and the internet has a whole has made on the musical field,
specifically their communication.
2. Internet Research
● My internet research primarily consists of numerous social media
accounts and various websites varying to accompany the three audiences.
These sources contain the most direct evidence towards the platform and
content of musical discourse.
3. Field Research
● Currently I have two scheduled interviews, Bobby Blum and Dan Pedroza.
Mr. Blum can provide many insights into the life of professional and
academic musicians whilst Mr. Pedroza can delve in to the amateur
aspects of life, both will be very useful for examining percussionists
specifically. These interviews will also provide the best opportunity to
inspect the variations among general musicians and percussionists.
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Research Schedule:

Monday March 4th, Tuesday March 5th, Wednesday March Thursday March
Final Research Economics Test#2 6th, Speech 7th, Philosophy
Dossier Exam#2 Test#2

March 11th- March Monday March Wednesday April Friday April 19th,
16th, Spring Break 25th, Persuasive 3rd, Final Final Argumentative
Speech Rhetorical Analysis Research

Monday April 22nd, Wednesday April Thursday April Monday April 29th,
Economics Final 24th, Speech Fina 25th, Philosophy E-portfolios
Final

Annotated Bibliography
Glossary
a. Summary of content
b. Information about the author
c. Evaluation of bias
1. “About The Digital Archives.” New York Philharmonic Leon Levy Digital Archives,
archives.nyphil.org/index.php/about-us. Accessed 12, February 2019
a. This source contains a plethora of documents both to and from professional
musicians. This source is the best for observing specific communication amongst
professional musicians.
b. The New York Philharmonic is regarded as one of the best orchestras in the
world, being nominated and winning numerous Grammy awards.
c. Being such an elite group of musicians, this source over-all will probably reflect
an elitist professional mindset and will be biased as such,
2. Blum, Bobby. Personal Interview. Pending
a. While it hasn’t taken place yet, this interview will focus on the communication
amongst professional and academic musicians.
b. Bobby Blum is a highly esteemed percussionist in the state of Florida and has
worked under many professional organizations such as Universities and Drum
Corps and WGI.
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c. Given that Mr. Blum is a percussionist, his bias and content of expertise will lean
towards percussion. However given Mr. Blum’s status and prolonged expertise in
the field he can offer several great insights into generalized musicians.
3. El Gamal, Ashraf, "The Evolution of the Music Industry in the Post-Internet Era" (2012).
CMC Senior Theses. Paper 532.
a. This source analyses the impact technology, mainly the internet, has on the music
industry. This source also talks about the impact these technologies had on
communication and ease of access.
b. Ashraf El Gamal is a former student of the Claremont McKenna College and
server as a columnist for the CMC’s music forum.
c. This source is non-biased, as it rather displays an objective over-view and
evolution of the industry as a whole.
4. Foo Fighters, https://www.facebook.com/foofighters/. Accessed 14, February 2019
a. This facebook page illustrates the communication and interaction held between a
known band and its audiences, mainly so it’s generalized fanbase.
b. The Foo Fighters are one of the most influential and well known rock bands of the
modern era, being awarded 12 of its 25 nomination for Grammy awards, receiving
the award for “Best Rock Band” 4 times, more than any other band.
c. This page, being the band’s won facebook page, is most likely biased towards the
sale, representation, and good name of their brand.
5. Haynes, Jo, and Lee Marshall. “Beats and Tweets: Social Media in the Careers of
Independent Musicians.” New Media & Society, vol. 20, no. 5, May 2018, pp. 1973–
1993. EBSCOhost,
a. This article follows a group of musicians in England, who explain the advantages
and disadvantages of social media and the interconnected and interdependent
world of the post internet age.
b. Jo Haynes is a varied Sociologist at the University of Bristol while Marshall Lee
is a mixed media expert.
c. This source is only biased in the perspective on the small label musicians of the
article, the rest of the article however contains a fact based over view of the nature
of social medias in the promotion of independent artists.
6. “How Is Social Media Used to Promote Artists?” U Miami Online, 19 Oct. 2017,
frostonline.miami.edu/articles/social-media-to-promote-artists.aspx.
a. This source analyses social media and its usages for musicians, however mainly
for promotions sake. Regardless this source is a very useful tool for constructing
an argument around the general audience.
b. This article comes from the University of Miami, this article itself was referenced
under their Marketing in Music major page.
c. This source functions more as instructing the use of social media in promotion
rather than utilizing medias for discourse
7. Ivan Trevino. “Ivan Trevino.” Ivan Trevino, ivandrums.com/. Accessed 18, February
2019
a. This website contains many publications, updates, and posts from Ivan Trevino,
an accomplished composer and performer.
b. Ivan Trevino is a multi-award winning recipient of the Percussive Arts Society’s
International Composition Contest and has composed over 70 pieces to date.
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c. This website leans more towards the sale/ professional side of nature with the
only bits of information themselves coming from the “bio” page.
8. Maciszewski, Amelia. “Texts, Tunes, and Talking Heads: Discourses about Socially
Marginal North Indian Musicians.” Twentieth-Century Music, vol. 3, no. 1, March 2006,
pp. 121–144. EBSCOhost,
a. This source discusses the written, visual, and aural discourses of North Indian
musicians and their media driven legacies that have driven them to their positions.
b. This article was published by the University of Cambridge, known to be one of
the most reputable universities.
c. This source function is to show how specifically musicians talk to one another as
well as examining a different culture’s musical community and discourse.
9. Musical Education and the New Media: The Current Situation and Perspectives for the
Future, by Bernd Enders -- Page 223
a. This excerpt discusses the influence new medias such as social media and even
videogames and video platforms have on the spread of musical education.
Platforms such as YouTube can be utilized as a vital tool for the spread of music,
being the biggest video platform and music streaming service.
b. Bernd Enders is a digital music creator and producer who now teaches at
Osnabrueck University.
c. This source is unbiased other than the section concerning perspectives towards the
future, other than the exception, this source remains an objective analytical stance.
10. Pedroza, Dan. Personal Interview. 2, March 2019
a. This interview concerns the communication strategies of intermediate musicians
and those newly off in the professional world. However this interview will focus
more on the percussive side of things, providing some good context for the
potential unique aspects of percussionists.
b. Dan Pedroza is a academic musician with a master’s degree in musical
performance and has also become a very active member of WGI and has
instructed and mentored many schools around Brevard and Winter Garden.
c. This interview will most likely be biased as it is a reflection of his own
experience, as well as being a percussionists.
11. “Percussive Arts Society” Rudiments, www.pas.org/educators. Accessed 5, February
2019
a. The percussive Arts Society website contains many different types of valuable
information, from theses to convention recordings and hosting professional
discourse.
b. The Percussive Arts society is the biggest organization in the world of Percussion
and has been recognized worldwide for its international convention PASIC, which
is in fact the biggest percussion conference in the world.
c. Being the largest percussion convention and organization, this source functions as
a key proponent of inspecting all natures of the percussive audience, mainly
focusing on the professional and intermediate scene.
12. “Thad Anderson.” Thad Anderson, www.thadanderson.com/ Accessed 17, February
2019
a. This website shows how an academic musician (professor of percussion) handles
a website and posts news, updates, projects and more.
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b. Dr. Anderson has a doctorate in percussion performance and has been the
Assistant Professor of Music at UCF since 2009. Dr. Anderson is also a secretary
on the Executive Board of the Percussive Arts Society.
c. Dr. Anderson serves as a prime example of the professional and academic
musician and thus will be extremely useful in the study of their communication.