Music 050 – Final Paper
I am going to explore the issue of identity within producing music through ethnographic research with the Collctve. Specifically, how an artist syndicates his or her own taste with today 's popular culture to produce and play music and how this relates to “selling out.” Before delving into the complexities associated with the music industry, it is important to define the terms “identity” and “selling out.” These interpretations will set the foundation for the discussion. There are two separate yet connected branches within the realm of identity: self-identity and group identity (Rice 23). Individual self identity is the process of creating a sense of belonging to pre-existing social groups, primarily through reflection …show more content…
Well, an outsider’s opinion of an individual is formed by comparing the actions of the individual with the identity of the group the individual affiliates with. For example, part of the group identity of a producer or DJ in the music industry is maintaining artistic integrity and remaining true to oneself - the idea of not adhering to someone else’s standards or rules (Daly). Some artists appear to deviate from these values. They are thought to be guided by financial or celebrity motivations rather than a legitimate love and passion for music. Hence, there is an incompatibility with self identity and group identity. The result? An artist is labeled as a “sell out” - sacrificing values, morals and artistic integrity for fame or notoriety (Tuomi 3). Based on these defined terms, I will explore how producers and DJs are influenced by popular culture and are vulnerable of selling …show more content…
Well-being has a variety of philosophical understandings but, in this context, will refer to objectives that will bring greatest meaning and utility to one’s life overall (Tuomi 39). These objectives are achievement (satisfaction of personal goals), friendship, love and passion for music and artistic integrity (the notion of of not jeopardizing oneself or one’s ideals in instances of temptation) (Tuomi 39). Further, it is important to note well-being is meant to apply to the general trajectory of one’s life rather than a specific moment. Through this structure, it is possible to analyze whether it is in the best interest of the artist to sell out. In order to do so, we look at an artist deciding whether to accept or reject a record deal. Rejecting it would allow him/her to remain true to himself while accepting it would force the artist to adhere to the demands of management (Tuomi 40). In regards to achievement, accepting the record deal is the better option because of the uncertainty associated with refusing the deal and the vast opportunities that open with acceptance (Tuomi 56). With artistic integrity, it is in the best interest to deny the record deal as accepting it would be giving in to the external factors of money and fame (Tuomi 56). This is the same logic for love and passion for music, as not accepting the record deal
I am going to explore the issue of identity within producing music through ethnographic research with the Collctve. Specifically, how an artist syndicates his or her own taste with today 's popular culture to produce and play music and how this relates to “selling out.” Before delving into the complexities associated with the music industry, it is important to define the terms “identity” and “selling out.” These interpretations will set the foundation for the discussion. There are two separate yet connected branches within the realm of identity: self-identity and group identity (Rice 23). Individual self identity is the process of creating a sense of belonging to pre-existing social groups, primarily through reflection …show more content…
Well, an outsider’s opinion of an individual is formed by comparing the actions of the individual with the identity of the group the individual affiliates with. For example, part of the group identity of a producer or DJ in the music industry is maintaining artistic integrity and remaining true to oneself - the idea of not adhering to someone else’s standards or rules (Daly). Some artists appear to deviate from these values. They are thought to be guided by financial or celebrity motivations rather than a legitimate love and passion for music. Hence, there is an incompatibility with self identity and group identity. The result? An artist is labeled as a “sell out” - sacrificing values, morals and artistic integrity for fame or notoriety (Tuomi 3). Based on these defined terms, I will explore how producers and DJs are influenced by popular culture and are vulnerable of selling …show more content…
Well-being has a variety of philosophical understandings but, in this context, will refer to objectives that will bring greatest meaning and utility to one’s life overall (Tuomi 39). These objectives are achievement (satisfaction of personal goals), friendship, love and passion for music and artistic integrity (the notion of of not jeopardizing oneself or one’s ideals in instances of temptation) (Tuomi 39). Further, it is important to note well-being is meant to apply to the general trajectory of one’s life rather than a specific moment. Through this structure, it is possible to analyze whether it is in the best interest of the artist to sell out. In order to do so, we look at an artist deciding whether to accept or reject a record deal. Rejecting it would allow him/her to remain true to himself while accepting it would force the artist to adhere to the demands of management (Tuomi 40). In regards to achievement, accepting the record deal is the better option because of the uncertainty associated with refusing the deal and the vast opportunities that open with acceptance (Tuomi 56). With artistic integrity, it is in the best interest to deny the record deal as accepting it would be giving in to the external factors of money and fame (Tuomi 56). This is the same logic for love and passion for music, as not accepting the record deal