When I was about six years old, the Spice Girls became huge in America. My older sister and I absolutely loved them. We listened to all of their music, watching their movie, bought their posters and knew every word to every song. As a gift from our parents, we were taken to see them in concert and it was one of the best memories I have, not because they were such powerful musicians, but because I was getting to see my idols for the first time at such a young age. My sister and I were not the only girls in America who were obsessed with the Spice Girls and I believe this is because of how catchy their music was and how they portrayed themselves. The Spice Girls was a group that promoted the idea of "girl power" which was something that no other group had done before. They sparked the idea that young girls had voices and their music was addictive not only because the beats were nice, but because the message in their songs were positive, age appropriate and the first of it's kind for my generation.
2. If you ran a noncommercial campus radio station, what kind of music would you play and why?
If I ran a noncommercial radio station, I think I would try to appeal to the entire campus by playing a very eclectic style of music. I would probably survey the campus to see what exactly the students wanted to hear, and then I would break my station up by playing different types of music during each hour. For example, early in the morning when many athletic groups are training, I would play upbeat music that would be good for listening to while you workout. Late at night when many are studying, I would play softer music. In between, I would alternate between the popular music that the students enjoy such as country, hip hop, Christian or rap. Because I would have the power of the radio station, I would probably find myself playing songs form each genre that I actually like. For example, when I was playing country music, I might play more Garth Brooks or Taylor Swift because I like both of those artists.
3. Do you think the Internet as a technology helps or hurts musical artists? Why do so many contemporary musical performers differ in their opinions about the internet?
I think that it when it comes to advertising and getting the names of musical artists out to the public, the internet has become essential. With MySpace, Facebook, search engines, and internet radio websites, it's almost impossible to get online without being faced with some type of musical reference. I think that without the internet, musical artists would be very hard pressed to make it big and reach their target markets, because almost every target market is now going online. I do understand the impact that illegal downloading of music has had on the industry, but I think that the cons of the internet as a technology are no greater than the pros. I think that many contemporary performers struggle with their opinions because they want to be compensated for their work, but they also want to have their music reach as many people as possible. With music becoming more expensive, many people can't afford to buy through iTunes or go to a store and get their music. Many artists don't want to lose sight of "making music for the sake of music" but they also know that it's their income at stake. There are some artists, like the lead singer of the Fleet Foxes, who advocate downloading their music illegally, and this is because they truly don't care about the money being lost because they're either making up for it in other areas, or they're comfortable with what they already have.
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