#cause spotify. unlike pandora which i used to love for this reason

[j-esbian]

spotify rly needs a “block this song” feature and not just a “hide on this particular playlist” bc there’s some songs the algorithm keeps insisting i would like

[toomanysurveys9]

Let’s start with you. How are you? i’m okay i guess. What motivates you to get up every day? my kids. Do you have a true best friend? i don’t really know. Do you see yourself as a sensitive person? sometimes. most of the time. Have you been upset recently? yeah. but it’s alright. it doesn’t matter.

Do you still leave/receive voicemails? i don’t leave voicemails unless i have to. and i sometimes get voicemails but it’s rare. Do you live in your hometown? i do. Are you a festive person? Do you enjoy holidays? i love them, especially now that i have my sweet babies. Did you/Will you attend college? i did. i graduated in 2016. How many alarm clocks do you use? none most of the time. if i need to be up early, then i usually set a couple. Do you consider yourself to be an open-minded person? yeah. Do you eat fruit? fruit is one of my favorite things to eat. What is your favorite subject to learn about? criminal justice and psychology. also enjoy history. How many meals a day do you typically eat? i try to eat three since i’m breastfeeding but i’m getting bad about eating. Music, eh? Have you seen any live shows? a few. mostly at the fair. Name three of your favorite bands/artists… luke combs, ed sheeran, thomas rhett. How big of a role does music play in your life? not as big as it used to. i don’t even listen to it daily anymore. Can you play any instruments? i know very basic piano, but that’s about it. You’re feeling down - do you listen to sad music or happy? depends on the day, but usually sad. because for some reason i think that will help. ha. If you’ve ever been to a concert, how old were you and who did you see? i’ve been to a few. i don’t know how old or who was my first one. Do you prefer music to be meaningful and deep, or purely for dancing/fun? i like both. it just depends on my mood and the song. however, i usually prefer meaningful and deep. Is there a song or artist that you secretly enjoy, but don’t want to enjoy? nope. If you could only listen to music from one decade, which would you choose? i don’t know. probably the 90′s though. Has your parents taste in music in any way affected what you like? of course it has. You’re looking for some new music - what’s your preferred way to discover? recommendations. Do you still own any CD’s/records/tapes? i have cds. Do you download music for free or pay for it? i just use pandora or spotify these days since my ipod is missing. i don’t pay for either. so i have ads. jacob has pandora premium. Do you ever hear a new song on tv that you like and find it? probably. Speaking of television… (look at that smooth transition!) Do you watch a lot of television? Whether that be shows, news, movies etc. eh. sometimes, depending on the day.  Do you watch the news? not too much. i get most of my news from on facebook. What about the weather channel? nope. just use google. What’s your favorite holiday movie? unlikely angel although i haven’t seen it in years. What hooks you to a television show? Drama, suspense, comedy etc. depends. usually characters and whatnot. How do you feel about adult cartoons? some are okay.

Talk shows - boring or entertaining? mostly boring. Do you prefer cable, satellite or streaming? we mostly use streaming, but also have cable. Have you come across any new shows you like this year? the masked singer. the chicago series. Do you still watch shows that you grew up watching? some. What about movies that you grew up with? Lion King and Toy Story are mine! yes. even before i had littles. Are you subscribed to any streaming services? netflix. Reality shows - entertaining or horrifying? i’m not usually a fan. What is the first movie you ever saw in a cinema? i don’t know for sure. Let’s talk about what you don’t discuss at Sunday brunch… Do you identify with any organized religion? i do not. If so - is it how you were raised, or have you found your own? i was raised christian. Do you think that marijuana should be legalized? i have mixed emotions. i think it could help the economy a bit, while also helping some people that need it for medical reasons. but i wouldn’t want jacob smoking it still, especially anywhere near our kids. besides jacob, i also don’t care if people do it recreationally. a lot of my “friends” do. If so, would that be for medical use only, or recreational? i kind of answered that. Pro-life or pro-choice? eh. i guess pro-choice. like, i couldn’t ever do it myself i don’t think. but i’m not going to hate someone else who does make that choice, regardless of my personal opinions.

Have you ever protested or been on strike? nope. Is gun control necessary or no? i think some changes should be made, but my family has guns and whatnot, and i also believe in the 2nd amendment. Are you happy with the political state where you reside? politics are annoying. Why do you feel that way? it just causes so much division and shit.

Have you read the book 13 Reasons Why or watched the show? i’ve read the book and watched the first season. The tv show brings teenage suicide to light in a graphic manner. Should shows like this be available to everyone or could it be a trigger? i think it should be available to everyone. because everyone should be talking about it more. everyone should be talking about mental illness in general more. it could definitely be a trigger for some, but it has been talked about a lot so people should know whether it is something they can handle or not. there are also warnings before the episodes. Okay, let’s simmer down. Back to happy things. Do you like animals? i do. If so, do you have any pets? we have two dogs. What is your favorite day of the week and why? i don’t really know. probably any day i get to do something interesting or fun. Do you have a favorite season? autumn. How do you enjoy nice scents? Candles, wax melts, incense, oils etc. i do. i have quite a few bath and body candles that i need to light and haven’t got to yet. Do you live in a large city or small town? medium-sized. it’s not large or small. Are you happy with that or would you like to change it? i’m okay with the size, for the most part. the only sucky part is never having things to do. Do you have any children? i have two. a two and a half year old named wyatt and a (basically) ten month old named eliana. Are there any colors that you think compliment you? maybe blue. Do you enjoy cleaning or find it to be a chore? chore definitely. What is your absolute favorite food? i honestly don’t know anymore. If you were any color, what would you be? black. Do you spend a lot of time on social networks? some days. Books or movies? books are my favorite but i enjoy movies too.

[musicalevangeline-blog]

Blog Post #8

29My responses to the appendix interview and my mom’s answers

• If you think of a few recent purchases what were the main factors that influenced your purchase? Usually my purchases are out of necessity or spontaneity. It’s either something I need, or something I want in the spur of the moment. Usually price.

• What was your last music-related purchase? I bought a concert ticket to see one of my favorite singers with my best friend. I bought a Pink Floyd T-shirt that I found in the boys section at JCPenney’s and it was five dollars

• What were the main reasons/motivations behind the purchase? It’s a person I really love and admire and I haven’t been to an actual concert in years, so like why not? It was five dollars and it had Pink Floyd on it

• What kind of music do you like? I like a lot of music, I can even stand country music sometimes. Mostly, I like slow sad sounding music, or music that makes me feel something. Music I like.... I like pretty much everything except hard core rap and country music. Specifically I like rock n roll and hip hop dance music

• How do you consume music—i.e., how do you buy it/ when do you watch/listen to it/where do you watch/ listen to it? I usually listen to spotify whenever i’m using my laptop, or if im listening on my phone I listen to the music ive purchased through google play. In the car I listen to CDs or the radio. I mostly listen to it on the radio at home in the car or on my iPhone via Pandora or iTunes

• What are your opinions on the current music industry as a whole? I feel like there are a lot of people who don’t get the recognition they deserve, and some people who get recognition they don’t deserve. This can really be said for just about any industry though. What does that mean? (evie gives brief explaination) Well, I don’t know any of them personally...

• How much of an influence would your favorite musicians have on you as a person? I think a lot of my favorite artists have shaped who I am, and I draw a lot from the music I listen to in terms of i dont know, personality and the way I deal with things. None. Although when Chester benigton killed himself that really pissed me off because his music had a lot of influence on overcoming obstacles and then he offs himself. That was lame. But really they can take a stand for whatever and unless they are complete bigot assholes I’ll still listen to their music.

• How about on your purchases? I want to support these people, so yeah I’m going to buy their stuff if I can afford it, especially up and coming artists that I really want to see succeed. Also, maybe they influence my purchases on things like clothes and stuff.  No.

• Do you consider social responsibility and/or ethical considerations when making purchases of products/ services in the area of music? There are some artists that while I enjoy their music, I don’t agree with actions they take or how they feel about certain topics. I’m less likely to purchase anything related to an artist who’s actions I don’t agree with, and here I think I’m mostly talking about people like Chris Brown who literally is an abuser and takes what he wants whenever he wants it and is literally just an awful person. No.

• Can you think of ways that musicians/bands currently engage in socially responsible behavior? There’s a lot going on in the world, and a lot of issues that need representation and awareness in order to get anything done, and music and artists are a great way to send these messages. Even just being openly supportive of a cause, or donating money to a cause can really bring awareness. When they preach about politics during their concerts instead of singing or when they bring kids up on stage that really enjoy their music during concerts and cater to their fans that’s a good one.

• Do any recent examples of socially responsible behavior within the music industry come to mind? Taylor Swift and her suing the guy who sexually assaulted her for a dollar, not to get any money but to call to action this kind of thing that happens all the time and shouldn’t be normalized. She also donated a large sum to sexual assault survivors and historically has donated a lot to disaster relief funds and fans who need help financially. In 2015 she donated $50,000 to a fan who was diagnosed with Leukemia. It’s because of Swift that GoFundMe had to raise the amount a person is allowed to donate at a time. Hearing about some musicians donating lots of money to a specific causes.  My favorite is Jon Bon Jovi and how he has a restaurant that caters to the hungry and the homeless.

• Have you considered aspects of socially responsible behavior when you have attended live music events? Historically, not really. However the only concert i’ve been to in the last five years was to see the Wallflowers. In the past I’ve seen some bands live that now I don’t think I’d really want to see again. Not always, but at least sometimes you can tell a lot about an artist or band by their fans, and some of the music I used to listen to in lets say middle school, definitely have views a lot different from what I know now. No.

• Have you engaged in socially responsible behavior at live music events? No. Yes. (evie: care to elaborate?) Sitting down so people can see behind me saying please when walking through the crowd. Saying excuse me.

• How would you define a socially responsible musician? I think I remember reading an article about an artist who stopped a show after seeing a fan in the audience having a panic attack, and made sure to get this fan help before continuing (after some research, this artist was Harry Styles) and there have been other instances like this (Drake stops concert to call out groping, Linkin Park also stops show to help a fan, etc.). I think this is what it means to be socially responsible. There’s a lot that’s going on in a crowd at a show, and for an artist to call out a bad situation really shows that. A musician that shows social responsibility to me it is defined as a musician that preaches love and community and is involved and good fundraising for programs that help society, like Bon Jovi. I think he is a prime example of what a musician that shows social responsibility.

• Do you think it is important for them to act in a socially responsible way? Yes. It shows that a person cares about their fans, and not just the money they make off of them, and in this age if you’re neutral in situations of injustice, you’re on the side of the oppressor. Yes.

• Would you be more likely to buy an album/attend a concert of an artist that you perceive to be engaged in socially responsible behavior? Yes. Yes.

• Have you attended a live event due to the socially responsible aspect of the event? No. Yes but only because I was working (she’s a stage-hand).

• How would you compare the role that social responsibility plays in everyday consumption decisions to music consumption decisions? People look for brands that are socially responsible in a lot of their purchases. Whether a brand tests on animals, or companies that are tied to a charity. I know I tend to shop at target, one because I love target, and two because I know they have a partnership with St. Jude Children’s Hospital and having that knowledge makes me feel even better when shopping there. There are also stores and other places I refuse to shop at, such as Goodwill because of their inaction to help people, despite their claims otherwise. (Goodwill had a thing going where when purchasing goods you could round up to the nearest dollar, and the extra few cents would be donated to veterans. No money was ever donated and goodwill managers are frequently seen refusing to provide clothing to homeless people (including veterans) despite claiming they would clothe any homless person who came to the store.) For younger people I say that is a big factor but for my age not so much. (evie: I told her what I put for my answer) Yes, those are good examples. I definitely agree with that.

2.) Anyone can say anything to get attention, but it’s action and reaction that determine real intentions. Like I said earlier in my interview answers, Goodwill for example claims to be a place of donation, yet the Goodwill CEO makes $729,000 annually and their employees don’t make a living wage. An they aren’t the only company that makes promises like this and don’t follow through. I think it’s important for artists, while preaching a certain message, uphold the ideals that they are setting. And there are a lot of artists that do a lot of good. Thom Yorke for example, and Bon Jovi like my mom mentioned. Thom Yorke engages in eco-friendly events and lives eco-friendly so you know he’s not just doing these things for publicity. Unlike Thom Yorke and many others, there are many people who will preach the importance of donating to charity but run these multi-million dollar empires without contributing a dime to anything worthwhile that has the potential to change the world. This doesn’t just apply to musicians either, there are a lot of rich people in the spot light that don’t do anything or don’t do enough. The article states: “Music is a powerful vehicle through which tastes and values are understood, and social groups and subcultures are formed.” While I completely agree with. A lot of the music I listen to reflects what I believe and who I am, and where my values align. I find that people who share my same music interests tend to have a lot of the same views as I do, not always but a significant amount of time. A lot of music I listened to when I was younger, I didn’t really understand, and I see that some of the people that listen to that kind of music now are people I tend to not want to associate with, as I don’t want to associate with that music anymore either.

I think the video by Lin Manuel Miranda where he wrote a song and had a bunch of other Latin American artists come together to raise money was a great example of an artist being authentic in promoting something. This project was close to him, as someone who’s parents immigrated from Puerto Rico, and this wasn’t the only action he took in support of the relief fund for Puerto Rico. He promoted this charity on talk shows, visited Puerto Rico, brought Hamilton to Puerto Rico and provided a way to allow impoverished people to see his show, and has donated around 2.5 million towards this cause and other causes through his words and his work. Not only this, but he continues to raise money for other causes, such as March for our Lives (Starting with his collaborative song with Ben Platt). Since LMM’s rise to fame, he has never stopped giving back to the community and working for equality across every issue.

I currently don’t have an example of the opposite, where an artist doesn’t meet up to their claims, but will try to think of one before class.