MSU Students' Views on Music Trends (JRN 200)

            Music’s role in society is changing, especially among young adults. Various Michigan State University students were interviewed about their views of music trends in college.

            Kassandra Nalera, a civil engineering freshman at MSU, said that lyrics are beginning to play the background in how students value music.

            “You listen to what you want to hear. And they change over time, depending on what the generation wants to hear,” she said, adding that you listen to “what you as a person want to associate with.”

            Daniel Cortes, a chemical engineering sophomore, said that song value changes person to person.

            “It all depends on who the student is and their background… I’m all about rhythm, others are all about lyrics, others are about popularity.”  

            To Kyle Fitton, a chemical engineering sophomore, social media is what creates the main music buzz.

            “When I see one or two people talking about something it doesn’t really matter, but if you see a lot of people making a big deal about something I usually go check it out. It’s usually a pretty good gauge of how interesting something is," Fitton said.

           

Professionals' Views on Music Trends (JRN 200)

           The way students listen to and value music is changing drastically. According to professionals, the Internet and YouTube are primary catalysts for this change.

            Higher education reporter Jenna Johnson said YouTube’s power lies in its low cost and ease of use.

            “It’s just very free and accessible. It’s not that much work – with one click you’re there and you’re watching it,” she said.

            Johnson also said that artists and producers are moving away from “artsy” to “outlandish” in order to draw in the crowds.

            “It’s something people will talk about: ‘This is hilarious,’ ‘I want to try it myself,’ ‘this is ridiculous,’ ‘this is stupid,” she said.

            Michigan State University Professor of Music John H. Kratus said that the way people experience music now is “much more individualistic and much more global” than in the past.

            According to Kratus, music is far more individualistic because consumers don’t have to go through the “gatekeeper” of label records.

            Likewise, he said that music’s global emphasis comes from musicians’ ability to use the Internet and build a fan base worldwide.

            

So Small, yet so Powerful

I learned how to create hyperlinks in JRN200 today... I am wickedly and mischievously addicted. They're so small... and yet so powerful. Who would've known?! I'm lovin' it!

CAS 110 Review

         CAS110 class ended successfully after an hour of brainstorming in the IM Circle gym.

         Upon arriving at class, students were herded into one end of the gym so that they could hear Professor Karl Gude’s announcements.

         Gude was using a megaphone, or at least attempting to, and had been told that his directions were indiscernible during previous weeks’ classes.

         Gude both criticized and critiqued students’ project progress up until this point (the class has been discussing these questions for at least three weeks now). He said that there were a lot of “holes” in people’s ideas because they weren’t thinking them through thoroughly.

         Group 12, a group of eight class members, has to identify ways in which to allow students to track CATA buses’ locations on campus.

         The group plans to contact CATA tomorrow to learn about previously attempted methods, and will develop a tracking theory sometime this week.

CAS110 Preview

         Communication Arts and Sciences class CAS110 “The Creative Process” has a reputation of being laid back and fun-loving.

         The primary reason for this class’ enjoyable atmosphere is due to Professor Karl Gude’s wacky outlook and sense of humor.

         Tonight though, Gude is going to insist that his 200 plus students break into groups in the IM Circle gym in order to brainstorm problem-solving ideas.

         These ideas will center on individualized questions that the groups created during previous weeks.

         Group questions address common problems at MSU, such as with the CATA busing system or on-campus parking.

         Although the class is scheduled to last an upwards of two hours, depending on how long students’ brainstorming takes, there’s a strong likeliness that the class will be dismissed early.