Scrapbook Theme

One of the things I talked about in my mission statement was my dream of working as a photographer for a music magazine. This would enable me to get paid for doing something that I love to do and already do on my own time. In my scrapbook i will show some of the concerts I have been to and pictures I have taken while I was there. I will be able to show how music has influenced my life and determined the path that I am now pursuing in terms of a career.

Technology Thesis:

Throughout the years, the various technologies through which music could be heard has helped shape the way in which I listen to music. The evolution of music devices from the walkman to the I-pod to the internet, has led my listening habbit from a very personal to an extremely social experience.

Technology Theme:

My focus is going to be on music. Music has always played an important role in my life and I have many memories about music from when I was young. I want to write my paper as a series of stories that tell about different memories of music throughout my life. I can talk about waking up and listening to my Sebastian cd, listening to my "Kermit Unpigged" cd on my trampoline with my first walkman cassette player, making up dances to songs by The Backstreet Boys, Spice Girls and Hanson at my grandma's house, and my "Jeep" boombox. More recently I can discuss getting my first I-pod, and going to concerts. Also, I will talk about the internet as a source for acquiring music.

I think I will talk about how music started out as a very private experience. When I was younger I remember lisstening to music by myself and enjoying that time alone. I used to take piano lessons but I hated having to play in the recitals. For me, music was something I did for myself and not something I wanted to share with others. Today, music has become a much more social experience for me. My recent relationships with people have been formed through the music--either by listening to the same artists or going to festivals. Instead of something I don't share with anyone, music has become something that I want to share and want to have others share with me. I can talk about music blogs as a way of sharing music and the role the internet and social networking sites play in shaping relationships around music.

My First Technology

My first memory of music is from when I was about four years old. I was living in Santa Fe with my mom and an older couple (her boyfriend's parents) who were from Sweden. I had just moved to Santa Fe from Portland, Oregon and my room was simple and uncluttered. I have no memory of any toys in the room except for my CD player that sat in the corner to the left of my bed.

My morning routine was always the same. I would wake up, put on my "Disney's Sebastian from the Little Mermaid" CD and jump up and down on the bed, my hands in the air, singing "Arise". The song was about waking up, and it's funny how as a little kid that's exactly what it helped me to do. This was, of course, before I was in school and needed to wake up at a certain time. I never dreaded waking up (like I sometimes do now) and instead I started the day out in the most positive way possible, by dancing and singing and smiling and not having a care in the world.

From that time on, music has always played an importnat role in my life. It's something that I always have on whether it be in the car, at home, or while walking around campus. Even 15 years after my Sebastian days, I still like to wake up to music, but I'm not as much as a champ about getting up and dancing. Maybe it's something I should try and see how it affects my day.