1. GENRE & FORM RESEARCH

2. In my Textual Analysis I studied mainly magazines that feature bands/artists of a
Rock genre, with the exception of some bands/artists who are currently growing in
popularity and are of Pop or other genres. These magazines, Q, Kerrang! And Rolling
Stone are my inspiration and the genre will be kept similar to these magazines and
so research will consist of bands/artists that have been featured in these magazines
or are of a rock genre. I’m more comfortable will analysis a rock genre as it is my
favourite music genre myself with the exception of a few pop songs that are my
weakness!

3. SPECIFIC TO ANALYSED MAGAZINES & MY MUSIC TASTE (RELEVANT BANDS):
ROCK GENRE HISTORY:
In the early Sixties veterans of that scene, or disciples of that scene, led to the
formation of bands such as The Rolling Stones (which has been featured in at
least one of the magazines I have analysed and will be featured in my brief), the
Yardbirds and the Animals. The Rolling Stones became "the" sensation in London
and went on to record the most successful singles of the era. The Yardbirds were the
most experimental of them all, and became the training ground for three of the
greatest guitarists ever: Eric Clapton (Insert: Favoured musician, recently
went to one of his concerts in Abu Dhabi!), Jeff Beck and Jimi Page. Two
blues bands were then born, the Cream and the Led Zeppelin (another
favoured musician), that in a few years will revolutionize rock music again.
Liverpool did not have a great underground scene but had
a more commercial brand of rock bands. The producer
George Martin was instrumental in creating the whole
phenomenon, with both Gerry And The Pacemakers and
The Beatles (Insert: one of my top favourite bands and featured
several times in ‘Q magazine’ annually on Lennon’s Birthday),
the band that went on to achieve world-wide success.
Rock music as a major business was born.

4. RELEVANT BAND RESEARCH/ROCK GENRE HISTORY…
The Rolling Stones, The Kinks (Insert: favoured band and to be a relevant band
featured, also been features in ‘Rolling Stone’) and the Who represent the triad of
British rock bands of the mid 1960s that would influence entire generations of rock
bands for decades. The Who were composing autobiographical songs of the angry and
frustrated urban youth. The Rolling Stones were composing autobiographical songs of
the decadent punks of the working class. The Kinks were composing realistic vignettes
of ordinary life in bourgeois England. The three together provide a complete picture of
the time.
Cream and Led Zeppelin upped the ante when
they started playing very loud blues. Cream's
lengthy solos and Led Zeppelin's fast riffs created
the epitome of "hard rock".

5. FROM THE BOOKS – TEACHING THE MUSIC PRESS BY CATH DAVIES…
To produce a music magazine successfully
form in very important. By looking back at FORM/GENRE RESEARCH:
acquired magazines, Kerrang!, Q and Rolling Stone
and what they are all similar of in terms of form.
Other music magazines such as NME were looked
at to make sure they had similar forms as well.
There is a predominant male readership that
comes with the rock genre, and so to be
similar in terms of form, the mise-en-scene,
iconography, colours and other aspects of a
magazine will be kept masculine, ‘aggressive
persona’.
Because the rock genre has essential a men of
‘all age’ readership, icons, colours, mise-en-
scene, performance etc. will also appeal to all
age groups such as using action shots to
create a more playful side rather than
seriousness of posing to appeal to the younger
readership.
Suggesting rock music in late 90s was
considered a more black-dominating genre, this
has changed significantly as Kerrang! Now
displays evidently a balance of racial identity,
this will be brought forward in the design of the
magazine.

6. ROCK GENRE HISTORY/FORM RESEARCH…
This became an issue in 2005 suggesting
women’s presence in the rock genre was not as
predominant as it is nowadays, this is supported
with bands such as ‘Paramore’ who
demonstrate a female singer, bands in the rock
genre’s history through research I have
discovered lacked a female presence, such
bands like The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, The
Beatles and even Muse today reinforce this.
Thus in terms of form, like other magazines I will
involve female aspects but the magazine will be
essentially male-orientated to appease the
larger target audience of males, or females will
adopt masculine characteristics.
Women are also used in magazines with a
significant male readership who give a
sexy, seductive performance to ultimately
also appeal to males as their favourite
bands would, this is demonstrated through
the ‘Q’ magazine front cover I analysed
with Lily Allen, she is given fierce props
and an animalistic impression.

7. ROCK GENRE HISTORY/FORM RESEARCH…
‘The Kinks in the September 2004 edition’
Relevant band: Has been featured several
times in magazines, I will be doing the
same.
Music magazines of a rock
genre still celebrate music
from older era’s allowing
audiences to broaden their
music knowledge and
embrace it with tributes,
photographs and other
material, this can contribute
is making a successful
magazine.
Those who were young and purchasing ‘Q’
are now shifting into an older bracket, my
magazine will features 60s, 70s etc. to
keep up with this fact.

8. FORM RESEARCH & CONVENTIONS

9. FORM RESEARCH (WHAT MAY BE DEMONSTRATED IN MY MAG)/CONVENTIONS…
A convention of magazines On most music
in general music magazine magazines there is a
is that the front cover Masthead, the
typically displays Large masthead is the title of
Photo/Image, the image is the magazine such as
usually of an exclusive ‘Rolling Stone’. The
guest/band/singer and the masthead is
magazine will have detailed conventionally nearly
articles and double page always located on the
spreads about that guest. top of the magazine.
Most magazines situate
The background behind the Masthead behind
the main image in the main photo/image,
specifically ‘Q’ magazine so it superimposes to
are typically left white as connotes the
to limit distraction, this importance of the
example does not keep to guests given their
this convention possibly dominance over the
as its background creates Masthead. ‘Q’ in this
a playful, creative example has broken this
appearance to connote convention.
the exclusive bands
persona/music type. All text on the front page
is kept brief with simple
Most magazines have
language to read, this is
second title located on
because its the front
the front cover, it is
page which you judge of
usually the name of the
whether to buy the
band/guest with articles
within. Barcode placed conventionally at bottom as it has less importance. magazine.

10. FORM RESEARCH (WHAT MAY BE DEMONSTRATED IN MY MAG)/CONVENTIONS…
Composition
From this I can learn that by keeping to the
of the images to be taken for each page can be experimented with
conventionally and unconventionally:
conventions of a page layout and thus the From a double page spread that
composition being designed to be familiar previously in the blog was textually
will keep the page please and safe, but to analysed, different compositions can
what extent I will keep to these conventions
be played with using the medium
it still negotiable as rock shouldn’t
necessarily be connoted as ‘safe’. shot image of Tom Morello.
Conventionally an image of one of
the band members to be created
could be displayed like so:
From this I can
learn that
composition is
extremely
important,
combined with
lighting and
framing
(cropping) as it
helps in
drawing the
attention of the
audience to
what you want
This medium close-up of an individuals
to be most face can create connotations of mystery
significant and and appear enigmatic but can also
important on a connote one half of a person’s
page. personality is being displayed.
Page(s) by Lucy Scott-Galloway.

11. In my magazine as Rock
magazine wouldn’t
conventionally display pictures
connoting ‘safe, but more the
opposite as rock music is
stereotypically seen as a
rebellious, dangerous music, so I
may as this paragraph suggests
‘break the rules of composition’.
The composition could be
displayed unconventionally as
such to connote a playfulness of
Conventionally a medium an individual as the person
profile shot could also be used ‘peaks’ over, also possibly
which has been used in connoting a cheekiness.
several rock genre magazines
as it connotes a sense of
superiority as it appears as
those the person refuses to
look at the camera.

12. Use of white space will be put
into consideration, as is Q’s
popular magazine the front
page usually display much
white space by cutting out the
background of the person’s
photographed, which does
give the person’s dominance
on the front page as without
the background no distraction
from the person’s is created.
My magazine will was to
feature mainly close ups as
the images will want to
have the more power
presence and power in its
relationship with the
audience to allow it to have
more of an impact,
interesting and memorable.