This double page spread features an interview with rising country music star Amber Roberts. On the left page is an introduction to Roberts' career and journey from local singing contests to performing at the Grand Ole Opry. The right page consists of the full interview, with questions about her influences, family background in music, and goals for her debut album. Design elements include a large portrait of Roberts, pull quotes, and a title that spans both pages to tie them together.

1. Double Page Spread

2. Double Page Spread PlanText (interview) in columns – following conventions. I will use informal mode of address because it is an interview and I want the text to break down the boundaries between the artist and the reader. I will use spoken language register for the voice to come across believable.Image - edited through inDesign and Photoshop, later fixed onFotoFlexer and Picnik (sharpen, saturation/colour tool, exposure tool. Interview Questions: 1. Who are your major influences in music?2. When did you write your first song?3. Is your family musical?4. What is the most difficult aspect of being a musician?5. How do you handle mistakes during a performance?6. What do you hope to accomplish in your career? Do you have any specific goals? 7. How would you define “success”?8. What advice would you give to young musicians and beginners? Standfirst willinclude brief information about the artist (career so far and predictions for the future) and introduce the article. Two pull quotes, onefrom the interview to emphasize on an interesting response and also encourage the reader to read the entire article and one for the main title line. Both in speech marks to add a voice to the text.

3. Mock Up #1SlugTitle (pull quote)Artist’s nameStandfirstImageDrop CapitalTextTextPull quote

4. Mock Up #2Slug and page numberPuff/Buzz WordBy line (credits)Title (pull quote)ImageStandfirstDrop CapitalTextTextTextPull quote

5. Reflection on Mock Up #1 and #2 I created the first mock up using the example of the Q double page spread featuring Madonna – the image being spread over the page on the right side and with the text on the left below the standfirst, title and the artist’s name in bold, and with the pull quote over the image. I think the mock up is clearly laid out and has most of the conventional features of double page spreads. I inserted a slug at the top of the left page, which would signify the sub section of the magazine (Features in this case) with the dateline. For variance, I proposed for the artist’s name to overlap the title to make it more fun and young, suitable for my audience (16-28 year olds). The second mock up is much more suitable for the genre of text and the size of image that I will be using for the DPS. My image has been cut out from the background, therefore the text will have to go around the image, and because the text is an interview, the second mock up gives me more space for the text. I had taken the example from the NME DPB of Lily Allen to add a by line to make the spread look fuller and follow the conventions of the more established magazines. Also, I indicated where the drop capital would be on both mock ups. Taking example from NME’s DPS on My Chemical Romance, I decided that the title should be tilted and overlap onto the next page to create a better balance between the image and the text, and from the same DPS I took example that the title should be a quote from the text to automatically engage the reader before the article itself is read, which attracts the reader to the entire interview. I put a puff on the top of the left page, which will indicate the subsection and a buzz word like ‘Exclusive interview’. Referring back to my research, I noticed that it’s a convention for the page with the image to contain a pull quote in the corner, so I followed this code by reflecting this element on my own double page spread. I will use the second of my mock ups, as it represents more of a professional spread and leaves a suitable amount of space for text as well as the image, creating a balanced spread.

6. The Interview:Standfirst: Only a year ago, Amber Roberts, was a 17 year old aspiring performer entering and winning dozens of singing contests. Now she’s a country superstar on course to perform at the Country Thunder Festival and top the charts worldwide.1. Who are you major influences in music?A .Many of my musical influences come from the 1980s and 1990s country music, especially Kenny Rogers and Reba McEntire, or even Alison Krauss. They’ve been a part of my childhood. But I also enjoy mainstream music and get inspiration from artists like Carrie Underwood, whom I’ve met at the Grand Ole Opry. She’s an incredible performer to look up to. 2. When did you write your first song?A. I wrote my first song when I was nine. About nine or ten. It was kind of a letter to my mother who’s been an amazing support throughout. The song still means a lot to me to this day. 3. Is your family musical?A: My whole family has been dedicated to music for many generations. My granddad used to play his guitar for me from the day I was born and my father always shows me photos of him performing in clubs years ago. And of course, my mother was the one who took me to all the singing and dancing classes. I owe her a lot, my whole family. I wouldn’t be who I am today if it weren’t for them. 4. What is the most difficult aspect of being a musician? A: It isn’t the worst, but certainly the most difficult, and that is handling the long rehearsals and tours. If you’re not 100% committed to your art, it will get to you eventually. The hours are very long and tiring but the result is worthwhile! 5. Talk us through your journey to the Grand Ole Opry. How surreal was it to walk on stage of the oldest festival in country music’s history?A: Very surreal! It was a normal Sunday, after we’d come home from church, and I decided to hang around the plaza in Nashville, as it was such a lovely day and I really wanted to work on a song I had written not long ago. I noticed crowds and crowds of people queuing in front of the building, which I later figured out to be the auditions for the Young Artist performance for the Grand Ole Opry! How lucky was I to be at the right place at the right time? (laughs) I left my house with a guitar and returned as a performer for the Grand Ole Opry!Amber Roberts’ debut album Rising Sun is out on April 11th.

7. Double Page SpreadWORLD EXCLUSIVEReported by Vanessa Szymanska Photograph by Vanessa SzymanskaFEATURESAmber Roberts“I LEFT MY HOUSE WITH AGUITAR AND RETURNEDAS A PERFORMERFOR THE GRANDOLEOPRY!”rehearsals and tours. If you’re not 100% committed to your art, it will get to you eventually. The hours are very long and tiring but the result is worthwhile! Very surreal! It was a normal Sunday, after we’d come home from church, and I decided to hang around the plaza in Nashville, as it was such a lovely day and I really wanted to work on a song I had written not long ago. I noticed crowds and crowds of people queuing in front of the building, which I later figured out to be the auditions for the Young Artist performance for the Grand Ole Opry! How lucky was I to be at the right place at the right time? (laughs) I left my house with a guitar and returned as a performer for the Grand Ole Opry!Only a year ago, Amber Roberts, was a 17 year old aspiring performer entering and winning dozens of singing contests. Now she’s a country superstar on course to perform at the Country Thunder Festival and top the charts worldwide.Talk us through your journey to the Grand Ole Opry. How surreal was it to walk on stage of the oldest festival in country music’s history?Imother who’s been an amazing support throughout. The song still means a lot to me to this day.Is your family musical?My whole family has been dedicated to music for many generations. My granddad used to play his guitar for me since I was born and my father always shows me photos of him performing in clubs years ago. And of course, my mother was the one who took me to all the singing and dancing classes. I owe her a lot, my whole family. I wouldn’t be who I am today if it weren’t for them.What is the most difficult aspect of being a musician? It isn’t the worst, but certainly the most difficult, and that is handling the longn the midst of Amber Roberts’ hectic schedule, Country Avenue has caught up with the rising star of the western genre backstage at the launch of the Country Thunder festival to discuss her rapid rise to fame and aims for the future.Who are you major influences in music?Many of my musical influences come from the 1980s, 90s country music, especially Kenny Rogers and Reba McEntire, They’ve been a part of my childhood. I also enjoy mainstream music and get inspiration from artists like Carrie Underwood, whom I’ve met at the Grand Ole Opry. She’s an incredible performer to look up to. When did you write your first song?I wrote my first song when I was nine. Nine or ten. It was kind of a letter to myvery long and tiring“The hours are“The hours arevery long and tiringbut the result is but the result is worthwhile!” worthwhile!” Amber Roberts’ debut album Rising Sun is out on April 11th.28COUNTRY AVENUE

8. Reflection – Double Page Spread In my double page spread is wanted to make sure to use as many different elements of DPSs that I’ve noticed from my research, which also helped me make a good use of the page and lay out the features well, so that there’s a clear balance between the main image and the text. I included two pull quotes on the DPS – one for the title (convention) and one over the image. On the top of the page, the puff indicates the sub section of the issue and the name of the artist. The buzz word “World Exclusive” implies an exclusive, ‘not-to-be-missed’ interview which attracts the reader as they feel that they will only be able to find this interview in this magazine. I was influenced by NME’s Lily Allen DPS for the graphics of the title and the format of it. I added a ‘ripped’ look to the border of the title for it to look more rough and suitable for a younger audience. The title is spread over one and a half pages to make the two pages look full and packed with information. Following the conventions of the more established music magazines like NME and Billboard, I added a by-line indicating the writer’s and photographer’s credits, and in the standfirst the name of the artist is in bold. The text (the interview) is laid out in columns which is the format all magazines follow. Because it is an interview, for an easier read and navigation, I made the questions in bold and left a space between each response/question. I took the image with a digital camera. I, then, used inDesign and Photoshop 4 to cut out the model from the background and I used the margins in inDesign to help me place the image. I cropped the image into place so it looks realistic. I also used online photo editing programs like Picnik, FotoFlexer and LunaPic to ensure the image was of the best quality possible. Some of the effects I used on my image are the sharpen tool, the alternation of saturation tool and the contrast tool. Moreover, conforming to the codes and conventions set by the magazine industry, I inserted a drop capital at the beginning of my article.