The midway assessment is organised in two parts, and starts with a two-hour public seminar, followed by a closed meeting.
The purpose of the midway assessment is to evaluate the progress of the PhD project at a point when it is still possible to make small or more substantial changes.
Programme:
10:15 - 10:40 Welcome, and Presentation by Candidate Eirik Jacobsen
10:45 - 11:45 Comments by, and discussion with Hendrik Spilker
11:45 - 12:00 Plenary discussion with the public
Following the public event, there will be a closed meeting between the candidate, invited opponent, and supervisors (12:00 - 12:30).
Summary:
Internet and digitization have changed music cultures in the 21st century. The new possibilities (and challenges) concerning digital production and distribution of music have not only transformed the established corporate music industry, but also what it means to be an independent musician today. Social media is central to these changes, altering the ways in which we connect and communicate. My doctoral project investigates the implications of integrating social media into the work of carrying out music projects for independent artists and bands today. This involves questions such as how social media can connect musicians, corporate industries, and audiences in new structures of networks within the domain of contemporary independent music, and how these mediated relations may challenge notions concerning communities or scenes of music. It also involves questions of how practices related to social media have an impact on musical expression and meaning, concerning aspects such as identity an authenticity.
In my midway assessment, I will discuss these questions in light of my preliminary analyses based on qualitative interviews with independent musicians in Norway, as well as analyses of social media content. Ultimately, I hope my research will contribute to better understand how social media impacts the cultural production, distribution and consumption of independent music today.