We are currently doing alright with the fieldwork project. We have gotten about 100 responses to our survey. We put the survey on as many Facebook groups we could. We would like to get maybe a few more results, but we are pretty satisfied with what we have right now.  We have had some time to analyze our results but not a lot. We plan on individually analyzing the results and then coming together as a group to discuss what each of us concluded.  From there we plan on picking and choosing good point and thoughts that each member had and combining it into our final analysis. From what we have so far, most people who have responded exercise in some form, and have a decent to excellent average GPA (around a 3.2). We are currently having the discussion whether the exercise effects peoples GPA, or if people are smart, get good GPA’s, and exercise to keep their bodies healthy; this is going to a major debate because finding correlation is relatively easy but showing causation is much harder. We are also planning to reach out to someone who works at the gym to see what they think about the importance of exercise in student’s grades. We will try to get a manager or someone who has been working there for a couple of years. We hope they will be able to tell us about their experiences while working at Virginia Tech. They may be able to help determine if our results are accurate with what we have found.  In our last meeting we divided up all of the remaining work for our project and plan to collaborate a couple times in the upcoming week to put it all together and finalize everything.  We also plan on practicing our presentation so that we know who is talking about each part.  

Journal #11 Brian Kevin Richard Brandon

Our fieldwork project is coming along very nicely. The latest thing we did was adjust out survey question so that we could get some more detailed information from our subjects. We've added several demographic questions as well as questions geared more toward professors and their habits dealing with technology and procrastination. Our survey seemed to be student-centered so we had to broaden some questions so that we could incorporate a larger audience.

The feedbacks we have gotten from our study have been very beneficial. We, individually, have gotten some sufficient information that we could take forward in our study. We have gotten information from a nice balance between males and females as well as a wide range of races and majors. The balance of the type of people we have found is equally matched by the variation in results of the estimation of how much people procrastinate and how they feel that they are affected by the use of technology in their daily lives.

Seeing as we have not compiled our data but have simply told each other a few of our findings, it is hard for us to start to come to any conclusions about all of the information that we have collected. Our next step would probably be to meet as a group and discuss all of our separate findings so that we may move forward with our study. We will take time to thoroughly review the data and analyze it to make valid conclusions about our fieldwork project. From the way that all of our studies seem to be going, it seems as though a lot of people regularly engage in technologies of a wide range. Also, it seems like a sufficient majority of the people do procrastinate when using said technology. That is just a vague estimation of the final results of our fieldwork study, but we will continue to gather information then meet to discuss all of our results so that we can make more concrete conclusions. 

Journal #11 Emily Babski, Stuart McDonald, Tony Jackson

We have a large sample size of individuals that we have been able to get interviews from who are undergraduates and graduates of music-related majors. It has also been easy to collect data on our surveys as well. We have officially decided however, to cut out the recently graduated and professional groups that we were originally going to include. We are running out of time and we believe that our project will be more beneficial if we can focus on just comparing graduates’ and undergraduates’ perceptions. Our decision to restrict our sample population is an effort on our behalf to avoid throwing together a sloppy final product.

Our method for finding participants to interview and answer survey questions was quite good and has proven to be effective  Emily’s inside track to our prospective sample population helped us make quick and easy work of the question asking (and also helped us avoid awkward introductions). We have had several interviews with both graduate and undergraduate students alike. We have learned a lot through the interactions with the people we have interviewed and it has added substantially to our fieldwork.

We answered the question regarding our hypothesis in the last journal, but we will reiterate that we collected data from our undergraduate and graduate sample population this week and we found that our hypothesis, a positive expectance from those still in school, was supported by our findings. We had no problems acquiring information from our sample population of undergraduates and graduates. We were unsure of what to expect in regards to findings for our graduate/professional sample population but we discovered a trend similar to the one displayed in the numbers collected from our undergrads. We were surprised that all of our graduate respondents displayed positive opinions on their degree’s effectiveness, career-wise. 

Fieldwork Assignment - Eric, Haleigh, and Nick

As of right now, we have 85 responses to our survey, and we have about 7 people we have coordinated to interview by this Sunday. We have used online interviews rather than in person interviews, as our interviewees have reported that they thought it would be easier for them to do it this way. We do not intend to request for more survey responses or any more interviews at this time, as we believe that we have enough.

Based on the information we have received, we can see that our original hypothesis appears to be correct so far; however, we will have to analyze our results more to see if this is true. We have looked at the general knowledge that the people have in comparison to whether they participated in cancer awareness events, and we also looked at personal experience. We have created several graphs and looked at the statistics as well as the responses to gather our information. Overall, we have gotten a fair amount of useful information that will be beneficial in our project.

We have created and distributed our interview questions to our interviewees, and are currently waiting for responses, and we are also doing more research behind some of the cancer awareness initiatives to see how much money they actually spend each time, and that leads us to wonder whether or not the money would be better used. We will begin the writing process this following Monday for the final presentation through Google Documents, and we plan to do our presentation through a PowerPoint.

In regards to how far in the project we have gotten, we have completed our revision of the cover letter, as well as the interviews/surveys. We have the results from the surveys/interviews. Now, we are working on the analysis of results and final conclusions. After we finish this, we will be putting together the final presentation in the PowerPoint form, and then we will complete the Personal Reflections after we complete the group presentation. We believe that we are on track as of now, and will have to work hard this following week to make sure we get everything done by Thursday. 

Matt Williams

(sorry, I thought this got pushed back to Thursday because of the cancellation of class)

            The Avett Brothers album The Carpenter is a very skillfully made album. The combination of the instruments, especially the banjo, and the vocals make it an album that is an excellent example of the mix of country and folk music. The banjo adds the country touch, while the vocals give the music more of a folk music feel. The messages are also similar to the typical of country songs. They are telling emotional stories intended to make the audience feel the way the artists felt when they were writing the song.

            Jimi Hendrix’s album Are You Experienced is also a skillful album. With the guitar being a major part of the album, like it always is with Jimi Hendrix, it adds an element of harder rock to the softer rock of his voice. The messages in this album are similar to the messages portrayed in rock and roll at that time period. For the most part he is singing about doing what he wants, or getting what he wants. These messages are really not bad compared to the rock and roll that came later, but it was it was still bad for the time.

            These two albums are remarkably similar, even though the two have different types of music on them. They both did something new to create a sound that people had not heard before, but still enjoyed. They both were the pioneers for their respective types of music. The Avett brothers took the popular banjo and added a different type of vocals to it. Jimi Hendrix played the guitar unlike anyone had done before with the combination of the vocals of the day. What set them apart is their innovative styles. Since they both debuted, there have been artist that have been better than both of them, but they would not have been around if it were not for those groups.

Kevin Stefanye Journal #10

           The use of the guitar in the Avett Brothers’ “The Carpenter” is very important in their distinct “sound”. They use it mostly as a background instrument to supplement the lyrics. This is definitely different from Jimi Hendrix, who uses his guitar to tell a story. He relies much less on lyrics than The Avett Brothers do, and he can really get his message across without even singing, which takes a lot of talent to do. Jimi also uses a much more harsh sound than the Avett Brothers do. Jimi puts out a very “Rock N’ Roll” vibe with his guitar playing, while the Avett Brothers give a much more calm and peaceful vibe, with a bit of sadness and blues thrown in there as well.

            The biggest example of this “Rock N’ Roll” vibe I see from Jimi Hendrix that I don’t see in the Avett Brothers is in his first song “Purple Haze.” In this song, he plays the guitar in a very grungy way, which differs greatly from the soft and melancholy (although sometimes soft and happy) guitar strumming’s and banjo plucking’s of the Avett Brothers, especially in I Never Knew You.

            I can also see some influence from the blues in both albums. There are some songs, such as Down With the Shine on The Carpenter that could pretty much be classified as blues songs themselves. This song uses banjo and guitar as background music with focus on the sad lyrics. Jimi Hendrix also does this in his song The Wind Cries Mary. In this song, Hendrix uses soft guitar solos and blues-style singing to get his message across.

            Another thing that both artists have in their music that is related to blues music is the themes in their albums. They both have sad blues type themes in their songs that talk about hardships, difficulty, and life experiences that would’ve been sung about in regular blues music.

Joel Foley, Journal 10

     The banjo in the Avett Brothers is central to their music because of the heavy role it plays in bluegrass style folk music. I don't know much about chords but the banjo sounds like it is working to bring the lyrics to the front of the song instead of dominating the foreground. It supports the narrative lyrics with repetitive runs of notes that give the song a beat and allow the singers to tell the story while staying in a lyric format that sounds like a song instead of a narrative accompanied by music. Their album "The carpenter" is influenced by the blues because of the narrative lyrics that tell an emotional story. The stories the songs tell are about hardships and dealing with those challenges. The percussion, banjo and guitar music serves to back up these lyrics just like a jazz album. All of these were mentioned in class as defining characteristics of blues influenced music.
     Jimmi Hendrix's album "Are You Experienced?" is heavily influenced by the blues. You can hear it in the guitar because it lays down a repetitive rhythm for the vocalist. The vocals reflect blues styles because they follow the narrative styling of blues artists and also feature the kind of up and down pitch changes that blues singers are fond of. The guitar backs up the vocalists and doesn't try to dominate the listeners attention in the song. Both these albums are focused on the narrative style of music to tell their stories of hardships and love.
     I like seeing how different genres are not all that separated in their origins, if you told me there was any connection between genres like gangsta rap, country, blues and rock I would have been skeptical. but upon looking at the roots of the genres I can see how they are not a whole lot different, they have just been shaped by the environments they came to exist in.

Journal 10, Nick Giokas

Countless genres of music include a heavy influence in the blues.  The blues came out of a culture and way of life that is not experienced today. Racisms, poverty, and oppression were plentiful when the blues were flourishing.  Even though we do not get the blues like we used to, there is still a heavy influence that can be seen in all types of music.  While the Avett Brothers and Jimi Hendrix are polar opposites in music, they both share a common bond in their roots. 

The Avett Brothers are considered more of a folk rock, indie rock band.  They consists of simply a banjo and guitar with some slight upright bass and percussion at times.  The main instruments are the banjo and guitar; just like in the blues the main instrument was the guitar and harmonica.  Also the blues is a genre of music that can tell a story.  The Avett brothers love to do this in their songs because they are constantly painting a picture with their music.  Not just with words, the brothers use the music and the tempos to bring out emotions in the listener. 

Jimi Hendrix is on of the most popular guitarists of all time.  While short lived he made a humongous impact on the rock genre.  His music was rebellious and completely different than anything else at the time.  This is his main relation to the blues.  The blues was no popular right away; it was originally frowned upon and only played by the poor and oppressed.  Just like many blues players Jimi played for himself, not the satisfaction of wealth or fame.  In his album he constantly makes stories out of his songs that are portrayed through the lyrics and instruments.  His guitar is just as vocal as his own voice.  

Mickenzi Schank Journal 10

Some genres are distinctively related to a certain instrument or set of instruments, rock and roll and bluegrass are two of those genres.  Rock, rock and roll, classic rock and all of its related genres hold the guitar, namely the electric guitar, central to the genre.  An example of how important the guitar is can be seen in almost every single band, because it is almost always held by the most important person in the band, the lead singer.  Likewise in bluegrass the banjo is often played by the lead singer and even if it is not, the instrument is usually featured over the other instruments.  Also similar to the guitar in rock, the banjo is a distinctive character and identifier in the genre of bluegrass. 

The banjo definitely plays a role in the role in the Avett Brothers album but I felt it was not as prevalent as the banjo is in a lot of other bluegrass songs or even as prevalent as it is in other Avett Brother’s albums.  But a main trait and feature of the Avett Brothers is that they are a contemporary bluegrass band that incorporates a lot different styles and influences.  Some of the influences that I noticed are indie rock, roots rock, folk rock and acoustic blues.  In my opinion the rock influences really showed in this particular album.  In a majority of the songs I felt that the acoustic guitar overpowered the banjo.  Contemporary blues makes good use of the acoustic guitar, which could be an influence on the album. 

Jimi Hendrix was a pioneer in both the genre of rock and roll and as a player of the electric guitar.  In his album, “Are You Experienced?” he takes the electric guitar that was used by famous blues artists like Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry and completely redefines what sounds the instrument can make and its role in the song.  Hendrix also draws on some older blues artists and emulates a very raw sounding style of music that was associated with the blues at its conception.  Hendrix’s famous guitar solos like the ones in, Foxey Lady, Purple Haze, Voodoo Child and Stones Free would pave the way for many famous rock/metal bands that would make use of distortion, feedback, the wammy bar and the wah wah pedal, techniques that Hendrix founded.

Nazia Pasha- Journal #10

     The Avett Brothers and Jimi Hendrix present many rhetorical similarities. The lyrics in all songs sung by both artist presents the audience with a specific message or main theme.  A very prominent theme in their songs describes the youth and the hardships they faced during that time, as well as them feeling rather misplaced in society.  The hardships could be described by the misdirection, the loss of loved ones, or the feeling of hopelessness and loneliness. A popular way of explaining these circumstances is by presenting a plot in their songs.

      These themes give off a rather sorrowful tone, and because of this, these lyrics can be seen as Blues lyrics. This aspect reveals how the Blues had impacted both artists. Another aspect of these songs that indicate an influence of the Blues is the fact that these songs are like narratives, and they have a storyline that explains a personal experience. Jimi Hendrix’s songs specifically sound more like stories in that he sings, but at the same time, will talk during his songs, just as many Blues music incorporates this talking. In class we listened to many samples that presented this aspect of the story-telling while at the same time, they sound like they are rather speaking to the audience than singing.
      Differences between Jimi Hendrix and the Avett Brothers could be seen in their use of their main instruments- the guitar and the banjo. Jimi Hendrix is known for his great talent in playing the guitar. Most of his songs dedicate a good portion to him solely playing the guitar, purposefully giving the guitar a prominent role. While the Avett Brother’s have more balanced components to their songs. The banjo, as well as other blue grass instruments, is used throughout, while they continue to sing and put the focus on the lyrics. The use of the electric guitar and the grungy/hardcore elements in the song is what distinguishes Jimi Hendrix’s songs as Rock N’ Roll rather than other genres; while the banjo, the fast passed rhythm, and the melody, is what distinguishes the Avett Brother’s music as blue grass genre.