Double Page Spread Article

Here is my interview, with my adapted questions that I created from my previous post. I believe the questions I asked would appeal to my target audience, as I have used chatty language to keep the readers interested and given advice to the keen musicians, who I am aiming my magazine at as well.


DPS Article:
The acoustic star, Mia Melloway, is the most talked about newcomer this year, being praised up and down the whole country for her debut album “No Turning Back”. It’s so good that she’s gone straight to number 1 in the charts with her new single “Home Is Where The Heart Is” and rumour has it she’ll knock Adele’s album “21” off the number 1 spot with her new album!  So just for you guys, we’ve Tuned In to hear all the hot goss on the bubbly singer-songwriter to discuss her music, her unexpected success and her new-found fondness all over the world.

So Mia, congratulations on your new single “Home Is Where The Heart Is” reaching number 1 this week! How does it feel to be recognised as the new star of 2012?

It’s so overwhelming to be honest! I’m still in shock with how my life has changed so quickly and I’m so grateful to everyone who have supported me and got me where I am today. If you had asked me 12 months ago where I thought I’d be in a year’s time, I would never have imagined I’d be here talking to you! It truly is a dream come true.

Speaking of the whirlwind year you’ve had, what has changed the most for you?

I think what still shocks me the most is that everywhere I go I get recognised and people know my name, it’s crazy (Laughs) It was only this time last year that I had finished my A levels and was unsure what to do with my life. I knew that I wanted to inspire people with my music one day, but I didn’t realise it would happen so quickly! My life is rather hectic at the moment, but I wouldn’t change any of it.

You say you can’t get over the fact everyone knows you now, did you keep yourself to yourself at school then?

Yes, I was rather shy and quiet back at school, although I’m sure people who knew me would disagree with that! (Giggles) I never had the confidence to even put my hand up in class too, as I was always afraid of getting things wrong.

Has your confidence issues always been a problem then?

Yes, it’s had a huge impact on me, as I’ve always liked being part of the background, instead of standing out from the crowd. I think this was one of the main reasons why I was apprehensive of this carer choice at first. However, once I got over the initial fear of singing in front of people, my confidence has improved so much and I feel I am capable of doing a lot more things now!

So when did you realise that you wanted to be a singer?

From a very young age actually! I’ve always loved singing and performing in front of everyone. One of my very first memories was on my 7^th birthday, I sang in front of all my family to Will Young’s song “Evergreen”. I even got my mum and auntie to be my backing dancers! (Laughs) I think from that moment on there are numerous videos of me singing into my hairbrush to a variety of songs. Not to mention my notebook filled with cheesy old lyrics and songs, how embarrassing!

How would you say music has influenced you?

Well, whenever I’m feeling down in the dumps or whatever, I start listening to my favourite songs, which never fail to cheer me up! Most of the time, I’ll get inspired by words or chords I can hear on acoustic songs and I’ll end up picking up my notepad and writing my own lyrics. Writing songs has helped me through some tough times and I feel has made me the strong person I am today.

Talking of your songs, where did you get the inspiration for your new single “Home Is Where The Heart Is” and your debut album?

When I first started out, I was inspired by my favourite artists such as Taylor Swift, Colbie Caillat, Jason Mraz, John Mayor etc, as I feel I can relate to their songs. I’ve always wanted to be inspirational to those keen musicians out there, like the artists who inspired me. I tend to write about personal experiences as well as emotions, like most acoustic artists. Love is usually mentioned, whether it be happy times or relationship breakups. Sometimes, I just can’t help but document everything I feel in a song. To me, all my songs are a collection of my memories, so when I look back at the years gone by, I can see how I’ve grown as a person and an artist!

I’m glad you’ve mentioned those artists, as it links on nicely to my next question! If you could work with anyone in this music industry, who would it be and why?

Ermmm, that’s quite a tough one to be honest! I’m inspired by so many artists it would be hard to choose from. But if I had to decide one person, I guess it would most probably be Taylor Swift, as I’ve been to her concert and she seems such a lovely person, so it would be an honour getting to know her, as well as working with her!

What advice would you give to individuals out there who, I guess like you, have had issues with their self-esteem?

The best piece of advice I could give to anyone is a saying that has got me through life so far “It is always better to have tried and failed, than have failed to try”. For me, that saying is so true because if I had not tried to be a successful musician, I would not be where I am today. Life is never easy, but if you believe in yourself then you will achieve! Always look on the bright side of life, as anything is possible.

Finally, tell us a bit about your new single and album!

Well, my single “Home Is Where The Heart Is” is basically about the journey I have taken to become who I am now. I have found my place in life and this where I want to stay. For me, music is my life. With the album, the songs hint at love and relationships, as well as different emotions that come with these experiences. The album, in general, is the journey I, myself, have taken. Maybe I’m just a girl on a mission, but I’m ready to fly!

Don't miss out on the chance to buy Mia’s new Album “No Turning Back” Released on 5^th April.

Conclusion:

After racking my brain of what to write for my article, I am happy with the one I have produced, as I believe that for the target audience I am aiming my magazine at, it is a conventional interview for a Acoustic magazine. The article includes a chatty, less formal tone to the other conventional magazine I have read e.g. “acoustic” but that is due to the fact their target market is 30 – 50 years old, so I decided formal wouldn’t be the way to go for my audience. Although, it is a relaxed interview, it still includes what the readers want to know i.e. advice on to how to be successful. I think the honest, friendly welcoming atmosphere I tried to create in this article worked well as my target audience would be able to feel like they can relate to the acoustic star, realising that she is just as normal as they are, but taken their dreams to the nest level. Also, the interviews I discovered on the web about the current acoustic stars out there were written in a chatty and honest form, so I thought I would keep this convention that I had noticed. The questions asked all relate to the topic of the article, Mia's first interview and how has things changed for her in the past year (these are the main questions you would find most artists starting out would get asked). I used '(laughs)' again to show what the normal person would do if they found something amusing or embarrassing. Although, it is a typical feature found in Pop interviews, I believe this feature will go well with my relaxed and making the audience feel involved in the article theme I was going for.

As I wrote the answers from my interview myself, there was no need to change the language, as I am the same age as the people I am aiming my magazine at. I kept a semantic field of music by talking about the artist and their music, as well as who inspired them, but at the same time I ensured that the article was a conventional interview. The magazines that I researched for my magazine, had interviews which were 100% genre specific interviews, purely talking about the music they write and the music they create. However, these acoustic magazines were targeted at the older generation and I believe this would not interest or attract my audiences. Therefore, I made it more but with a chatty/conversational, as well as keeping to the idea of aspiring keen musicians, in order to interact my target audience more successfully. I tried to follow the convention of acoustic interviews because I am aiming to create a conventional magazine and didn't want to produce an unconventional one, as I felt that my product wouldn’t be as successful.

Referring back to my earlier posts, I need to make sure that my double page spread makes references to the uses and gratifications of music magazines. I think that the double page spread article alone satisfies a lot of them. The interview gives the readers information, which will “satisfy general curiosity and general interest”. As in the article, the audience will find out about the new artist, providing them with information about a future hit in the acoustic industry, as well as giving them a sense of security being gaining knowledge of the artist (Mia Melloway). Due to the fact it is an exclusive interview, they will not get this information about the star anywhere else, it will be the first time anyone has ever heard about the star, making my target market feeling update with the latest music and news in the industry. 

Additionally, the Q&A interview will add to their personal identity, as it will provide them with “models of behaviour”. For instance, someone who is from their age group, who loves to writes songs and playing the guitar, sticking to the rules of acoustic music, will help them “identify themselves with valued others in the media”. 

Furthermore, the interview will give the readers “social interaction and integration”, by gaining them an “insight into the circumstances of the artist”. Not only this, but the audience will be able to feel a “sense of belonging” by allowing them to relate with the normality, friendly and welcoming exterior they receive from the Mia, will help them find a “basis for conversation and social interaction”. The fact that the interview is exclusive will allow the individuals to discuss a new artist that other people may not have heard of, enabling them express their findings by “connecting with friends and even family”. 

Lastly, this article fulfils the entertainment role, as it helps people “escape or being diverted away from their problems” they may have. Therefore, by reading about someone else’s experiences (Mia) they can either relate to the same issues she has faced, or even forget about their lives at home and “enter” an alternate world without any dilemmas or worries. As well as this, the interview can help my target audience “relax” and mainly “enjoy” finding out new and exclusive information about the new artists. Not only this, but by reading the article it will fill and spare time they have on their hands.

Overall, I believe that I have succeed in setting out what I wanted to create for my double page spread article, as is an conventional acoustic interview as well as meeting the majority of the Uses and Gratifications that make a magazine popular. Also, I think that my magazine interview, will engage my target audience, as a whole, which is the most important thing to do when attracting audiences.