HarmonyA Music Magazine Proposal

By Hannah-Rose Magain

The Genre of my music magazine will be primarily folk and country based.

I chose these particular genres as I feel it’s important to be able to remember the foundations of music. The folk genre today is known for being the main contribution towards the evolution f music genres. For example, even the rock music genre branched out from folk music originally.

CHOSEN TAGLINE : ‘Taking Music Back to its Roots’

Folk/Country

My main target audience will be young adults, I feel that it is important nowadays to make the younger generation feel included and that they’re making a contribution to today’s music culture. But why stop at the more modern genres of music? I realise that in past years the older generation was used to portray the classic genres, such as, pop, rock and folk. However, it is my belief that in order to hold on to music’s roots a younger generation must be interested in order to ensure these music genres future’s, and what better way to keep them inspired than to allow them to contribute in whatever way possible, for example a younger face on the front of a classic music magazine, for example, Mojo. In no way should we then forget the legends of these genres, but mix the two and introduce the legends of tomorrow.

Target Audience

A teenage to young adult girl with aspirations to have a successful musical career In a band with her friends from school, but also has recorded a few things for fun herself, mainly

using the acoustic guitar and vocals She helps out often at the local primary school doing musical workshops with young children, and

like her musical aspirations is firmly dedicated in educating today’s youth about music’s past and progression in recent decades

She is often annoyed at the fact that guitar tabs are available to her on the internet but musical scores including the full instrumentation for that particular piece is not, this would be one explanation as why she is interested in my magazine.

Her personal tastes in music range from classical to rock, further putting my magazine in her favour as folk branches out into pretty much all music genres

She looks often for inspiration from a variety of different artists as well as advice regarding how to start her music career, and which style would best suit her and enable her to succeed, my magazine offers her all of this and added extras, for example, music sheets with every addition.

Typical Reader Profile

Magazine Front Covers of a Similar Genre

I personally think the gender difference in folk and country magazines is obvious in contrast of appearance, men appear rough around the edges in comparison, their clothes often seeming like they haven’t made an effort, many of these examples have long hair, taking on the style of the stereotypical ‘hippie’ of folk/country music. I wish to eliminate this stereotype and instead have a younger face on the cover of my magazine reminding a younger audience of the folk foundations of music. I chose a female model for my main image as I feel that music magazines are highly male dominated. I think young female artists such as, Adele, Amy Winehouse and Florence Welch have just as much talent as any male artist or group.On the other hand, female artists appear much more

glamorous than their male equivalents, the magazine artist striving for perfection in their appearance, perhaps to portray their femininity to the full. Although my central image will be of a young girl, I do not wish to make her up so much that any natural beauty is covered. I want instead to portray a normal person enjoying playing her music, so as I may relate to the average young person who may not be that fussed with make-up or glamour.

This cover is an example of what I want to achieve for my final product. Instead of making the cover overly glamorous and modern as other country and folk magazines make theirs, I wish to instead portray a naturalistic, simple effect. Instead of making it all about the celebrity on the front cover, I instead want to make it more about the music, after all it’s not a fashion magazine I’m trying to create. I personally feel that some country/folk music magazines, such as, country weekly have forgotten this.

An Inspirational Music Magazine Cover

The central image of this front cover is a musician depicted playing his instrument, I personally can’t remember a music magazine with the artist performing or playing their instrument, I wish to bring this tradition back to my front cover, informing the audience immediately that this magazine is more about the music than the artist.

Unique Selling Point

My main unique selling point consists of educating today’s youth in the previous generations of different styles of music. Music today evolves so quickly that society has been forced into a bad habit of simply disregarding previous music quickly and often due to the endless stream of new hits in the charts. I don’t for one second look down on those who listen to recent pieces of music, as today’s society puts pressure on our youth culture to keep up to date so as to socialise with others regarding the new music in today’s media (this societal demand links to previously explored Uses and Gratifications theory.) However, this doesn’t mean we should not teach the young to appreciate older artists and styles of music that has made modern music what it is today, my magazine will strive to spark a new interest in today’s youth culture by presenting the old and relatable new styles of music all within the same magazine, or even article.An additional aspect to my magazine which not many others can incorporate, is that being a primarily folk magazine, and the folk genre practically an ancestor for all modern styles of music, will interest those who listen to modern chart toppers as they are able to find the connections between these relatable styles of music. I will absolutely include all the different music genres related to folk music, for example rock, and as added bonus will include exclusive interviews and advice columns form a variety of different artists and bands belonging to these genres.I personally think that not many music magazines in existence today can advertise that great a variety of successful musicians, thus enlarging my target audience, and boosting the chances of my magazine being a success.

Exclusive interviews with a variety of different artists (genres all related to folk)

A free CD with each edition, including classics reminding today’s youth of yesterday’s music

Music tabs/chords for a well known song of the main articled artist of that edition

Monthly competitions, the prizes including: Personally signed posters of the main artist of that edition, tickets to concerts with backstage passes, and the grand prize of meeting the band in person

Posters of modern, and older artists Lists of the up to date charts, with comparisons to older additions

Contents of my Magazine

Factors that I will include regularly in my magazine:

I plan on sticking to around four colours on my magazine cover and contents page in order to maintain a theme of simplicity. I want to include both cool and warm colours, for example yellows and blues, to help relate to nature, being natural colours, the traditional inspiration of folk music, and more specifically the changing of the seasons. The positioning of my young model outside amongst nature links with this idea, you could also connote that this young artist symbolises the beginning of a new season regarding the progression of folk genre, whilst still remembering the aspects of the seasons of music past.

Colour Scheme

This colour scheme fits with the stereotypical cohesion of folk magazines. Unlike contrasting genres representations, for example how punk music is symbolised in the music magazine ‘Kerrang’ with the use of bold, almost jagged texts with the addition of a variety of bright colours, my magazine will remain simple with a limited colour cohesion, yet achieving a calm, peaceful finish compared to the headache one might acquire from front covers of music magazines like ‘Kerrang.’

Fonts

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